WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/GEN/78
9 June 1998
(98-2339)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
TECHNICAL COOPERATION AND ASSISTANCE
Submission by the United States
The following communication was received from the United States on 3 June 1998.
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Benefits of timely implementation of the SPS Agreement
1. Developing countries have much to gain from timely and effective implementation of the SPS
Agreement.  Agricultural products account for a ma jor share of many developing countries’ total
exports, and participation in a rules-based trading system which removes unjustified trade barriers
will help to ensure that those countries can participate fully in the growth of the world economy.  For
current or potential food deficit countries, the expansion of trade in safe agricultural products will
contribute to improved food security, both by enhanc ing agricultural productivity and by ensuring the
availability of diversified and reliable supplies of critical food products.  At the same time, thecontinued development of transparent, science-based regulatory systems will help to raise developing
countries’ human, animal and plant health standards, while enhancing the ability of their producers to
adapt to SPS requirements established in their major export markets.
Progress during transition periods
2. In Article 14 of the SPS Agreement, Members agreed that developing countries could delay
implementation of some provisions of the Agreement for up to two years, where technical limitations
prevented immediate implementation.  That two year period ended on 1 January 1997.  Article 14 alsoallows the least developed countries (LLDCs) to delay implementation for up to five years after the
entry into force of the Agreement.  That period will end on 1 January 2000.
3. In reviewing the implementation of the Agreement to date, the Committee should note that
most developing countries - and a number of least-developed countries (LLDCs) - have identified
their notification authorities or national enquiry points, as required under Annex B of the Agreement,
and have taken other concrete steps to implement the Agreement’s other provisions.  A growing
number of developing country delegations are actively involved in the SPS Committee and in the
activities of the international standard-setting organizations and other relevant regional and
international bodies.  The United States commends these efforts, which demonstrate developing
country Members’ interest in and commitment to th e strengthening of the rules-based international
trading system.  We urge those non-LLDC Members which have not yet fully implemented their
commitments under the Agreement to make every effort do so as quickly as possible, in order to
realize the benefits described above and to avoid potential trade problems under this Agreement.
4. Because only eighteen months remain of the Article 14 transition period for LLDC Members,
the Committee should also encourage and support these countries’ efforts to advance implementationG/SPS/GEN/78
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of the Agreement’s principal provisions.  The United States believes it is particularly important to
expand and deepen communication between least developed country Members and their trading
partners on SPS issues during this transition period.  The formal establishment of national notification
authorities and enquiry points and greater participation in the activities of international
standard-setting organizations can make a partic ularly important contribution to such improved
communications.  The firm establishment of these operational contacts will provide an important
foundation for LLDC Members’ efforts to fully adhere to their other commitments under this
Agreement, and facilitate their producers’ efforts to adapt to SPS requirements in their international
export markets.
Expanding participation of developing and least developed countries in international standard-setting
bodies
5. Article 3.4 of the SPS Agreement provides that Members "shall play a full part, within the
limits of their resources, in the relevant intern ational organizations and their subsidiary bodies".
Developing countries’ participation in the activities of the international standard-setting organizations,
however, remains limited.  Increasing their participation is in the interest of all Members and is
important for the effective implementation of the Agreement.   To this end, the United States works
directly with individual developing country Members and with regional groups to facilitate theirability to contribute substantively to internati onal standard-setting activities.  The United States
recommends that the Committee seek to identify specific steps that might be taken to improve
developing countries’ ability to participate in the activities of international sanitary and phytosanitary
related organizations on a sustained basis.
6. For example, the Committee might recommend that the standard-setting organizations
consider means of improving developing countries’ awareness and understanding of issues affecting
their interests, including through the use of computer and telecommunications equipment provided by
WTO and other bilateral and international assistance programs.  It may also be useful to examine
options for conducting meetings in locations that are more accessible to developing countries,
particularly when those meetings address issues of particular importance to them.
7. The Committee may wish to communicate any conclusions it reaches on these issues to other
relevant international organizations, and request that those organizations also review any policies or
practices that may contribute to greater participation by developing countries in their activities.
Ensuring the efficiency of technical cooperation and assistance
8. Article 9 of the SPS Agreement provides that Members will facilitate the provision of
technical assistance which will assist developing countries’ producers in adjusting to sanitary and
phytosanitary requirements in their export market s.  The United States is committed to cooperating
with developing countries and, as appropriate, providing technical assistance that facilitates their
ability to fully participate in the expansion of world trade in high quality agricultural and food
products.  In accordance with this commitment, the US Government has incorporated SPS objectives
into a wide variety of bilateral cooperation and assistance programs.  Illustrative examples may be
found in the Annex.
9. A number of regional and international organizations provide a range of informational
resources and technical assistance designed to improve developing country producers’ ability to adjust
to international sanitary and phytosanitary requirements.  World Bank agricultural extension projects
and a range of Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) programs, for example, facilitate the
adoption of production techniques that reduce food safety risks and help to improve access tointernational markets.  In some cases, projects, seminars or informational materials, such as the
SPS-related materials prepared by the WTO/UNCTAD International Trade Centre (ITC), areG/SPS/GEN/78
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specifically designed to ensure that products meet  relevant regulatory requirements in developing
countries’ key export markets.  Increasingly, extensive resource libraries on a wide variety of sanitary
and phytosanitary issues are also available on the Internet.  It may be useful for the Committee to
consider how Members can make the most efficient use of all these resources, including through
improved communication and coordination among different bilateral and multilateral technicalcooperation programs.
10. Although the SPS Agreement does not refer to technical cooperation and assistance in relation
to Members’ efforts to implement the Agreement itself, a range of informational resources and
assistance programs are also relevant to this issue.  For example, Members may find reference to
OECD “Recommendations on Improving the Quality of Government Regulations” to be useful, to the
extent that they can help in designing regulatory regimes which ensure that SPS measures are
transparent, science-based, provide for high level of health protection, and are otherwise consistentwith the requirements of the SPS Agreement.  The FAO has developed a range of programs
specifically designed to strengthen instituti ons responsible for developing SPS measures and to
improve the quality and effectiveness of their regulatory actions.
1   Similar projects have been
developed or are being considered in some regional organizations.
11. In the Committee, Members have raised concerns about technical constraints affecting
developing countries’ ability to comply with certai n provisions of the Agreement.  In particular, some
delegations have noted the substantial technical and resource demands associated with quantitative or
other advanced risk assessment techniques, and have requested assistance in improving developing
countries’ capabilities to conduct such assessments.  The United States strongly supports increased
technical cooperation and assistance in advancing Members’ risk assessment capabilities, including,for example, a proposal by Australia and New Zealand in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
(APEC) forum for a training project in the application of risk assessment to conformity assessment
procedures for food products.
12. It is important to note, in this context, that technical limitations on Members’ risk assessment
capabilities need not affect adherence to the requirements of the SPS Agreement.  The Agreementprovides broad scope for Members’ health authorities to determine how best to evaluate, in different
circumstances, the risks to be addressed by proposed SPS measures.  All Members, including the
United States, use a wide range of risk assessment techniques to address different sanitary and
phytosanitary risks.  Further, on some issues, scient ific theory, the technical capabilities for measuring
risk, or the available body of scientific evidence may not be sufficiently developed to support
quantitative or other advanced risk assessment techniques.  Thus, it is important for all Members to
continue to develop their risk assessment capabil ities on the basis of new scientific and technical
advances, recognizing that the Agreement requires that measures be based on risk assessments which
are “appropriate to the circumstances.”
13. In view of Members’ interest in expanded technical cooperation and assistance and the
contribution that such cooperation may make to enhancing the quality and effectiveness of all
Members’ sanitary and phytosanitary measures and improving developing country producers’ abilitiesto adjust to those measures, it would be useful for the Committee to invite Members to provide
information to the Committee on current technical cooperation and assistance efforts and available
informational resources (including those available on  the Internet) relevant to these objectives.  The
Committee may wish to consider whether there are any significant gaps in these resources and
whether there are any areas where programs or resources are redundant or could be better focused.
                                                     
1 See, for example, Chapter 5 of the recent FAO report on “FAO Technical Assistance and the Uruguay
Round Agreements.”G/SPS/GEN/78
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ANNEX
US Government Technical Assistance Programs
Following is an illustrative list of technical assistance programs funded by the
US Government which have components addressing SPS issues.
Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service
Cochran Fellowship Program
The Cochran Fellowship Program provides short-term agricultural training in the United
States for agriculturalists from selected middle-income countries and emerging democracies.  Public
and private sector specialists and administrators are assisted in developing and implementing effective
agriculture management and marketing strategies, development of policy tools, and providing for
technology transfer. The objectives of the program are:  (1) to help countries develop agricultural
systems necessary to meet the food needs of thei r domestic populations; and (2) to strengthen and
enhance trade linkages between the countries and US agricultural interests.   Over the past two years,
some participants have received information and training relating directly and indirectly to sanitary
and phytosanitary issues.
Emerging Markets Program
Under the Emerging Markets Program, US expertise is provided through technical assistance
to promote international trade in agricultural products with emerging markets.  The legislative
mandate of the Emerging Markets Program includes the following priorities:  (1) probability of
success in developing, maintaining or increasing US exports;  (2) potential long-term impact on US
exports;  (3) the extent to which projects or activities directly support the transformation of host
country economies to free market systems;  and (4) compatibility with US foreign policy interests.Since 1996, the Emerging Markets Program has funded a number of activities to provide technical
assistance, consultation, and training on SPS-related topics to emerging market countries.
Scientific Cooperation Program
Through the Scientific Cooperation Program, USDA funds collaborative research projects and
scientific exchanges on a broad range of subjects in agriculture and forestry.  Priorities includedevelopment of value-added agricultural products, collection and characterization of plant and animal
germplasm, conservation of environment and natural resources, food, nutrition, and health, and
facilitation of international commerce.  The last pr iority has been added to ensure that resolution of
technical barriers has a foundation of sound science.  Short term visits allow scientists to acquire data,
develop special research techniques, identify unique resources such as germplasm or biological
control organisms and conduct field research.  Long term projects allow US researchers and their
international counterparts to collaborate on high priority problems and to study plant and animaldisease or pest problems that have their origins in foreign countries.  Through the Scientific
Cooperation Program, US and foreign country scientists gain access to resources and expertise that
may not be available in their respective countries.G/SPS/GEN/78
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Agency for International Development
Agricultural Policy Analysis Project
The Agricultural Policy Analysis Project assists with the creation and maintenance of an
economic environment in host countries that is characterized by efficient agricultural market systems,
sustained economic growth of the agricultural sector, and increased employment opportunities.  Asgovernments continue to implement policy reforms which reduce biases against the agricultural sector
and liberalize markets, there is an increasing need to understand how policies impact different target
groups.  The project has four components:  (1) technical assistance for policy analysis;  (2)
comparative policy analysis and synthesis research;  (3) training, guidelines, and methodology
development;  and (4) information and dissemination support.  A focused follow-on to the current
project is under design with such activities as post-Uruguay Round agriculture, including
implementing the SPS Agreement, IPR, and food policy compliance.
Asia Regional Agribusiness Project
The Asia Regional Agribusiness Project has provided industry and trade associations in
Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines training to develop tropical
products markets, gain international market share and engage fully in web and Internet-based
technology.  In the final phase of this program, which ends in 1998, training courses will bedeveloped and provided to Nepalese and Bangladeshi government and business leaders on food safety
and other trade regulations.
East and Southern African Agricultural Trade Program
The East and Southern African Agricultural Trade Program is under development and will
focus on regional and sub-regional trade in Eastern and Southern Africa.  The major issues areharmonization of grade, standards and biosafety among a number of African countries with significant
agricultural trade.  Design and program developmen t is planned over the next nine months with the
goal of implementation of this major new program next year.
Latin America and the Caribbean/Regional Sustainable Development
USAID is working with the US Department of Agriculture to provide a three-part program
addressing sanitary and phytosanitary measures:  (1) to assist Caribbean Basin countries in
understanding and implementing the rights and obligations of the WTO SPS Agreement.  The
program includes developing training and technical assistance for officials, including policy makers,
and the private sector to understand the mutual obligations under the SPS Agreement and assistance in
the development of animal and plant health infrastructure in the region;  (2) provide technical
assistance to the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) on WTO SPS obligations.
Department of Commerce
Agricultural Trade Policy Workshop
This program introduces agricultural trade law and policy issues to public officials and private
sector attorneys.  Coordinated with the US Department of Agriculture, the program includes a
comprehensive overview of agricultural trade issues including phytosanitary measures, subsidies,
customs duties, etc. seeking to build technical skills needed to shape or adapt to freer trade policies in
order to accede to the WTO or meet WTO obligations as a Member.G/SPS/GEN/78
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International Trade Law and Policy Seminar Series
This ten-unit program introduces trade law and policy issues to public officials and private
sector attorneys and business persons.  Progressing from basic international trade theory to detailed
discussions of specific trade issues addressed by the WTO, the seminar provides a comprehensive
overview of both information and technical skills needed by those who set, implement or are affectedby trade policies.  Each one-week unit includes both training and individualized technical assistance
components.
Product Standards Workshop
The program addresses issues relevant to developing and implementing a product standard
consistent with the WTO, and the impact of product standards on international trade generally and
with specific trading partners.  The workshop is developed in cooperation with Commerce's National
Institute of Standards and Technology.
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