. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/MEX/173
11 September 2001
(01-4275)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  Spanish
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  MEXICO
If applicable, name of local government involved:
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries
and Food
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:  Citrus
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Emergency Mexican Official
Standard NOM-EM-036-FITO-2000, Phytosanitary Specifications and Requirements for the
Production and Transportation of Propagative Material Free from Citrus Quick Decline
(Tristeza) Disease and Other Viruses Affecting Citrus (14 pages).
5. Description of content:  This Emergency Mexican Official Standard establishes
phytosanitary regulations for the production and transportation of propagative material free
from this and other viruses affecting citrus.  The provisions of the Standard apply to the
following:
(a) Citrus propagative material:  plants, root stocks or stocks, seeds, twigs,
shoots and in vitro  material;
(b) sites of citrus production:  orchards, nurseries, germplasm banks,
biotechnology laboratories, foundation-seed sites, seed-producing orchards,
sites producing virus-free shoots and laboratories for tissue cultivation;
(c) means of transport:  containers and vehicles;
(d) commercial facilities:  stores selling ornamental and garden plants and
travelling vendors;
(e) other, as determined by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural
Development, Fisheries and Food.
6. Objective and rationale:  [     ] food safety,  [     ] animal health,  [  X ] plant protection,
[    ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease,  [     ] protect territory from
other damage from pestsG/SPS/N/MEX/173
Page 2
7. Nature of the urgent problem(s):  Citrus farming is an extremely important activity within
the national fruit farming sector, through the support it provides for the Mexican economy
as a source of foreign exchange and employment for a large proportion of the population in
growing, picking, packing, marketing and processing activities.
Among the phytosanitary problems which affect citrus, viral diseases constitute a
serious threat to Mexican citrus farming, because of their capacity to gradually lower the
quality and yield of fruit and cause the death of trees within a short space of time.  The
presence of this type of phytosanitary problem usually leads to trade restrictions on
propagative material.
The introduction, establishment and spread of diseases caused by viruses in the
various citrus-producing areas of the country would lead to considerable losses in citrusfruit production.
The phytosanitary quality of citrus propagative material plays a decisive role in the
health of crops during the various phenological stages.  Consequently, the implementation
of a registration and certification programme for citrus is required with a view to supporting
and encouraging the production and use of virus-free propagative material.
Only through a joint effort involving the participation of producers, nursery owners,
carriers, traders, the federal, State and municipal authorities and the general population, can
the effective phytosanitary control of viral diseases be carried out, thereby preventing the
spread and establishment of such diseases in citrus-growing areas throughout the national
territory.
8. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [  X ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give its appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Diario Oficial de la
Federación (Official Journal), 17 August 2001 (available in Spanish).
10. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable):  On the day following
publication in the Official Journal (18 August 2001), valid for six months.
11. Texts available from/and agency or authority designated to handle comments:
[ X ] National notification authority, [     ] National enquiry point or address, fax
number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
Website:  www.economia.gob.mx/normas (Standards catalogue)