G/SPS/W/311/Add.3  
 
27 June 2019  
(19-4367) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures    
 
ARTICLE 6 OF THE SPS  AGREEMENT  
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUS SION  
COMMENTS SUBMITTED B Y IPPC1  
Note by the Secretariat2 
Addendum  
Brazil, the European Union and the United States of America submitted a communication 
(G/SPS/W/311) , circulated on 8 March 2019, requesting Members, as well as the IPPC and OIE, to 
review a set of questions and provide comments through the Secretariat by 10 May 2019. 
Subsequently, the co -sponsors of the submission invited all interested Members , as well as the IPPPC 
and OIE,  to submit replies to  the questions contained in proposal G/SPS/W/311, as well as comments 
on the questions, by 14 June 2019.  
This document provides the replies to the questions, and comments on the questions, as submitted 
by IPPC. The questions in the proposal, as well as the replies received, will form the basis for 
discussions at the informal meeting on 1 7 July 2019.  
1  IPPC'S RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS IN G/SPS/W/311  
1.1.  The secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) have reviewed the paper 
(G/SPS/W/311) submitted for the Fifth Review informal meeting (Review of the operation and 
implementation of the SPS Agreement) in March 2019 by Brazil, the European Union and the Uni ted 
States of America and have prepared the following responses to the questions.  
1.2.  The IPPC secretariat would however encourage national representatives to the SPS Committee 
to consult with their respective National Plant Protection Organizations prior to m aking such requests 
to the SPS Committee, as it is very likely that their NPPOs would immediately be able to provide the 
requested information and this would streamline the work of the SPS Committee.  
Extract from G/SPS/W/311  
b. Questions for the IPPC and OIE Representatives  
• Has the IPPC or OIE revised their regionalization and disease status standards in recent 
years to clarify or elaborate provisions in response to Members' trade concerns? Are there 
any future plans to further revise these standards in th e future?  
• How are standards on surveillance linked to effective implementation of these standards?  
• Are there other underlying key standards that are pre -requisite and essential in order to 
implement successfully regionalization?  
                                                
1 The compilation of comments from Members is available in document G/SPS/W/311/Add.1  and 
comments from the OIE are available in document G/SPS/W/311/Add.2.  
2 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.  G/SPS/W/311/Add.3  
 
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  • Are there any plans to expa nd standards and procedures on recognition of pest or disease -
free status of member countries?  
• How can IPPC and OIE contribute to transparency on the use of the international 
regionalization standards?  
• Are there plans for developing any further materials o r activities to enhance 
implementation of existing standards related to regionalization?  
c. Questions for Members and IPPC and OIE Representatives  
• Are there ways for the SPS Committee to collaborate more effectively with IPPC and OIE 
to strengthen implementation of international standards on regionalization and Article 6?  
• How have Members without elaborate SPS programmes relied on OIE or IPPC work to 
facilitate safe importation of needed food products?  
 
1.3.  The IPPC secretariat over the years have deve loped conceptual International Standards for 
Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) which provide the basis for carrying out phytosanitary activities 
such as determination of pest status, eradication, pest risk assessment and surveillance. These 
standards, along w ith the standard on phytosanitary principles, provide the basis for all 
phytosanitary activities.  
1.4.  In regards to regionalization, which is referred to in the IPPC context as Pest Free Areas (PFA), 
the following suite of standards have been developed to deal  with the different types of PFAs:  
• ISPM 4 Requirements for the establishment of pest free areas (adopted in 1995) ; 
• ISPM 10 Requirements for the establishment of pest free places of production and pest 
free production sites (adopted in 1999) ; 
• ISPM 22 Requir ements for the establishment of areas of low pest prevalence (adopted in 
2005) ; and 
• ISPM 29 Recognition of pest free areas and areas of low pest prevalence (adopted in 2007) . 
1.5.  In addition, there is a suite of standards that is applicable to fruit flies, which is mostly used 
for the management of fruit fly PFAs:  
• ISPM 26 Establishment of pest free areas for fruit flies (Tephritidae) (adopted in 2006, 
revised in 2014 and 2015) ;  
• ISPM 35 Systems approach for pest risk management of fruit flies (Tephritidae) (adopted 
in 2012) ; and  
• ISPM 37 Determination of host status of fruit to fruit flies (Tephritidae) (adopted in 2016) . 
1.6.  These ISPMs3 may be found on the IPPC 's website.  
1.7.  Guides and training materials have also be en developed to support the implementation of 
ISPMs and to provide guidance to National Plant Protection Organizations; in particular, a new IPPC 
Guide for Establishing and Maintaining Pest Free Areas is being published and w ill be available on 
our website shortly.  
1.8.  Guides and training material4 may also be found on the IPPC 's website.  
1.9.  Many contracting parties to the IPPC have used this guidance to establish and negotiate the 
recognition of PFAs bilaterally. Some of the IPPC co ntracting parties post such information on the 
IPP ( http://www.ippc.int ) as part of their work on pest reporting. We would like to invite SPS 
                                                
3 ISPMs https://www.ippc.int/en/core -activities/standards -setting/ispms/ . 
4 Guides and training materials: https://www.ippc.int/en/core -activities/capacity -development/guides -
and-training -materials/ . G/SPS/W/311/Add.3  
 
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  Committee M embers to provide examples of this work to the SPS Committee of how  they have 
established and secured recognition from another country of their PFAs.  
1.10.   Work is ongoing to help NPPOs understand and implement PFAs. The Guide on Surveillance 
is being updated to bring it in line with the revised ISPM 6 on Surveillance, that was  just adopted 
this year.  
1.11.   The IPPC Secretariat is also organizing an International Symposium for Pest Free Areas and 
Surveillance5 in Shizuoka, Japan (28 October to 1 November 2019) showing the strong links between 
PFA and surveillance. This Symposium is funded by the European Union, Canada and Japan . PFA and 
surveillance experts from around the world will gather to discuss and learn  how best to establish 
and maintain pest free areas to allow market access of safe products. SPS  Committee  Members are 
requested to transmit information on this Symposium to intere sted participants and encourage their 
participation. Some funds  are availabl e to assist developing country representatives to participate.  
1.12.   The IPPC Secretariat looks forward to further collaboration with the SPS Committee to 
strengthen implementation of international standards on regionalization ( pest free areas).  
 
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5 Symposium: https://www.ippc.int/en/core -activities/capacity -development/symposia/symposium -on-
pfas-and-surveillance/#