. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/AUS/159 
22 March 2004 
 (04-1250) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION  
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   AUSTRALIA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved: 
2. Agency responsible:   Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Processed foods. 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  All 
countries supplying food to Aust ralia, as well as  domestically produced foods sold in 
Australia. 
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   Draft Assessment for 
Application A509   – Food derived from Insect-protected Cotton Line COT102 (available in 
English, 69 pages). 
6. Description of content:  FSANZ has received an Application to amend Standard 1.5.2 – 
Food Produced using Gene Technology in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code 
to approve the use of food products derived from genetically modified insect-protected cotton line COT102.  Insect protection is conferred by expression in the plant of a bacterially derived protein that is selectively toxic to certain insect pests of cotton. 
Cotton line COT102 has been developed for cu ltivation in North America and in Australia, 
therefore food derived from this cotton coul d enter the market in Australia and New 
Zealand via imported and domestic products. 
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 
Foods produced using gene technology are re quired to undergo a pre-market assessment of 
their safety, to ensure that they are as safe as their conventional counterparts. 
All applications to change the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code  must be 
assessed in the context of the following objectives:   (a) the protection of public health and 
safety;  (b) the provision of adequate informa tion relating to food to enable consumers to 
make informed choices;  and (c) the prev ention of misleading or deceptive conduct. 
8. International standard, guideline or recommendation:  
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention, [ X ] None  
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:  G/SPS/N/AUS/159 
Page 2  
 
 9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Australia New 
Zealand Food Standards Code  (English) 
10. Proposed date of adoption:   Notification to Government anticipated August 2004 with 
adoption (gazettal) to follow, pending Government consideration. 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   Date of Gazettal pending Government consideration. 
12. Final date for comments:  14 May 2004 
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:    
Food Standards Aust ralia New Zealand 
PO Box 7186 Canberra BC  ACT  2610 Australia 
Fax: + 61 2 6271 2278 
E-mail:  info@foodstandards.gov.au
 
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notification authority, [   ] National enquiry point, 
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:   Documents are 
available from the Food Standards Australia New Ze aland website: 
www.foodstandards.gov.au/standardsdevelopment .   
Copies are also available from: 
The Australian SPS Notification Point 
GPO Box 858 
Canberra  ACT  2601 Australia 
Fax: +61 2 6272 3678    
E-mail: sps.contact@daff.gov.au