WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/GEN/121
15 June 1999
(99-2412)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
APPLICANTS FOR OBSERVER STATUS
Note by the Secretariat
As requested at the meeting of March 1999 the Secretariat has summarized the information
provided by the various bodies seeking observer status in the SPS Committee.  This summary focuses
on the membership, mandate and scope of work of each applicant, identifies potential contributions to
the work of the SPS Committee, and reciprocity.  Information regarding observer status in other WTO
bodies has also been included.
I. OFFICE INTERNATIONAL DE LA VIGNE ET DU VIN (OIV)
1. Membership
Membership is open to all states.  Current membership (46):
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Bolivia
Brazil
BulgariaChile
Cyprus
Czech Republic
DenmarkFinland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Israel
ItalyLebanon
Luxemburg
Mexico
MoldaviaMorocco
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Peru
Portugal
Romania
RussiaSlovak Republic
Slovenia
South Africa
SpainSweden
Switzerland
Syria
Tunisia
Turkey
Ukraine
United Kingdom
United StatesUruguay
ex-Yugoslavia Serbia,
  Montenegro)
2. Mandate, Scope and Area of Work
The OIV's work includes:
- setting international standards related to wine and wine products, including those
concerning food safety, nutrition, toxicology, pesticide residues and contaminants;
- harmonizing methods of analysis and certification;
- organizing plant protection conferences about diseases which affect wine;
- fighting specific diseases;  and
- protecting appellations of origin.
In recent years, there has been special focus on su rplus control, maintaining diversity, environmental
protection, relations between Europe and America, and on ways of facilitating international trade.G/SPS/GEN/121
Page 2
3. Contribution to the Work of the SPS Committee
The OIV has great experience in the areas of consumer and plant protection as it relates to
wine.  The OIV sets international standards related to wine, and its autonomous competence in this
area is recognized by FAO.  Codex standards do not cover wine and alcoholic beverages in general.
The OIV wishes to be informed about the work of the SPS Committee, and offer the skills of itsexpert groups if necessary.
The OIV has also requested observer status in the General Council, the Council for TRIPS,
and the Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade.
4. Reciprocity
The OIV is offering to grant the SPS Committee Secretariat observer status, which would
allow it to participate in the work of the Gene ral Assembly, Commissions and Sub-Commissions, and
groups of experts dealing with SPS issues.G/SPS/GEN/121
Page 3
II. AFRICAN, CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC GROUP OF STATES (ACP GROUP)
1. Membership
The ACP Group has 71 members, of which 48 are in Africa, 15 in the Caribbean, and 8 in the
Pacific.
2. Mandate, Scope and Area of Work
The ACP Group's work includes:
- to coordinate the activities of the ACP States in the application of the Lomé
Convention;
- to contribute to the development of greater and closer economic, social and cultural
relations among developing countries and to that end, ensure cooperation between theACP States in the fields of trade, science and technology, industry, transport and
communications, education, training and research, information and communication,
the environment, demography and human resources;  and
- to contribute to the promotion of effective regional, interregional and intra-ACP
cooperation among the ACP States and between developing countries in general, andto strengthen the regional organizations to which they belong.
3. Contribution to the Work of the SPS Committee
The ACP Group organized seven regional seminars on the results of the Uruguay Round in
Cooperation with the WTO Secretariat and the European Commission in 1996.
Previously, the ACP Group had observer status in the GATT Contracting Parties, and the
Council of Representatives.  It currently has observer status in the Committees on Balance-of-
Payments Restrictions, Trade and Development, Trade and Environment, Market Access, Rules of
Origin and Customs Valuation. It has been granted ad hoc observer status in the Committees on Anti-Dumping Practices, Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, Safeguards, and Technical Barriers to
Trade, and has furthermore requested observer status in the General Council, the Council for Trade in
Goods, the Council for Trade in Services, and the Committees on Agriculture, Import Licensing, and
Trade-Related Investment Measures.
4. Reciprocity
The WTO Secretariat has participated in preparatory seminars for ACP Senior Officials prior
to the Singapore and Geneva Ministerial Conferences and has access to documents or proceedings of
meetings organized by the ACP institutions.G/SPS/GEN/121
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III. EUROPEAN FREE TRADE ASSOCIATION (EFTA)
1. Membership (4):
Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland
2. Mandate, Scope and Area of Work
EFTA's work includes:
- monitoring and management of free trade relations between the EFTA member States
on the basis of the Stockholm Convention, the legal foundation of the Association;
- three of the EFTA States and the European Union have signed the Agreement on a
European Economic Area (EEA), which entered into force on 1 January 1994.
Through this Agreement the EEA EFTA States participate in the Single Market, withregard to the free movement of goods, capital, services and persons.  In addition, this
agreement covers non-economic cooperation in areas such as research and
development, education, social policy and the environment;
- developing and managing relationships with a large number of non-EU countries;
and
- monitoring and managing the relationships between EFTA States, managing and
coordinating the EFTA Agreement, as well as developing and managing relations
with a considerable number of non-EU countries.  All this involves elements which
are closely related to the work of the SPS Committee.
EFTA's aim in the sanitary and phytosanitary field is to avoid unnecessary obstacles to trade,
and to create transparency and consistency.  All the work of the SPS Committee is of relevance to and
will create a framework for ongoing important EEA activities.  Of special interest to EFTA is the SPS
Committee's work on risk assessment and risk management, use of international standards and
consistency in the application of the concept of an appropriate level of protection.
3. Contribution to the Work of the SPS Committee
EFTA coordinates SPS issues in the EFTA/EEA region.  Observer status is important to
ensure harmonization of the interpretation of WTO rules and provisions.
Previously, EFTA had observer status in the GATT Contracting Parties, the Council of
Representatives, and the GATT Committee on Trade and Development.  Currently it has observerstatus in the Trade Policy Review Body, the Committees on Balance-of-Payments Restrictions,
Regional Trade Agreements, Trade and Development, Trade and Environment, and Rules of Origin.
It has ad hoc observer status in the Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade, and has requested
observer status in the General Council, the C ouncil for Trade in Goods, the Council for Trade in
Services, and the Council for TRIPS.
4. Reciprocity
There has been good cooperation and information exchange between the WTO and EFTA
Secretariats.  EFTA provides the WTO Secretariat with general information as well as its annual
report.  All new EFTA Free Trade Agreements are notified to the WTO.  All SPS-related EEA rulesare made public in the EEA supplement to the Official Journal of the European Communities.G/SPS/GEN/121
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IV. INTER-AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR COOPERATION ON AGRICULTURE (IICA)
1. Membership (34):
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
BahamasBarbados
Belize
Bolivia
Brazil
Canada
ChileColombia
Costa Rica
DominicaDominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Grenada
Guatemala
GuyanaHaiti
Honduras
JamaicaMexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
PeruSt. Kitts and Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Vincent and the  Grenadines
Suriname
Trinidad and Tobago
United States
Uruguay
Venezuela
2. Mandate, Scope and Area of Work
IICA's technical cooperation programme focuses on policies and trade; science, technology
and natural resources; agricultural health; and sustainable rural development.  In the area of
agricultural health and food safety, IICA's long term objectives are to ensure that the countries of the
Americas are in the best possible position as regards agricultural health and food safety, so that theiranimal and plant-based products comply with the strictest health and hygiene standards and can, as a
result, compete advantageously on the international market.  IICA's core strategy for obtaining this
objective is to contribute to the modernization of the organization, infrastructure and operation of
national agricultural health systems, and cooperate with them so that they can meet their regional and
international commitments.
Critical strategic areas in the field of agricultural health are:- modernization of national agricultural health systems, fostering the active
participation of the private sector;
- practical application and harmonization of sanitary and phytosanitary measures in
international trade;
- forewarnings and action on emergency issues;  and
- strengthening the inter-American and regional approaches.
3. Contribution to the Work of the SPS Committee
In 1987, the Inter-American Board of Agriculture, IICA's governing body, expanded IICA's
mandate to include monitoring the Uruguay Round ne gotiations, evaluating their implications for the
agrifood sector in the region, and assisting member countries in their compliance.  Recently, this
mandate was renewed to offer technical cooperation services to member countries in preparation for
continuing the agricultural reform process in the WTO and future negotiations.
IICA also has requested observer status in the Committee on Agriculture.
4. Reciprocity
The WTO Secretariat has broad access to IICA documents and proceedings, and has
participated in several technical meetings and workshops organized by IICA.  IICA offers to grant the
WTO observer status in its governing Inter-American Board of Agriculture.G/SPS/GEN/121
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V. ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT
(OECD)
1. Membership (29):
Australia France Japan Poland
Austria Germany Korea Portugal
Belgium Greece Luxembourg Spain
Canada Hungary Mexico Sweden
Czech Republic Iceland Netherlands Switzerland
Denmark Ireland New Zealand Turkey
Finland Italy Norway United States
United Kingdom
2. Mandate, Scope and Area of Work
The OECD is an intergovernmental, interdisciplinary organization with expertise in a broad
range of economic and trade-related fields.  One of its key objectives, as reiterated by OECDMembers at their meeting in April 1998, is to provide support for a strong multilateral trading system.
This gives the OECD an immediate interest in most of the policy and research activities being
undertaken by the WTO (and formerly the GATT).  OECD produces analytical work to help
governments define their policies and to facilitate the negotiations of international agreements,
including the preparations for future multilateral trade negotiations.  In a number of key areas OECDserves as a forum aiming at harmonized policies and instruments for their implementation.  For
instance, in the context of the OECD Council De cisions on the Mutual Acceptance of Data in the
Assessment of Chemicals, Principles for Good Laboratory Practices, as well as Test Guidelines, have
been developed by the OECD since 1981 and are widely accepted and used by OECD members and
non-members.  Similarly, the last OECD Agriculture Ministers' meeting endorsed analytical work toidentify and analyse existing and new policy approaches to address issues related inter alia  to food
safety and to provide support to the multilateral trading system.
3. Contribution to the Work of the SPS Committee
OECD activities of direct relevance to the objectives of the SPS Agreement include:
- OECD work on Mutual Acceptance of Data in the Assessment of Chemicals ,
including the Guidelines for the Testing of Chemicals  and the Principles of Good
Laboratory Practices  (GLP); these are used as standards for testing the safety of
products (chemicals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, etc.).  Moreover, the Procedures for
monitoring compliance with GLP  are used for assessing the conformity of testing of
products against GLP standards;
- The OECD Pesticide Programme  aims at harmonizing pesticide review procedures,
sharing the work by member countries on pesticide evaluation and finding new
approaches to risk reduction;
- OECD work on biotechnology: the trade-related issues which arise in the agro-food
sector are addressed in the Working Group on Harmonisation of Regulatory Oversight
in Biotechnology.  Also relevant are activities like the OECD Ad Hoc Experts
Meeting on Assessing the Safety of Novel Foods, organized in December 1995 and
October 1998.  In these meetings WHO and FAO were invited in their capacity as
managers of the Codex Alimentarius Commission; andG/SPS/GEN/121
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- OECD work on seed certification: In the framework of the OECD Schemes for the
certification of seeds, National Designated Authorities control the health status of
seeds before certification.
Previously, the OECD had observer status in  the GATT Contracting Parties, the Council of
Representatives, and the GATT Committee on Trade and Development.   Currently it has observer
status in the General Council, the Trade Policy Review Body, the Council for Trade in Goods, the
Council for TRIPS, and the Committees on Agriculture, Balance-of-Payments Restrictions, Trade and
Development, Trade and Environment, Rules of Origin, Technical Barriers to Trade and Trade-
Related Investment Measures.  It has ad hoc observer status in the Committees on Anti-Dumping
Practices, Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, and Safeguards.  It has requested observer status in
the Council for Trade in Services and the Committee on Regional Trade Agreements.
4. Reciprocity
Since the OECD was created in 1961, its relations with the GATT have been based on:
- An arrangement between the OECD Secretary-General and the Executive Secretary of
the GATT to ensure liaison between the Secretariats of the two organizations; and
- Mutual observership between the two organizations, permitting attendance at most
meetings of mutual interest.
The GATT Secretariat was regularly represented by an observer at meetings of the Trade
Committee, the Agriculture Committee, the Joint Wo rking Party of those two bodies, the Council at
Ministerial level, and other bodies, mostly on an ad hoc basis.  Following the adoption by the WTO
General Council of its guidelines on observer status of IIGOs this procedure has been formalized.
The WTO Secretariat has been granted observer status in OECD bodies in which there is considered
to be a synergy of effort and a comparable and reciprocal status has been granted to the OECD
Secretariat in most relevant WTO bodies.  The extension of the WTO's responsibilities to areas thatwere not previously included in the strict context of trade has increased the scope of mutual interest
between the two organizations and now underpins a broad-based exchange of information and co-
operation.
The WTO Secretariat has access to OECD documents classified as " for official use " or
"general distribution " on-line through OLIS.G/SPS/GEN/121
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VI. REGIONAL INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL HEALTH ORGANIZATION
(OIRSA)
1. Membership (9)
Belize
Costa RicaDominican RepublicEl Salvador
GuatemalaHondurasMexico
NicaraguaPanama
2. Mandate, Scope and Area of Work
OIRSA's area of work includes:
- to promote the economic and social development of the region's population through
the production of wholesome and high-quality agricultural produce which satisfiesthe internal and extra-regional demand for food. (Slogan: "Agricultural health for
human well-being");
- animal health, plant health, and regional coordination of quarantine procedures; and
- agricultural health projects, as well as technical and administrative management
projects.
3. Contribution to the Work of the SPS Committee
- OIRSA helps Members to improve the application of SPS Measures under the terms
of GATT 1994 and the SPS Agreement;
- promotes activities aimed at dissemination, promotion and application of the SPS
Agreement, including a seminar held in Nicaragua in 1998 with the participation of
the Chairman of the SPS Committee and representatives from IPPC and Codex, and
another seminar held in Costa Rica;  and
- has drawn up regulations on the application of SPS measures in inter-Central
American trade.
4. Reciprocity
All documents related to the implementation of the SPS Agreement are available on the
OIRSA web site.G/SPS/GEN/121
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VII. LATIN AMERICAN ECONOMIC SYSTEM (SELA)
1. Membership (28):
Argentina
Bahamas
BarbadosBelize
Bolivia
Brazil
ChileColombia
Costa Rica
CubaDominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
GrenadaGuatemala
Guyana
HaitiHonduras
Jamaica
Mexico
NicaraguaPanama
Paraguay
PeruSuriname
Trinidad and Tobago
Uruguay
Venezuela
2. Mandate, Scope and Area of Work
SELA is a permanent regional body for consultation, coordination, cooperation and joint
economic and social promotion.  The fundamental purposes of SELA are:
- to promote intra-regional cooperation in order to accelerate the economic and social
development of its members;
- to provide a permanent system of consultation and coordination for the adoption of
common positions and strategies on economic and social matters in international
bodies and forums as well as before third countries and groups of countries;
- specifically, SELA's objectives include stimulating satisfactory levels of production
and supply of agricultural products, energy, and other commodities, with emphasis on
the specific supply of foodstuffs; and to encourage coordination of national policiesfor protection and supply with a view to establishing a Latin American policy in this
area.
3. Contribution to the Work of the SPS Committee
The SELA Permanent Secretariat provided technical assistance to Latin American and
Caribbean missions during the Uruguay Round negotiations and currently keeps close ties with
Member State missions to the WTO.  In 1998, SELA  held a workshop on "Agricultural Trade in the
Multilateral Framework: Prospects for Latin America and the Caribbean" with the participation of the
WTO Secretariat.
Previously, SELA had observer status in the GATT Contracting Parties, the Council of
Representatives, and the GATT Committee on Trade and Development.   Currently it has observerstatus in the Committees for Trade and Development and Trade and Environment.  It has requested
observer status in the General Council, the C ouncil for Trade in Goods, the Council for Trade in
Services, the Council for TRIPS, and the Committees on Agriculture, Regional Trade Agreements,
Market Access and Trade-Related Investment Measures.
4. Reciprocity
All SELA information is available on the web page, or through the Liaison Officer in Geneva.
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