. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/AUS/155
21 October 2003
(03-5554)
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:   Food Standards Austra lia New Zealand (FSANZ)
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):  Foods in general
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: All
Countries.  Imported (as well as domesti cally produced) foods sold in Australia .
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Assessment Report for
Maximum Residue Limits Application: A497  (Available in English, 40 pages)
6. Description of content: This Application seeks to amend the Australia New Zealand Food
Standards Code  (the Code) to align residues of agricu ltural and veterinary chemicals in food
products so that they are consistent with othe r national regulations relating to the safe and
effective use of agricultural and veterinary chemicals.  In administrative terms and consistentwith international practice, MRLs assist in regulating the use of agricultural and veterinary
chemical products. MRLs indicate whether agricultural and veterinary chemical products
have been used in accordance with the registered conditions of use.  MRLs in the Code also
act both to protect public health and public safety by ensuring that chemical residues are no
higher than necessary, and as international trading standards.
The MRLs prescribed in the Code constitute a mandatory requirement applying to all food
products of a particular class whether produced domestically or imported.  Food products
exceeding their relevant MRL set out in the Code cannot legally be supplied in Australia.
This Application contains variations to MRLs, which are addressed in the Codex standard.
These MRLs may also relate to chemicals used in the production of heavily traded
agricultural commodities, which may indirectly affect trade of derivative food products
between WTO members.
7. Objective and rationale:  [ X ] food safety, [   ] animal health, [   ] plant protection,
[  ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or di sease,  [   ]  protect territory from other
damage from pestsG/SPS/N/AUS/155
Page 2
8. International standard, gu ideline or recommendation:
[ X ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] Office International des Epizooties,
[   ] International Plant Prot ection Convention, [   ] None
If an international standard , guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:   The proposed MRL for Gly phosate for Soya
bean (dry) of 10 mg/kg differs from th e Codex Alimentarius Commission MRL for
glyphosate for Soya bean (dry) of 20 mg/kg.
9. Relevant documents and language(s ) in which these are available: Australia New
Zealand Food Standards Code  (Available in English)
10. Proposed date of adoption:   Notification to Government anticipated in early 2004 with
adoption (gazettal) to follow, pending Government consideration.
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   Date of Gazettal pending Government consideration
(see 10. above).
12. Final date for comments:  30 December 2003
Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [ X ] National notification
authority, [   ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (ifavailable) of other body:
Standards Australia 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 Zealand website:
www.foodstandards.gov.au/standardsdevelopment .
Copies are also available from:
The Australian SPS Notification Point
GPO Box 858CANBERRA  ACT  2601
AUSTRALIA
Fax:  +61 2 6272 3678
Email:  sps.contact@affa.gov.au