G/SPS/W/346  
 
27 October  2023 
(23-7261) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures    
 
  
PROPOSED PROCESS FOR THE SIXTH REVIEW OF THE OPERATION AND   
IMPLEMENTATION OF T HE AGREEMENT ON THE APPLICATION   
OF SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES  
NOTE BY THE SECRETARIAT1 
At the Fourth Session of the Ministerial Conference, Ministers instructed the Committee to review 
the operation and implementation of the SPS Agreement at least once every four years, pursuant to 
the provisions of Article 12.7 of the Agree ment.2 The Fifth Review, which started in  March 2018 , was 
concluded by the Committee in 2020.3 In order to facilitate an efficient review process, the 
Secretariat,  at the request of Members and  in consultation with the Chairperson, has prepared the 
following procedure  for the Sixth Review . The Committee is invited to consider  this procedure at its 
meeting of 15-17 November 2023 . 
 
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1.  The Sixth Review will initially be conducted through open -ended informal meetings  and thematic 
sessions /workshop  of the Committee. The se meetings will normally be scheduled back -to-back with 
the formal  meetings of the Committee. Interpretation will be provided at all formal and  informal  
meetings. If necessary, further informal and special meetings of the Committee may be scheduled.  
2.  Members  will be invited to identify issues for discussion as part of the Review , and to submit 
papers and propose specific action s on the issues under consideration . The Chairperson will propose 
the order in which issues will be considered at each informal meetin g of the Committee , in light of 
the proposals and submissions received . 
3.  An item relating to the Review will be included in the agenda of each formal  meeting of the 
Committee during the Review period, under which the Chairperson will provide an  oral report on the 
informal Review process , including the  issues discussed and conclusions reached. On the basis of 
this report, the SPS Committee will consider what fur ther action may be appropriate.  
4.  The Secretariat will prepare a background document summar izing info rmation regarding 
the implementation of the Agreement (e.g., notifications, technical assistance, dispute resolution), 
as well as the work of the Committee since the  end of the period covered by the Report of the  Fifth 
Review (e.g., specific trade concerns, issues considered by the Committee, decisions adopted) , 
including the Committee's work since January 2020 .4 This document will serve as the basis for the 
Committee's report on the Sixth Review , which will also include information on any specific issues 
proposed for consideration  during the Review . 
 
1 This document has been prepared under the Secretariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the positions of Members or to their rights and obligations under the WTO.  
2 Implementation -Related Issues and Concerns, Decision of 14 November 2001, WT/MIN(01)/17 , 
paragraph 3.4.  
3 At its June 2020 formal  meeting, the Committee adopted the Report of the Fifth Review of the 
Operation and Implementation of the SPS Agreement ( G/SPS/64  and G/SPS /64/Add.1 ).  
4 In accordance with the procedures for the Fifth Review, the report of the F ifth Review reflects the work 
undertaken by the SPS Committee during the period 2014 to 2019, except where stated otherwise  in the  
report . G/SPS/W/346  
 
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  5.  The Review process will be conducted on the basis of the following calendar, recognizing that 
some of the dates may need to be modified in light of other activities and resource constraints.  
Informal and formal meetings of 15-17 November 2023   
• Consideration by the Committee , and possible adoption,  of the procedure for the Sixth 
Review   
• Initial identification and discussion by Members of issues they wish to be considered during 
the Review  
19 January 2024   
• Written s ubmission by Members of the issues they wish to be considered during the Review  
• Submission by Members of papers /proposals  on the issues for consideration  
7 February  2024  
• Circulation by the Secretariat of overview of issues/ papers/proposals received  
Informal meeting of 20 -22 March 2024   
• Discussion on issues identified and papers/proposals submitted  
19 April  2024  
• Submission by Members of additional papers/proposals on the issues for consideration , 
and specific proposals for actions  
30 April  2024  
• Circulation by the Secretariat of updated overview of issues/papers/proposals received  
8 May 2024  
• Circulation by the Secretariat of the background document  
17 May 2024  
• Submission of comments by Members, in writing, on papers/proposals on issues under 
consideration  
5 June 2024   
• Submission by Members of any written comments on the background document prepared 
by the Secretariat  
• Circulation by the Secretariat of a compilation of the comments submitted by Members on 
papers/proposals on issues under consideration  
Informal meeting of 26 June 2024   
• Discussion o f Member's specific proposals for actions on the issues under consideration  
• Identification and discussion on issues for further work by the Committee  
• Discussion of the background document  
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  Early September  2024  
• Circulation by the Secretariat of the draft report of the Sixth Review  
• Circulation by the Secretariat of the updated background document  
4 October  2024  
• Submission of written comments by Members on the draft report of the Sixth Review  
• Submission by Members of any  additional  written comments on the updated background 
document prepared by the Secretariat  
23 October  2024  
• Circulation by the Secretariat of  a compilation of the comments submitted by Members  on 
the draft report of the Sixth Review  
Informal meeting of 13 November 2024  
• Discussion of  the draft report  of the Sixth Review  
• Discussion of the updated background document  
13 December  2024 
• Submission of additional written comments by Members on the draft report of the Sixth 
Review  
December 2024/ January  2025 
• Circulation by the Secretariat of  a compilation of the additional comments submitted by 
Members  on the draft report of the Sixth Review  
January /February  2025  
• Circulation by the Secretariat of the revised  draft report o f the Sixth Review  
Informal m eeting of March  2025  
• Consideration and, if possibl e, finalization of the report of  the Sixth Review  
Formal meeting of March 2025  
• Adoption of the report on the Sixth Review  
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