. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/AUS/119
3 July 2000
(00-2732)
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:  Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA)
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).  Processed foods in general  Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the
extent relevant or practicable:  All countries (imported as well as domestically produced
foods sold in Australia)
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:   
• Application A346 – Food derived from insect-protected corn (56 pages);
• Application A355 – Food derived from glyphosate-tolerant cotton (78 pages);
• Application A362 – Food derived from glyphosate-tolerant corn (66 pages);
• Application A363 – Food derived from glyphosate-tolerant canola line (72 pages);
• Application A387 – Food derived from high oleic acid soybean (72 pages).
5. Description of content: These applications seek to approve foods produced using gene
technology and to be so listed in Standard A18 – Food Produced Using Gene Technology  of
the Food Standards Code.   The reports describe the scientific assessments undertaken and
recommend additions to the list of  approved foods in Standard A18.
Australia previously made a notification under the SPS Agreement in 19 February 1997,
informing other Members of a proposal to establish a standard requiring a pre-market safety
assessment of foods derived from gene technology on a case-by-case basis.  Australia
notified in November 1999 the availability for public comment of the draft-amendedstandard, which regulates the sale of foods and food ingredients, other than additives and
processing aids, which are produced using gene technology.  Standard A18 of the Australian
Food Standards Code is recognised in Australia as a mandatory standard.
6. 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           
7. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [  X ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Australian Food
Standards Code;   New Zealand Food Regulations 1984  (both in English)G/SPS/N/AUS/119
Page 2
9. Proposed date of adoption:  Recommendation to Government anticipated late 2000;
adoption to follow,  pending Government approval
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  Not known, date of entry after Government approval
(see 9. above).
11. Final date for comments:  30 August 2000
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:
Documents are available from the Australia New Zealand Food Authority website
(www.anzfa.gov.au ).  Also available from:
Australia New Zealand Food Authority
PO Box 7186
Canberra Mail Centre  ACT  2610
Australia
Fax:  (+61) 2 62712278E-mail:  info@anzfa.gov.au
This measure was also notified by New Zealand (G/SPS/N/NZL/58 to 62).