WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/CRI/36 
20 October 2004 
 
 (04-4442) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  COSTA RICA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved: 
2. Agency responsible: 
Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Trade (MEIC) 
Technical Regulation Body Tel.:  (506) 297-1439 and 235-2700, ext. 265 E-mail:  crotc@meic.go.cr
 
Web site:  www.meic.go.cr  
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):  Fruit juices and nectars for human consumption (tariff heading 2009).  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  All 
parties trading these products with Costa Rica. 
5. Title, language and number of p ages of the notified document:  Costa Rican Technical 
Regulation (RTCR) No. 390:2004 on Fruit Juices and Nectars (17 pages, in Spanish).  
6. Description of content:  This Technical Regulation establishes the requirements for fruit 
juices and nectars for human consumption: fruit content, additives, methods of analysis and 
sampling, labelling and other additional requirements. 
7. Objective and rationale: [  X ] food safety,  [    ] animal health,  [    ] plant protection,
[   ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [    ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests 
8. International standard, guideline or recommendation: 
[ X ] Codex Alimentarius Commission,  [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention,  [   ] None 
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations: G/SPS/N/CRI/36 
Page 2  
 
 9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available: 
Costa Rican Technical Regulation (RTCR) No. 229:1996, "Reglamento técnico que 
establece los límites máximos de residuos de  plaguicidas en vegetales" (Technical 
Regulation establishing the maximum residue le vels of pesticides in vegetables), Costa 
Rica, 1999, approved by Executive Decree No. 27630 MAG-MEIC-S, published in 
La Gaceta  (Official Journal) No. 33 on 17 February 1999; 
Costa Rican Technical Regulation (RTCR) No. 135:2002, "Reglamento Técnico para el 
Etiquetado Nutricional de los Alimentos Preenvasados" (Technical Regulation on the 
nutritional labelling of pre-packaged f ood), Costa Rica, 2002, approved by Executive 
Decree No. 30256-MEIC-S, published in La Gaceta  on 15 April 2002; 
Costa Rican Technical Regulation (RTCR) No. 100:1997, "Etiquetado de los Alimentos 
Preenvasados" (Labelling of pre-packaged foods), published in La Gaceta  No. 91 of 
14 May 1997, Costa Rica, 1997, approved by Executive Decree No. 26012-MEIC; 
Amendment to Executive Decree No. 26012-MEIC, Costa Rica, 1998, approved by 
Executive Decree No. 26829-MEIC, published in La Gaceta  No. 74 of 17 April 1997; 
Costa Rican Standard (NCR) No. 148:1993, "Metrología: Contenido Neto de 
Preempacados" (Metrology: net contents of pre-packaged goods), Costa Rica, 1993, 
approved by Executive Decree No. 22268-MEIC, published in La Gaceta  of 13 July 1993; 
Amendment to Executive Decree No. 22268-MEIC, Costa Rica, 1997, approved by 
Executive Decree No. 26480-MEIC, published in La Gaceta  No. 232 of 2 December 1997; 
"Codex Standard for Sugars", CODEX STAN 212-1999 (Amd. 1-2001), Italy, 1999; 
"Codex Guidelines for Use of Nutrition Cl aims", CAC/GL 23-1997, Italy, 1997; 
"Codex Guidelines on Nutrition Labelling", CAC/GL 2-1985 (Rev. 1-1993), Italy, 1985; "Codex General Guidelines on Claims", CAC/GL 1-1979 (Rev. 1-1991), Italy, 1979; 
"Recommended International Code of Practic e: General Principles of Food Hygiene", 
CAC/RCP 1-1969 (Rev. 3, 1997, Amd. 1999), Fo od and Agriculture Organization/World 
Health Organization (FAO/WHO), Italy, 1969; 
"General Standard for Fruit Juices Preserved Exclusively by Physical Means not Covered 
by Individual Standards", CODEX STAN 164-1989, Italy, 1989; 
"Code of Federal Regulations , Title 21: Food and Drugs", Food and Drug Administration, 
United States of America; 
Pittier, Henri, "Plantas usuales de Costa Rica" (Common plants in Costa Rica), Editorial 
Costa Rica , 1978, San José, Costa Rica; 
Association of the Industry of Juices and Nectars from Fruits and Vegetables of the 
European Union (AIJN), European Union; 
Council Directive 2001/112/EC of 20 December  2001 relating to fruit juices and certain 
similar products intended for human c onsumption, European Union, 2001. 
10. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  Upon publication in the Official Journal, La Gaceta . 
A six-month period is provided for product labe lling to be brought into compliance with the 
provisions of point 7 of this Regulation.  G/SPS/N/CRI/36 
 Page 3 
 
 
 12. Final date for comments:  60 days as of the date of notification. 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [  X ] National notification 
authority, [    ] National enquiry point, or add ress, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body: 
13. Texts available from:  [  X ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry 
point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  
Centro de Información de Obst áculos Técnicos al Comercio 
Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Comercio - MEIC Apartado Postal 10216-1000 Tel: (506) 297-1439 Fax: (506) 297-1439 E-mail:  crotc@meic.go.cr
 
Web site: www.meic.go.cr