G/SPS/N/EGY/116  
 
12 November 2020  
(20-8095) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  EGYPT  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  The National Food Safety Authority  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable):  Food 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  The Decision of the Board of Directors of the National 
Food Safety Authority (NFSA) No. 6/2020 on Rules Governing Food Import Licensing . 
Language(s):  Arabic . Number of pages:  4 
6. Description of content:  This Decision regulates the procedures and requirements to 
obtain a license to import food into the Arab Republic of Egypt. This measure is necessary 
to ensure the safety and compliance of imported food. In addition, this decision lays down 
the ad ministrative and financial obligations of the food importers, the enforcement 
measures and the responsibilities of NFSA.  
This decision has provided a six months transitional period for currently operating food 
importers to obtain the stipulated license and be registered at NFSA in order to ensure 
the smooth flow of trade and avoid any trade disruptions.  
This measure will enhance the clearance procedures of imported food consignments by 
requiring the importers to verify the application of the rele vant preventive measures by 
foreign suppliers, as well as the ability to ensure optimum traceability of products.  
Moreover, NFSA has issued this decision to enhance its ability to control and evaluate 
food importers and ensure their compliance with the foo d safety requirements. Moving 
forward, the history of food importers' compliance with requirements will be an essential 
pillar of assessing the risk of imported food consignments.  
These new rules will have an impact on the protection of the consumer agains t the risks 
associated with imported food.  
7. Objective and rationale: [X]  food safety, [  ] animal health, [  ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.   G/SPS/N/EGY/116  
 
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  8. Is there a rele vant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) : Codex Guidelines for Food Import Control Systems 
(CAC/GL 47 -2003).  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) :  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international st andard?  
[X] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 25 June 2020  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 16 July 2020  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : 17 July 2020  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [  ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address 
(if available) of oth er body:   
Central Administration for Foreign Agricultural Relations  
Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation  
1 Nadi El Saïd St., Dokki, Giza, Egypt  
Tel: +(202) 3337 6589  
+(202) 3749 0805  
Fax: +(202) 3749 0805  
E-mail: enq_egy_sps@yahoo.com   
13. Text(s) available from: [X]  National Notification Authority, [  ] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
Central Administration for Foreign Agricultural Relations  
Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation  
1 Nadi El Saïd St., Dokki, Giza, Egypt  
Tel: +(202) 3337 6589  
+(202) 3749 0805  
Fax: +(202) 3749 0805  
E-mail: enq_egy_sps@yahoo.com