. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/MEX/149
10 August 1999
(99-3396)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  MEXICO
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible: Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where
applicable). Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or
practicable:  Fruit and vegetables
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Decision Extending Mexican
(Emergency) Official Standard NOM-EM-031-FITO-1998 Establishing Internal QuarantineAgainst the Mediterranean Fruitfly in Campeche, Chiapas and Tabasco States (six-month
extension) (1 Page)
5. Description of content:    Following the successful implementation of the phytosanitary
measures, the Federal Government issued the De cisions declaring that the outbreaks of the
Mediterranean fruitfly, Ceratitis capitata  (Wied) had been eradicated in Campeche and
Tobasco States.  Owing to the continuation of the circumstances that gave rise to the
publication of the Mexican Emergency Official Standard in Chiapas, the Standard has to beprolonged for a further six months as of 20 July 1999.
6. Objective and rationale:  [     ] food safety,  [     ] animal health,  [    ] plant protection,
[    ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  X ] protect territory from
other damage from pests           
7. Nature of the urgent problem(s):   Some 32 species of fruit tree are grown commercially in
the country, over an area larger than 1 million hectares with an annual harvest of over
12 million tonnes and generating more than 400 fixed jobs.
The Mediterranean fruitfly is regarded as the most destructive pest in the world
fruit-growing industry as it attacks more than 200 host fruits and vegetables.  Countrieswhere this pest has not yet taken hold assign it the highest quarantine importance, as it
limits export possibilities.
The Mediterranean fruitfly was eradicated from our county in 1982 after having
established itself there in 1979.  Guatemala is nevertheless still plagued by the pest which,
given the migration of coffee-industry workers and the facilities for crossing the border into
Mexican territory, can be easily introduced in infected fruits being carried by these persons
and causes repeated and sporadic outbreaks in areas near the Guatemalan border.  Theseoutbreaks have been eradicated by means of the National Emergency Mechanism and
despite being geographically circumscribed, the risk of propagation to other areas still
persists, which is the reason for extending this Mexican Emergency Official Standard.G/SPS/N/MEX/149
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8. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [  X  ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give its appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:           
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:    Official Journal of
the Federation, 19 July 1999 (Spanish)
10. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable):    On the day following
publication (20 July 1999), in force for six months after publication
11. Texts available from/and agency or authority designated to handle comments:
[ X ] National notification authority, [   ] National enquiry point or address, fax number
and E-mail address (if available) of other body: