WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/GEN/295/Add.29
10 December 2002
(02-6823)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  Spanish
QUESTIONNAIRE ON TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Submission by Costa Rica
AddendumG/SPS/GEN/295/Add.29
Page 2 Technical assistance requirements:
Information Trainin g Infrastructure
(Hard and/or Soft)Specific Concerns Other
Rights,
obligations andpracticaloperation of the
SPS Agreement• Introduction to the WTO and
the international tradingsystem
• Importance of the SPS
Agreement in internationaltrade
• Introduction to the work of
the CODEX, IPPC and OIE
• Information on:
determination of theappropriate level of sanitaryprotection, non-discriminatory trademeasures, analysis of dispute
settlement cases relating to
sanitary and phytosanitarymeasures, and the work ofstandard-setting bodies• Application of
provisions ontransparency
• Recognition of
equivalence andregionalization
• Harmonization of
requirements
• Risk analysis
• Dispute settlement
procedures
• Dispute analysisSoft:
• Advice on the establishment /
revision of national regulatory
systems and their
harmonization withinternational standards andguidelines
Hard:
• Consumer education
programmes on sanitary andphytosanitary measures.Establishment of a databasefor the notification systemTo receive information on
existing Japaneseregulations on access of
Costa Rican organic
productsOrganic farming
• Harmonization of
requirements
• Revision /
adjustment ofCosta Ricanregulations andprocedures with
regard to organic
products tofacilitate theiraccess to worldmarkets
Food safety • Information seminars on the
SPS Agreement forproducers, farmers,
industrialists and
government officials• Training seminars on
risk analysis anddetermination of the
appropriate level of
protection, gearedtowards the scientificcommunity (riskassessment) and
producers and
government officials(risk management andcommunication)
• Training in the
development of
inspection, sampling
and investigationprocedures
• Good agricultural• Food inspection service
capacity enhancement andlaboratory strengthening.
Creation of a Food Safety
Institute to support theNational Food Safety Systemand recommendations asregards equipment, facilities
and resource (personnel and
budgetary) requirements forits development.
• Development of information
and data analysis systems for
food products, foodestablishments and domesticand international regulations
• Advice on implementing new
laboratory methods and
improving laboratory practicesStrengthening of national
food safety policies andstrategies by modernizing
food legislation and
assessing management andorganizational requirementsfor establishing modern andeffective food-control
programmesEstablishment of
consumercommunication and
participation
programmes toimprove food safety
Regulatory framework
for the production,
processing andmarketing of freshfruits and vegetablesG/SPS/GEN/295/Add.29
Page 3Technical assistance requirements:
Information Trainin g Infrastructure
(Hard and/or Soft)Specific Concerns Other
practices for producers
• Systems for the
accreditation and
certification of safeproductsand quality assurance systems
Animal health • General understanding of the
SPS Agreement• Risk analysis,
transparency, disputesettlement procedures,equivalency and
regionalization
• Standardization and
harmonization ofanimal health andveterinary public healthregulations
• Training at all levels in
animal health qualityassurance (mainly inlaboratories)
• Course on good
manufacturing
practices for veterinarydrugs
• Creation of training
programmes for lawenforcement and
judicial authorities on
the use of sanitaryinspections to controldisease and thesmuggling of animals
and products of animal
origin• Laboratory equipment
(3 atomic absorptionspectrophotometers, 3 gaschromatographs, 2 liquid
chromatographs, 1 microwave
digester for heavy metals,5 incubators, 3 large -20°Cfreezers, 1  400-poundcapacity incinerator)
• 200 m2 construction to house
the animal feed registry and a
laboratory
• Training in geographic
information systems
• Extension of the
Epidemiological Information
System• Training in the
economicassessment ofanimal health
campaigns
• Development of
epidemiologicalsurveillanceprojects
• Training in the
veterinary serviceadministrationand management
• Simulations of
avian diseases,
foot-and-mouth
disease andclassical swinefever
• Training
programmes in
livestock
movement control
Plant health• Risk analysis
• Quarantine treatments• Phytosanitary
certification systems ofcountries with whichSoft
• Control and monitoring by
GPSG/SPS/GEN/295/Add.29
Page 4Technical assistance requirements:
Information Trainin g Infrastructure
(Hard and/or Soft)Specific Concerns Other
Costa Rica trades.
• Inspection, quarantine
treatment,
epidemiologicalsurveillance and riskassessment systems
• Training of technical
experts in pest
identification at pointsof entry.• Modernization of plant
quarantine services
• Assessment and improvement
of the general and specificprocedures of plant quarantineservices
• Organization of quarantine
procedures
Hard
• Treatment facilities
• Installations for post-
quarantine centres,
greenhouses, etc.
Contact detailsNational Enquiry Point
Ministry of Agriculture and LivestockState Plant Protection ServicePlant and Animal Health Information and Notification CentreP.O. Box 10094-1000
San José, Costa Rica
Tel.:  (506) 260-8300 (ext. 2090)Fax:  (506) 260-8301E-mail:  notificaciones@protecnet.go.crG/SPS/GEN/295/Add.29
Page 5
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
(Such information could include, inter alia, a more detailed description of the technical assistance
required, any relevant background information on the reasons for the request, the possibility of
using a regional approach to the provision of the requested assistance and the scope for acoordinated approach among relevant international organizations.)
Food safety:
Our country has set up an Intersectoral Food Safety Committee, which is made up of
representatives of the productive and industrial sector, academic and research sector, public sector
and consumer organizations.  Its aim is to establish a National Food Safety System which
coordinates the sectors and institutions involved with a view to developing domestic resources andbringing about a significant improvement in th e safety levels of food for both domestic
consumption and export.  Technical assistance is required to develop organizational capacity in
order to bring the food safety policy to a successful conclusion, improve inspection services and
laboratories and establish a national food safety information system (products, establishments,
regulations, information on methodologies and general information for producers, industrialists andconsumers).  Technical assistance is also required to develop expertise in the establishment of
appropriate safety levels and risk assessment methodologies, management and communication.
Finally, strategies need to be developed to achieve greater consumer participation, since consumers
are both the most prominent food safety critics and the people who come most into contact with
food products.
Animal health:
The Costa Rican Animal Health Directorate has done its utmost to keep up to date in the
face of trade liberalization.  It is difficult for such a small country with a relatively poor economy tofind the high levels of investment required to modernize its public and private port sector.
Substantial investment has been made in updating information systems, providing training and
implementing laboratory techniques in line with WTO and OIE recommendations.  Furthermore,
efforts are being made to improve domestic sanitary conditions throughout the whole process
relating to products of animal origin so as to guarantee their quality to consumers.
Existing national and international legislation needs an ever-increasing amount of work in
the area of quality assurance.  The Animal Health Directorate requires training in this field as well
as improvements in its "hard" infrastructure, in addition to which there is an urgent need to renew
obsolete laboratory equipment which often prevents analyses from being conducted efficiently.
Each of these activities is extremely important as regards ensuring compliance with sanitary
measures in relation to animal production and pr otecting both consumers and users of products of
animal origin, both in Costa Rica and abroad.
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