G/SPS/N/PAN/72  
30 November  2021 
(21-9009) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original:  Spanish  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member : PANAMA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible : Dirección Nacional de Sanidad Vegetal (DNSV),  Ministerio de 
Desarrollo Agropecuario (MIDA) (National Directorate of Plant Health, Ministry of 
Agricultural Development)  
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) : Plants, products and by -produc ts of plant origin, and other regulated 
items  that require a phytosanitary certificate from Panama . 
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 : Certificado Fitosanitario (Phytosanitary certificate) 
Language(s) : English Number of pages : 1 
https://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2021/SPS/PAN/21_7360_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content : With a view to  prevent ing trade disruptions , Panama wishes to 
inform  its trading partners that it  uses the Generic ePhyto National System (GeNS) of the 
International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)  ePhyto Solution Project  to generate 
electronic phytosanitary certificates and to transmit them to countries with which this 
means of communication  has been f ormalized . 
For those countries with which the electronic transmission of phytosanitary certificates 
has not been formalized or that have not implemented the ePhyto Solution, Panama will 
use the IPPC GeNS to issue paper phytosanitary certificates, which will be submitted by 
the interested party to the National Plant Protection Organization of the importing country 
at the point of entry.  
The National Directorate of Plant Health wishes to point out that the phytosanitary 
certificates pro duced by GeNS have a QR code that enables the certificates to be traced 
and verified . These certificates also comply with International Standard for Phytosanitary 
Measures (IPSM) No. 12 of the IPPC.  
An example of the paper phytosanitary certificate generat ed by GeNS is included.  
Paper phytosanitary certificates generated by GeNS will be issued from 1 January 2 022. 
This format will be progressively implemented throughout 2022 , as the previous format, 
also attached, will continue to be valid during this perio d. G/SPS/N/PAN/72  
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  7. Objective and rationale : [ ] food safety, [ ] animal health, [X] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.  
8. Is there a relevant international standard ? If so, ident ify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) : 
[ ] World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. T errestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) : 
[X] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. I SPM No.) : ISPM No. 12, 
Phytosanitary certificates  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[X] Yes [ ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it devi ates from the 
international standard:  
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 1 January 2 022 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined  
11. Proposed date of entry into force : [ ] Six months from date of publication, and/or 
(dd/mm/yy) : 1 January 2 022 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Final date for comments : [ ]  Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : Not applicable  
Agen cy or authority designated to handle comments : [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point . Address, fax number and email address 
(if available) of other body:  
Ministerio de Desarrollo Agropecuario  
Dirección Nacional de Sanidad Vegetal (DNSV)  
Rio Tapia, Tocumen, apartado 081601611, Zona 5, Panama  
Tel.: (+507) 504 4663  
Email : prodriguez@mida.gob.pa  
13. Text(s) available from : [ ] National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point . Address, fax number and email address (if available) of other body:  
Ministerio de Desarrollo Agropecuario  
Dirección Nacional de Sanidad Vegetal (DNSV)  
Rio Tapia, Tocumen, apartado 081601611, Zona 5, Panama  
Tel.: (+507) 504 4663  
Email : prodriguez@mida.gob.pa