G/TBT/N/PAN/127  
26 April 2023 
(23-2947) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  Spanish  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.  
 
1. Notifying Member : PANAMA  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):  
2. Agency responsible:  
Ministerio de Salud  (Ministry of Health)  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:  
Ministe rio de Salud  
Dirección General de Salud Pública  (Directorate -General of Public Health)  
Calle Culebra, Ancón Antiguo Hospital Gorgas, detrás del Instituto Oncológico  
Panamá, Panama  
Tel.: 512-9100 
Email: csbsogm@minsa.gob.pa  
Website: http://www.minsa.gob.pa  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [ ], 5.6.2 [ ], 5.7.1 [ ], 3.2 [ ], 7.2 [ ], 
other:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading . ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable) : Section I 
- Live Animals and Animal Products  
Chapter 1 - Live animals ; all of Chapter 1 except:  
(a) Fish and crust aceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates, of heading 03.01, 
03.06, 03.07 or 03.08 ; (b) Cultures of micro -organisms and other products of heading 
30.02 ; and (c) Animals of heading 95.08.  
Chapter 7 - Edible Vegetables and Certain Roots and Tubers from heading 7.01 to 7.14.  
Chapter 8 - Edible Fruit and Nuts from heading 8.01 to 8.14.  
Chapter 10 - Cereals  (whole chapter).  
Chapter 11 - Cereals (products of the milling industry ; malt; starches ; inulin; wheat 
gluten).  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document : Resolución 
Ministerial "Que establece los requisitos generales y sanitarios que deben cumplir los 
alimentos que sean, contengan o deriven de Organismos Genéticamente Modificad os, 
cuya producción sea nacional, de exportación o de importación, para consumo humano 
dentro del mercado nacional, incluido su etiquetado"  (Ministerial Resolution establishing 
the general and sanitary requirements to be met by foods that are, contain or d erive from 
genetically modified organisms that are domestically produced, exported or imported, for 
human consumption within the domestic market, including labelling) ; (14 pages, in 
Spanish)  G/TBT/N/PAN/127  
- 2 - 
  6. Description of content : The notified text establishes the gen eral requirements for the 
domestic production, export or import of foods for human consumption that are, contain 
or derive from genetically modified organisms (GMOs), including labelling or 
supplementary labels, within the domestic market, with the aim of ensuring the right to 
information of consumers and the proper protection of human health.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable : The aim of the Ministerial Resolution is to regulate Law No. 48 of 8 August 
2002, creating the National Biosafety Commission for Genetically Modified Organisms and 
issuing other provisions . This Law establishes and coordinates Panama's policies on the 
regulation of management of genetically modified organisms and their derivatives and 
products containing them, in order to prevent risks and minimize the impacts on the 
environment, biological diversity, human health and agricultural and livestock producti on 
that could arise as a result of activities carried out with those organisms.  
8. Relevant documents:  
• Law No. 72 of 2 6 December 2 001 ( Panamá aprueba el Protocolo de Cartagena 
sobre seguridad de la biotecnología del Convenio sobre la Diversidad Biológica,  
celebrado en Montreal, el 29 de enero de 200 ). 
• Law No. 48 of 8 August 2 002 (Que crea la Comisión Nacional de Bioseguridad 
para los Organismos Genéticamente Modificados y dicta otras disposiciones).  
• Law No. 206 of 3 0 March 2 021, establece la creación de la  Agencia Panameña de 
Alimentos y deroga el Decreto Ley 11 de 2006, que creó la Autoridad Panameña 
de Seguridad de Alimentos . 
• Executive Decree No. 770 of 1 4 May 2 021, crea la Dirección Nacional de Control 
de Alimentos y Vigilancia Veterinaria . 
• Executive Dec ree No. 125 of 2 9 September 2 021, se reglamenta la Ley 206 del 
30 de marzo de 2021, que crea la Agencia Panameña de Alimentos . 
• Resolution No. 21 of 1 5 January 2 018, que modifica la resolución 046 de 25 de 
enero de 2012, que crea el Comité Sectorial de Bios eguridad del Sector Salud 
para Organismos Genéticamente Modificados (OGM) . 
9. Proposed date of adoption : To be determined  
Proposed date of entry into force : Six months after adoption  
10. Final date for comments : 60 days from notification  
11. Texts available from : National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:  
Ministerio de Salud  
Dirección Nacional de Dispositivos Médicos  (National Directorate for Medical Devices)  
Calle C ulebra, Ancón Antiguo Hospital Gorgas, detrás del Instituto Oncológico  
Panamá, Panama  
Tel.: 512-9100 
Email: csbsogm@minsa.gob.pa  
Website: http://www.minsa.gob.pa  
https://www.minsa.gob.pa/destacado/consu lta-publica -nacional -e-internacional -
alimentos -geneticamente -modificados  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2023/TBT/PAN/23_9270_00_s.pdf