G/L/1413/Rev.1  
 
19 November  2021 
(21-8742) Page: 1/4 
   
 
 
REPORT (20 21) ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON  
SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES  
Revision  
1.1.  The present report is being circulated by the Chairperson of the Committee on Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Committee) on his own responsibility. This report provides a summary 
of the activities of the SPS Committee during 2021.1 
1.2.  The SPS Committee held its regular meetings in 2021: on 25 -26 March, on 14 -16 July , and on 
3-5 November . Due to COVID -19 sanitary conditions, the meeti ngs were held either in hybrid format, 
i.e. in -person participation and via the virtual platform Interprefy, or virtually only, allowing for 
participation from Geneva -based and capital -based delegates.2 At the  2021 Committee  meetings , 
the SPS  Committee ma de use of the online tool eAgenda , which allowed Members to submit agenda 
items, raise and support specific trade concerns (STCs), and upload statements on the platfor m. 
1.3.  Mr Gregory MacDonald (Canada) had been elected in July 2020  as Chairperson for 2020 -2021. 
Mr Juteau Déadjufo Toussé (Cameroon) was elected as the new Chairperson for 2021 -2022.  
1.4.  In 2021, Members continued discussion on an SPS Declaration for the 12th WTO Ministerial 
Conference , initially submitted by Brazil, Canada and the United States, and now co -sponsored by 
31 Members .3 Members also discussed a  related background document to highlight the relevance of 
the Declaration and advance the discussions in the Committee.4 The Declaration refers to the 
evolving global agricultural landscape which has led to new opportunities and pressures for 
international trade in food, animals and plants. It proposes a work programme to address issues 
that a re currently impacting agricultural trade, including population growth, climate change and 
technological innovation , the importance of sustainable agriculture, new pests and diseases, and 
continued application of SPS measures as disguised trade restriction s. While overall Members 
welcomed this SPS Declaration, providing comments and expressing willingness to engage in further 
discussions on the text, several Members expressed concerns with the Declaration in its present 
form, but remained open to discuss th e context, language, content and appropriateness of the work 
programme. In particular, they called for more robust references in the Declaration to biodiversity 
and ecosystems, global transformation towards sustainable food systems and animal welfare, amon g 
others. They suggested that the SPS  Committee and other committees investigate how the WTO 
could contribute to these policy objectives with a view to reporting to MC13.  Some Members were 
of the view  concerns that the SPS Committee 's mandate does not incl ude all  facets of sustainable 
food systems, while others emphasized that in their view, the proposed MC12 Declaration was the 
best way to launch this work.  
 
1 This revised version of th e report incorporates  the additional discussions and activities that took place 
during  the November 2021 SPS Committee meeting.  
2 At the SPS Committee meeting of March 2021, the Chairperson and three staff members attended 
in-person, and delegates were invited to join the meeting virtually. The SPS Committee meetings of July and 
November 20 21 were conducted in hybrid format with delegates joining the meeting in -person or virtually . 
3 G/SPS/GEN/1758/Rev.9 , also submitted to the General Council as WT/GC/W/835  on 11 November 
2021. 
4 G/SPS/GEN/1960 . G/L/1413/Rev.1  
 
- 2 - 
 
  1.5.  The Working Group on Approval Procedures5 pursued its work in 2021 and provided updates 
on its acti vities at the SPS Committee meetings. The Working Group (WG) agreed on a common 
understanding of approval procedures, for the purposes of the WG and to facilitate its work , recalling 
that "approval procedures" are any procedures to check and ensure the ful filment of SPS measures , 
and referring to the 2019 Thematic Session on Approval Procedures, which had highlighted several  
types of approval procedures.  The participants also submitted information on existing tools and best 
practices to enhance implementat ion of the obligations of the SPS Agreement as they relate to 
approval procedures. This collection, intended to facilitate the work of the Working Group, will 
continue to be discussed and updated as participants put forward additional resources and best 
practices. Moreover, participants had initial discussions regarding key challenges of approval 
procedures that affect international trade, namely: (1) timing and undue delays; (2) transparency; 
(3) communication or information exchange; (4) justification and  discrimination of approval 
procedures; (5) harmonization with international standards; and (6)  other challenges such as the 
COVID -19 pandemic.  The Committee agreed to extend the WG until November 2022 , to allow 
WG members to continue their work, includ ing in-depth discussions on the  key challenges and 
principles of approval procedures.  
1.6.  The Secretariat presented a revised version of the Collection of Resources to Facilitate 
Implementation of National SPS Coordination Mechanisms6, resulting from a recommend ation of the 
Fifth Review. This revised version of the document incorporates additional resources , such as the 
annotated agenda for SPS  Committee meetings, as well as five new STDF resources. Members were 
invited to provide further comments and inputs.  
1.7.  Throughout the year, Members provided the SPS Committee with information regarding their 
status with respect to specific plant pests and animal diseases. This information that concerns the 
principle of regionalization is compiled in the Annual Report on the Implementation of Article 6, 
which the SPS Committee considered at its July meeting.7 At each meeting, Members also provided 
information regarding changes in their SPS policies and situations.  
1.8.  The Committee also discussed SPS issues p ertaining to the COVID -19 pandemic. 
The WTO Secretariat reported that there had been 1 12 SPS notifications and other communications 
related to COVID -19 submitted by Members to date, and referred to its revised note entitled 
"Standards, regulations and COVID -19 — what actions taken by WTO members?" . Members and 
Observers also provided updates on COVID -19 and SPS issues in their respective areas. It was noted 
that there had been a positive uptake on the use of ePhyto and temporary acceptance of electronic 
copies. Concerns were expressed with regard to testing, inspection and other requirements for the 
importation of food products. Reference was also made to assessments of WHO , FAO and other 
bodies which did not find evidence that food or food packaging could be a source of COVID -19. 
1.9.  The SPS Committee considered a wide range of STCs. Members raised 2 7 new STCs at the 
SPS Committee meetings in 2021. These included, among others:  regulation on plastic materials 
coming into contact with food; pesticide policies and maximum residue levels (MRLs); and import 
restrictions on meat, dairy and poultry products. Many previously raised STCs continued to be 
discussed during 2021. Members in tervened on issues such as measures regarding pesticides 
(including legislation on endocrine disruptors); restrictions on animal products, many due to animal 
diseases including avian influenza and African swine fever  (ASF)  (several different STCs); 
phytosa nitary restrictions on fresh fruits; and restrictions on bovine meat products and fish products.  
1.10.   The Secretariat also issued, prior to the SPS Committee's November meeting, the 
Annual  Report on the Use of the Procedure to Encourage and Facilitate the Resol ution of Specific 
SPS Issues (to date, never used).8 
 
5 G/SPS/W/328/Rev.1 . The W orking Group on Approval Procedures , led by Canada and Paraguay  as 
co-stewards , was established in November  2020. Twenty -five Members are  participating in the Working Group: 
Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, the Europ ean Union, Japan, Mexico, 
New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, the  Philippines, the Russian Federation, Singapore, South Africa, 
Switzerland, Chinese Taipei, Ukraine, the  United  Kingdom, the United States, and Uruguay. The OECD is also a 
participant.  
6 G/SPS/GEN/1850/Rev. 1. 
7 G/SPS/GEN/1908 . 
8 G/SPS/GEN/1954 . G/L/1413/Rev.1  
 
- 3 - 
 
  1.11.   The SPS Committee maintained its close working relationship with Codex, the IPPC, and 
the OIE (often referred to as the "Three Sister" organizations) and received regular updates on their 
activities. Ot her observer organizations also provided information on their activities. There were no 
new requests for observer status in the SPS Committee in 2021.  
1.12.   The SPS Committee also considered in its July 2021 meeting , the Annual Report on the 
Procedure to Monitor  the Process of International Harmonization.9 No new issues have been raised 
under this procedure in 2021. Members continued to discuss two issues that had been raised in 
previous years related to Members' implementation of OIE standards on ASF and on hig hly 
pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).  
1.13.   The SPS Committee considered the Annual Overview on Transparency10 and the 
Annual  Report on Specific Trade Concerns11, issued together for the first time at the March 2021 
SPS Committee meeting. Both reports covered t he same reporting period, which facilitated analysis 
and comparisons.  
1.14.   The SPS Committee continued to organize dedicated activities to exchange experiences and 
hear from experts. A virtual Thematic Session on African Swine Fever (ASF) was held on the margins 
of the March 2021 SPS Committee meeting, based on a proposal submitted by the European Union.12 
The event was comprised of four main sessions: (i) the main principles of the SPS Agreement 
relevant to the topic and the work of the SPS Committee; (ii) an overview of the international 
standards relevant to the disease and the epidemiological situation worldwide; (iii)  national 
experiences; and (iv) international and regional initiatives in the context of ASF.13 The thematic 
session provided information and helped to raise awareness on the disease . The role of 
regionalization, adapting to regional condit ions, regional cooperation, and global research 
partnerships to ensure safe trade and prevent the spread of ASF were  also highlighted.  
1.15.   A two -day Workshop on Risk Assessmen t, Risk Management, and Risk Communication  was 
held on 12  and 13 July 202114, on the margins of the July 2021 SPS Committee meeting, based on 
a proposal submitted by Canada in the context of the Fifth Review.15 The workshop was held via 
Zoom and had close to 1,300 registered participants. There were speakers from the public sector 
(from  Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania), private sector, academia, international 
standard -setting bodies (ISSBs), and other international organizations. The worksho p highlighted 
the importance of a functional separation between risk assessment, based on science, and 
risk management decisions taken by regulators to mitigate the risks. Risk  communication 
throughout this process was also underscored as essential to ensu re clear, efficient, and effective 
information flow among stakeholders, which include government agencies, private sector, and 
consumer groups. The importance of stakeholder engagement, forming trust, working transparently, 
and developing confidence in reg ulatory decisions were at the heart of many of the interventions.  
1.16.   At the informal meetings of March and July 2021, Members discussed and provided comments 
on proposal s by New Zealand16 outlining specific initiatives to improve the monitoring process of 
international harmonization , including: (i) organizing a thematic session on international 
harmonization; (ii) reviewing the format and content of the notification template; (iii) Members' 
voluntary statements to the Committee on the use of ISSB standards; an d (iv) statements 
from ISSBs on their initiatives related to monitoring the use of standards and related texts. Members 
indicated their willingness to continue  discussions on the topic. The three ISSBs highlighted the 
timely and complementary nature of the  proposal to work being undertaken in their respective 
bodies.  
1.17.   The SPS Committee organized  a half-day Thematic Session on the Procedure to Monitor the 
Process of International Harm onization17, on the margins of the November 2021 SPS Committee 
meeting , to exchange views and review progress on international harmonization.  The Thematic 
 
9 G/SPS/GEN/1909 . 
10 G/SPS/GEN/804/Rev. 13 and G/SPS/GEN/804/Rev.13/Corr.1 . 
11 G/SPS/GEN/204/Rev.21  and G/SPS/GEN/204/Rev.21/Corr.1 . 
12 G/SPS/W/322 . 
13 G/SPS/GEN/1874/Rev.2 . 
14 G/SPS/GEN/1911/Rev.2 . 
15 G/SPS/GEN/1769  and G/SPS/GEN/1769/Rev.1 . 
16 G/SPS/GEN/1851 , G/SPS/GEN/1877 , and G/SPS/GEN/1915 . 
17 G/SPS/GEN/1966 . G/L/1413/Rev.1  
 
- 4 - 
 
  Session was held in hybrid format , with over 200 participants logged on the virtual platform.  
It provided an overview of the relevant provisions of the SPS Agreement, the Committee's work in 
monitoring international harmonization,  and highlighted the efforts of the ISSBs to monitor the use 
of their standards . An opportunity was also given  to a few  regional and national bodies to share their 
experiences, highlighting efforts undertaken to promote international harmonization and challenges 
that Members face when harmonizing SPS measures, including challenges of non -recognition of 
internation al standards and areas which could benefit from better alignment with such standards.  
Furthermore, reference was made to the notification formats, and challenges of completing and 
reviewing information on international standards contained in notifications,  encouraging reflection 
in this area.   
1.18.   At each of its meetings, the SPS Committee was also kept informed of the work of the 
Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) by the STDF Secretariat18, and of SPS -related 
technical assistance activities, inclu ding the new SPS In -depth Virtual Course  which  was held from 
20 September to 8 October 2021.  
1.19.   Several virtual events were organized at the margin of the SPS Committee meetin gs in 2021. 
This included an information session on the beta version of the WTO Trade Concerns Database ; 
a side event entitled "Promoting safe trade during the International Year of Plant Health" organized 
by the IPPC; a session entitled "Digital opportunities for sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) systems 
and the trade facilitation effects of SPS electronic certification" organized by the OECD; 
an  STDF Webinar, as part of WTO's Aid -for-Trade COVID -19 Stocktak ing Event, entitled 
"Investing  in safe trade systems to protect health and market access "; a side event organized by 
the United  States to present a new, online SPS training resource19; an STDF and World Bank Webinar 
titled " Systems approaches in food safety and  plant health "; and  an STDF side event to launch a 
new guide on good regulatory practices to improve SPS measures . 
1.20.   The SPS Committee tentatively agreed to hold regular meetings on 2 3-25 March, 2 2-24 June, 
and 9-11 November 2022.20 In 2022, the SPS Committee will hold Thematic Sessions on 
Trade  Facilitative Approaches to Pesticide MRLs21 in March ; the Use of Remote (Virtual) Audit and 
Verification in Regulatory Frameworks22 in July ; and International Standards and Best Practices in 
Pest Risk Identification, Assessment and Management  in November .23 It was also decided that the 
SPS Committee will hold a Transparency workshop in Ju ne 2022.  
__________  
 
18 G/SPS/GEN/1881 , G/SPS/GEN/1925 , and G/SPS/GEN/1959 . 
19 G/SPS/GEN/1914 . 
20 G/SPS/GEN/1910 . 
21 G/SPS/GEN/1947 . 
22 G/SPS/GEN/1949/Rev.1 . 
23 G/SPS/GEN/1951/Rev.1 .