. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/AUS/146
27 June 2003
(03-3441)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   AUSTRALIA
If applicable, name of local government involved:
2. Agency responsible:   Food Standards Austra lia New Zealand (FSANZ)
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):   Processed foods in general.
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:
Imported (as well as domestically produced) foods sold in Australia.
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Assessment Reports for
Maximum Residue Limit Applications Number s:  A477 (44 pages in English) and A486
(37 pages in English).
6. Description  of content:  These Applications (A477, A486) seek to amend Maximum
Residue Limits (MRLs) for non-antibiotic agricultural and veterinary chemicals in the
Australia New Zealand  Food Standards Code (the Code).  It is a routine application from
the National Registration Authority for Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (NRA)
(now known as the Australian Pesticides a nd Veterinary Medicines Authority), to update
the Code in order to reflect current registration status of agricultural and veterinary
chemicals in use in Australia.
The MRLs prescribed in the Code  constitute a mandatory requirement applying to all food
products of a particular class whether produced domestically or imported.  Food products
exceeding their relevant MRL set out in the Code  cannot legally be supplied in Australia.
These applications or proposals may contain variations to MRLs, which are not addressed
in the international Codex standard.  These MRLs may also relate to chemicals used in the
production of heavily traded agricultural commodities, which may indirectly affect trade of
derivative food products between WTO members.
7. Objective and rationale:  [  X ] food safety, [   ] animal health, [   ] plant protection,
[ X ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease,  [ X ]  protect territory from
other damage from pests
8. International standard, gu ideline or recommendation:
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] Office International des Epizooties,
[   ] International Plant Prot ection Convention, [ X ] None
If an international standard , guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:G/SPS/N/AUS/146
Page 2
9. Relevant documents and language(s ) in which these are available:   Australia Food
Standards Code;  New Zealand Food Regulations 1984, Australia New Zealand Food
Standards Code  (all in English).
10. Proposed date of adoption:  Notification to Government anticipated late 2003 with
adoption (gazettal) to follow, pending Government consideration.
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  Not known, date of entry subject to Government
consideration (see 9 above).
12. Final date for comments:   30 August 2003
Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [ X ] National notification
authority, [   ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (ifavailable) of other body:
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notification authority,  [   ]  National enquiry point,
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
Documents are available from the Food St andards Australia New Zealand website:
www.foodstandards.gov.au/standardsdevelopment .
Copies are also available from:
The Australian SPS Notification Point
GPO Box 858Canberra Act 2601
Australia
Fax:+61 2 6272 3678
Email: sps.contact@affa.gov.au
Note!  If requesting documents please quote the Application Number(s) quoted in 4 above.