G/SPS/GEN/2017  
 
17 May 2022 
(22-3815) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
UPDATE ON OECD ACTIVITIES OF INTEREST TO THE SPS COMMITTEE  
COMMUNICATION FROM THE OECD  
The followi ng communication, received on 17 May  2022, is being circulated at the request of the 
OECD . 
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1  RECOMMENDATION ON INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY COOPERATION TO TACKLE 
GLOBAL CHALLENGES  
1.1.  The OECD is in the process of adopting a Recommendation on International Regulatory 
Cooperation to Tackle Global Challenges, that builds on the Best Practice Principles on International 
Regulatory Co -operation . This will be adopted at the Ministerial Council's Meeting on 10 June. 
This Recommendation will give higher standing to the OECD principles on IRC, and reinforce the 
importance of implementing IRC across government. The content of the draft Recommendation 
builds very closely on the Best Practice Principles, and are therefore divided into three building 
blocks: (1) Establishing an IRC strategy and its governance structure at the domestic level; 
(2) Embedding IRC throughout the domestic rulemaking; and (3) Fostering international 
co-operation (bilaterally, plurilaterally and multilaterally).  
2  LARGE -SCALE FOOD FORTIFICATION  
2.1.  The OECD  is working on a project on Large -Scale Food Fortification (LSFF) regulation 
measurement framework. This consists in a largescale project to build a strong assessment and 
measurement conceptual framework for food fortification regulation as the first step for subsequently 
developing a Large -Scale Food Fortification Regulatory Index. This regulatory diagnostic tool on food 
fortification aims to assess the success of regulatory delivery through indicators on policy, regulation 
and institutional set -up and the ir practical implementation.  
3  OPTIMISING FOOD SAFETY REGULATORY SYSTEMS FOR ECONOMIC RECOVERY  
3.1.  The OECD published in October 2021 a paper on Optimising food safety regulatory systems for 
economic recovery , which discusses the opportunities that the COVID -19 crisis presents to rethink 
and optimise food safety regulation for the recovery. The pandemic has stressed the importance of 
reducing administrative barriers but also the need for regulations that effectively foster safe 
practices. Food supply systems showed resilience due to governments ' rapid implementation of 
temporary measures. Prioritisation and reduction of the number o f physical controls did not lead to 
a safety crisis, and this highlighted the need for greater optimisation and efficiency of controls, and 
recognition of results of food safety management systems. Progress in technology and data 
management can help respon d to the need for more co -operation and collaboration among control 
agencies and improved information exchange to improve efficiency and effectiveness of control 
measures.  
4  WORKING TOWARDS MORE EFFECTIVE INTERNATIONAL RULEMAKING  
4.1.  In September 2021, the OECD published a report on Working Towards More Effective 
International Rulemaking , co-developed with the IO Partnership for effective international 
rulemaking , in which the WTO participates. This Compendium of International Organi zations' G/SPS/GEN/2017  
 
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  Practices gathers the experiences of some 50 IOs with different mandates, members and institutional 
frameworks to draw lessons for international rulemaking. It examines the diversity of instruments 
in the international rulemaking ecosystem; describes trends and challenges; and discusses how to 
strengthen  the implementation and evaluation of international instruments, ensure efficient 
stakeholder engagement, and maximise opportunities for co -ordination across IOs. 
The IO Compendium is designed to serve not only all national and international policy practit ioners, 
but also civil society actors, academic experts, private actors, and citizens who seek to understand, 
benefit from and possibly contribute to the international rulemaking process.  
Contact:  
Marianna Karttunen (E -mail: marianna.karttunen@oecd.org ) 
 
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