./.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/ARG/48
28 June 1999
(99-2650)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  ARGENTINA
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible:  National Agriculture and Food Quality and Health Service
(SENASA)
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where
applicable).  Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or
practicable:  Products, by-products and derivatives of animal and plant origin, agrifood,
veterinary-pharmaceutical and agrochemical products, fertilizers and soil-dressing products.
All countries.
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  General Regulations on the Import
of Agricultural and Livestock Products into Argentina (16 pages)
5. Description of content:  Establishment of the technical and administrative procedures for
drawing up draft texts on the issue or amendmen t of health and phytosanitary requirements
for the import of animals, animal reproductive material, products and by-products of animal
origin, animal health and biological products fo r use in veterinary medicine, plants, products
and by-products of plant origin.  These will be consistent with national regulations on public
health, food safety, animal health and plant protection, established under the legislation in
effect, and with the standards, recommendations and guidelines of the  Office International
des Epizooties (OIE), the Codex Alimentarius  and the International Plant Protection
Convention (IPPC), except for exemptions based on scientific grounds.
For the purposes of establishing or amending the health and phytosanitary import
requirements, the competent health authorities or national phytosanitary protectionorganizations in the exporting countries, may apply to SENASA for official recognition by
Argentina for the following:  areas free or with low prevalence of diseases or pests, agrifood
establishments or land free of diseases or pests, equivalence of risk mitigation measures,
and equivalence of inspection procedures.
6. Objective and rationale: [  X ] food safety,  [  X ] animal health,  [  X ] plant protection,
[ X ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  X ] protect territory from
other damage from pests
7. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [   ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:  There are no deviations from international
standards or guidelines.G/SPS/N/ARG/48
Page 2
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Draft Resolution
SAGPyA of the General Regulations for the Import of Agrifood Products into Argentina (in
Spanish)
9. Proposed date of adoption:   2 August 1999
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  2 August 1999
11. Final date for comments:  19 July 1999
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [     ] National notification
authority, [  X ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:           
12. Texts available from: [     ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry point
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Pesca y Alimentación
Av. Paseo Colón 922 (1063) Oficina 40
Tel:  (5411) 4349-2242 al 43
Fax:  (5411) 4349-224
E-mail:  cbasco@sagyp.mecon.ar