WORLD TRADE G/L/118
15October 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-4271)
REPORT OFTHE COMMITTEE ONSANITARY
AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES
This report wasadopted bytheCommittee onSanitary andPhytosanitary Measures on
8October 1996, forconsideration bytheSingapore Ministerial Conference.
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1. TheAgreement ontheApplication ofSanitary andPhytosanitary Measures setsouttherights
andobligations ofMembers withregard tomeasures notpreviously addressed indetail under theGATT.
2. TheCommittee onSanitary andPhytosanitary Measures (hereinafter the"Committee") was
established toprovide aregular forum forconsultations andtocarry outthefunctions necessary for
theimplementation oftheAgreement andthefurtherance ofitsobjectives, inparticular withrespect
totheprocess ofinternational harmonization ofsanitary andphytosanitary measures. TheCommittee
istoencourage andfacilitate adhocconsultations ornegotiations among Members onspecific sanitary
orphytosanitary issues, toreview notifications andtoencourage theuseofinternational standards,
guidelines andrecommendations. TheCommittee heldthree regular meetings in1995 andagain in
1996(seeSPS/R/1-5). Inaddition, informal meetings andconsultations wereheldonseveral matters.
Aspecial jointmeeting withtheCommittee onTechnical Barriers toTrade washeldontransparency
provisions, inparticular notification procedures andtheoperation ofEnquiry Points.
3. Atitsfirstmeeting in1995, theCommittee adopted working procedures (G/SPS/1) and
recommended procedures andaformat fortheimplementation ofthenotification provisions under the
Agreement (G/SPS/2). Modifications tothese recommended procedures andformat, aswellas
procedures forthenotification ofurgent actions, weresubsequently agreed bytheCommittee (G/SPS/7).
Inaddition, theCommittee established lists(which areregularly updated) ofNational Enquiry Points
(G/SPS/ENQ/series) andofNational Notification Authorities (G/SPS/6). Atthisandlatermeetings,
theCommittee alsoagreed toinvite, onanadhocbasis, thefollowing international intergovernmental
organizationsasobserverstoitsmeetings:Officeinternationaldesépizooties(OIE),CodexAlimentarius
Commission (Codex), International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), Food andAgriculture
Organization (FAO), World Health Organization (WHO), UNCTAD, International Trade Centre (ITC),
aswellastheInternational Organization forStandardization (ISO).
4. Under theprovisions oftheAgreement, allMembers (except theleast-developed oneswhich
maydelay until2000theimplementation oftheAgreement) arerequired tonotify new,ormodifications
toexisting, sanitary orphytosanitary regulations which arenotsubstantially thesame asthecontent
ofaninternational standard andmayhaveasignificant effect oninternational trade. Each Member
isrequired todesignate asingle central government authority asresponsible forthese notifications.
They arealsorequired toestablish andidentify oneNational Enquiry Point torespond torequests for
information regarding sanitary andphytosanitary measures. Asof8October 1996, 396notifications
havebeenreceived from31different Members. 82Members haveidentified theirNational Enquiry
Points and63haveidentified theirnational authority responsible fornotifications.G/L/118
Page2
5. TheAgreement setstwoexplicit taskswhich theCommittee hasinitiated butnotyetconcluded.
Article 5:5oftheAgreement requires theCommittee todevelop guidelines tofurther thepractical
implementation ofthisprovision1.Informal andinformal consultations, draft guidelines arebeing
developed forfuture consideration bytheCommittee.
6. TheAgreement requires thattheCommittee develop aprocedure tomonitor theprocess of
international harmonization andtheuseofinternational standards, guidelines andrecommendations.
Aproposal forsuchaprocedure isunder consideration bytheCommittee. Atthesame time, the
Committee isalsoexamining towhatextent, asprovided forbytheAgreement, information gathered
bytherelevant international standard-setting bodies maybeused. Analternative approach considered
bytheCommittee istheextent towhich these bodies might themselves beinvolved inthemonitoring.
7. TheCommitteehasprovidedaregularforumforthediscussionofspecificnotificationssubmitted
byMembers andofconcerns regarding notifications, including insufficient timeprovided forcomment.
OtherissuesregardingtheimplementationoftheAgreementhavealsobeenconsideredbytheCommittee.
Some oftheserelate tospecific measures proposed ortaken bycertain Members which other Members
allege violate theprovisions oftheAgreement, whereas others concern measures which individual
Members havetaken tofurther theirimplementation oftheAgreement, suchas,forexample, with
regard totheiruseofriskassessment. Trade concerns ofamore generic nature, relating tosanitary
andphytosanitary measures, havealsobeendiscussed, including withregard totheestablishment of
pesticide residue requirements, procedures fortheexchange ofscientific andtechnical information
between importing andexporting Members, andsub-national measures.
8. Article 14provides thattheleast-developed country Members maydelay theapplication of
theAgreement until2000. Other developing country Members maydelay theapplication ofprovisions
notrelated totransparency until1January 1997, ifnecessary because ofalackoftechnical expertise
orinfrastructure, orofresources. Also, according totheAgreement, theCommittee may,under certain
circumstances, grant specific, time-limited exceptions toobligations. Although concerns havebeen
expressed bycertain Members thatsome developing country andleastdeveloped country Members
could experience difficulties inimplementing thenotification andother provisions oftheAgreement,
nospecific problems inthisregard havebeenbrought before theCommittee.
9. TheCommittee haskepttheneedfortechnical assistance under regular consideration. The
WTO Secretariat hasinitiated aseries ofregional seminars inAfrica, Asia, Central andEastern Europe
andLatin America, including anumber incooperation withother relevant international organizations,
toassist Members 'implementation oftheAgreement. Other technical assistance hasbeenprovided
bytheSecretariat, directly byMembers andbyregional orinternational organizations. Members with
specific technical assistance needs within thescope ofArticle 9oftheAgreement havebeenencouraged
tomake theseknown totheCommittee, ashavebeenMembers inaposition tooffertechnical assistance.
1Article 5:5states "With theobjective ofachieving consistency intheapplication oftheconcept
ofappropriate levelofsanitary orphytosanitary protection against riskstohuman lifeorhealth, or
toanimal andplant lifeorhealth, eachMember shallavoid arbitrary orunjustifiable distinctions in
thelevels itconsiders tobeappropriate indifferent situations, ifsuchdistinctions result indiscrimination
oradisguised restriction oninternational trade. Members shall cooperate intheCommittee, in
accordance withparagraphs 1,2and3ofArticle 12,todevelop guidelines tofurther thepractical
implementation ofthisprovision. Indeveloping theguidelines, theCommittee shalltakeintoaccount
allrelevant factors, including theexceptional character ofhuman health riskstowhich people voluntarily
expose themselves."G/L/118
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10. Theeffective implementation oftheAgreement requires coordination andcooperation with
relevant international intergovernmental organizations which develop standards, guidelines and
recommendations withrespect tosanitary andphytosanitary measures, andinparticular theOffice
international desépizooties (OIE), theCodex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) andtheInternational
Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). Close working relationships havebeenestablished withthese
bodies whocontribute regularly tothework oftheCommittee. Much progress hasbeenmade in
thework undertaken bythese bodies which could facilitate theimplementation oftheAgreement by
WTO Members. Progress inthedevelopment ofrelevant international standards andmethodologies
forriskassessment, inparticular, isoffundamental importance inthisregard, asistherevision of
theIPPC (now under consideration).
11. TheCommittee hasdiscussed elements ofapractical andeffective on-going andfuture work
program. Thisprogram includes: reviewing theefficacy oftheAgreement 'snotification process;
improving transparency inother areas, including through theexchange ofinformation onMembers '
administrative structures andprocedures related totheestablishment ofSPSmeasures; facilitating
consultations leading totheresolution ofcurrent tradeproblems; coordinating andimproving thequality
andefficiency ofinternational technical assistance; andpromoting therecognition ofequivalent SPS
measures consistent withtheprovisions oftheAgreement.
12. Article 12:7oftheAgreement provides thattheCommittee shallreview theoperation and
implementation oftheAgreement three years afteritsentry intoforce, and,where appropriate, may
submit totheCouncil forTrade inGoods proposals toamend thetextoftheAgreement having regard,
interalia,totheexperience gained initsimplementation. TheCommittee willundertake appropriate
work forsuchareview oftheAgreement.
13. TheCommittee recommends thatMinisters endorse theapproach setoutinparagraphs 5,6,
11and12,above. Furthermore, theCommittee recommends thatMinisters reiterate thestrong
commitment ofallMembers tothefullimplementation oftheAgreement, including itsnotification
andother transparency provisions.