. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/GTM/13
29 August 2003
(03-4508)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  Spanish
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  GUATEMALA
If applicable, name of local government involved:
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food
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):  Certified seeds, plant parts and fruit plants
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  
Trading partners of Guatemala
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Ministerial Decision
No. 712-2002 of 3 May 2002.  Decision establishing the requirements applicable to the
production, certification, importation, exportation and marketing of certified seeds, plant
parts and fruit plants (3 pages)
6. Description of content:  Any natural or legal person engaged in the production,
importation, exportation and marketing of seeds, plant parts and fruit plants within the
national territory must comply with the provisions of the Ministerial Decision.
The Decision includes provisions relating to the registration and authorization of
natural or legal persons and the establishment of technical standards and general and
specific methods and procedures governing the production and certification of seeds, plant
parts and fruit plants of any species, in particular by the Standards and Regulations Unit.
It also deals with the authorization of services provided by natural or legal persons
for the performance of one or more tasks within the certification process, at the time and on
the conditions specified by the Standards and Regulations Unit, which reserves the right to
monitor and audit the authorized services, in or der to ensure the quality of the services and
the products to be obtained.
The types of seeds requiring certification are classified, a gene register and a
nursery register are established, and labels, tags and/or marks and the period of their validity
are regulated.
Obligatory requirements are established for importation, exportation and warehouse
clearance.G/SPS/N/GTM/13
Page 2
7. Objective and rationale: [     ] food safety,  [     ] animal health,  [  X ] plant protection,
[    ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  X ] protect territory from
other damage from pests
With the aim of guaranteeing an increase in productive potential, using certified
seeds, plant parts and fruit plants of high quality, the State supports the development of fruit
farming in the country, given the lack of necessary certified sources that include physical,
phytosanitary, physiological and genetic components.
8. International standard, guideline or recommendation:  [    ] Codex Alimentarius
Commission,  [    ] Office International de s Epizooties, [    ] International Plant
Protection Convention,  [ X ] None
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:           
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Ministerial Decision
No. 712-2002 of 3 May 2002 (Spanish)
10. Proposed date of adoption:  Guatemala, 10 May 2002 (published in the Official Journal)
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  Guatemala, 10 May 2002
12. Final date for comments:  Not applicable
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [     ] National notification
authority, [     ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:           
13. Texts available from:  [     ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry
point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food
Standards and Regulations Unit
Office of Standards and Procedures
7a Avenida 12-90, zona 13Anexo Edificio Monja Blanca
Fax:  (502) 475-3058, (502) 457-3068, (502) 475-3074
E-mail:  correo@unr.com.gt