WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/GTM/21 
13 February 2004 
 (04-0572) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures  Original:   Spanish  
   
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES 
 
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 may be provided in addition, where 
applicable):   
1. Live ruminants (0102); 
2. Foetal bovine serum (3002); 
3. Meat of ruminants, fresh, chilled or frozen (0201); 
4. Sausages of ruminant meat (1601.0010); 
5. Cold cuts of ruminant meat (1602.1090); 
6. Meat of ruminants, dried, dehydrated, in  meal form, canned, vacuum-packed and in 
any other form of presentation (0210.2000); 
7. Viscera and organs of ruminants for human consumption or industrial use  
(0206.1000, 0206.2, 0504.0010); 
8. Hydrolyzed, concentrated ruminant protein;  
9. Ruminant protein for laboratory use;  
10. Ruminant elastin; 
11. Ruminant glands, processed or for processing (0510.0000); 
12. Ruminant bile; 
13. Ruminant meat, blood, bone, hoof and horn meal (0506.1000, 0506.9000); 
14. Animal feed additives of ruminant origin;  
15. Milk substitute of ruminant origin for calves;  
16. Preparations from fats of ruminants (1502.0000); 
17. Ruminant blood and blood by-products (1601.0010, 1602.1010, 1602.5000); 
18. Amniotic extract or fluid from ruminants; 
19. Ruminant placenta; 
20. Ruminant intestinal serosa; 
21. Ruminant hooves and horns;  
22. Gelatin and collagen from joints of ruminants; 
All ruminant Specific Risk Materials (SRMs), as established by the World Organization for 
Animal Health (OIE): 
(a) Meal of meat, blood and meat offa l, and birds' feathers (0210.90, 0505); 
(b) Hydrolyzed bone; (c) Enzymes, hormones and excipients; (d) Veterinary drugs and excipients; (e) Animal feed; 
(f) Fish meal (0305.1000). G/SPS/N/GTM/21 
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4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  
United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom, European Economic Community, 
inter alia , and countries with a reported outbreak of  BSE, without prejudice to the related 
provisions of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Organization for Animal 
Health (OIE). 
5. Title and number of pages of the notified document:   Ministerial Decision 
No. 693-2004 of 23 January 2004, Provisions to Prevent the Introduction of Bovine 
Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) or "Mad Cow Disease" into Guatemala. 
6. Description of content:  This Ministerial Decision establishes provisions relating to the 
entry into or international transit through Gu atemala of animals and animal products, by-
products and raw materials for the production of  inputs intended for animals, which pose a 
health risk and which come from or originate in countries infected with Bovine Spongiform 
Encephalopathy (BSE). An infected country is  considered to be one with a reported 
outbreak of this disease, without prejudice to the related provisions of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Or ganization for Animal Health (OIE). 
 It also declares BSE a notifiable disease throughout national territory and makes it 
mandatory for the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food, through its Standards and 
Regulations Unit, to provide the Ministry of P ublic Health and Welfare with an up-to-date 
list of processed natural foods which pose a hea lth risk, and to coordinate matters relating 
to the importation of other products and materials of ruminant origin used in the cosmetics, 
pharmaceutical and other industries. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [   ] food safety,  [ X ] animal health,  [   ] plant protection, 
[ X ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [   ]  protect territory from 
other damage from pests  
8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reasons for urgent action:   
Identification of outbreaks of BSE in bovine  meat-producing and e xporting countries which 
import live animals and the pr oducts, by-products and edible offal thereof into Guatemala. 
9. International standard, gu ideline 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:  
10. Relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:   Ministerial Decision 
No. 693-2003 of 23 January 2004 (available in Spanish). 
11. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable):   29 January 2004  G/SPS/N/GTM/21 
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12. Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [    ] National notification 
authority, [  X ] National enquiry point or addres s, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:  
Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganadería y Alimentación 
Unidad de Políticas e Información Estratégica Area de Información 5ª Avenida 8-06, Zona 9 Ciudad Guatemala 
Tel.:  (502) 361-7786 and 334-1048 
Fax:  (502) 361-7783 
E-mail:  informacion.upie@maga.gob.gt 
Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganadería y Alimentación 
Unidad de Normas y Regulaciones 
Area Fitozoosanitaria 
7ª Avenida 12-90, Zona 13 Anexo Edificio Monja Blanca Ciudad Guatemala Tel./Fax:  (502) 475-3058, 457-3068 and 475-3074 E-mail:  correo@unr.gob.gt and onp@unr.gob.gt 
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: