G/SPS/N/COL/317  
16 July 2020 
(20-4838) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original:  Spanish  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member : COLOMBIA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible : Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario , ICA (Colombian Agricultural 
Institute)  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO ; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable) : Laboratories handling the foot -and-mouth disease virus  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  
[X] All trading partners  
[ ] Specific regions or countries:  
5. Title of the notified document : Proyecto de Resolución del Instituto Colombiano 
Agropecuario  "Por medio de la cual se establecen los requisitos en Seguridad Biológica 
Nivel 4 - OIE, que deben cumplir los laboratorios que manipulan el virus de la fiebre aftosa 
y el procedimiento para su verificación"  (Draft Resolution of the Colombian Agricultural 
Institute establishing the biosafety level 4 (OIE) requirements to be met by laboratories 
handling the foot -and-mouth disease virus, as well as the verification procedure) 
Language(s) : Spanish Number of pages : 27 
https://me mbers.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/SPS/COL/20_4168_00_s.pdf  
6. Description of content : The notified draft ICA Resolution seeks to establish the 
biosafety level 4 (OIE) requirements to be met by laboratories handling the foot -and-
mouth disease virus, as wel l as the verification procedure.  
7. Objective and rationale : [ ] food safety, [X] animal health, [ ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests . It is vital for Colombia to protect the country 's health status 
and to ensure that the live foot -and-mouth disease virus does not escape from 
laboratories handling it in activities involving vaccine producti on and quality control, 
antigen production and control, the multiplication of genetic material (genetically modified 
virus) , and the inoculation of animals against the foot -and-mouth disease virus.  
The foot -and-mouth disease virus should only be handled un der biosafe conditions, due 
to its high transmission rate in the environment and the wide range of animal species 
affected by it . In light of the above , the need to update the provisions of ICA Resolutions 
Nos. 749 of 26 March 2003 and 1166 of 15 April 200 5 was identified  following their review , 
with a view to preventing the accidental release of the foot -and-mouth disease virus, 
reducing the risk of the cross contamination of other biological products, and improving 
the specific conditions under which labo ratories should  handle this pathogen.  G/SPS/N/COL/317  
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  8. Is there a relevant international standard ? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) : 
[ ] World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. T errestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) : 
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention ( e.g. I SPM No. ): 
[X] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[ ] Yes [ ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:  
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available : 
Resolution No.  1056 of 1996 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : Date on which the Resolution is signed  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : Date of publication in the Official Journal  
11. Proposed date of entry into force : [ ] Six months from date of publication, and/or 
(dd/mm/yy ): Upon publication in the Official Journal  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Final date for comments : [X] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or ( dd/mm/yy ): 14 September 2 020 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments : [X] National Notification 
Authority, [X] Nation al Enquiry Point . Address, fax number and email address 
(if available) of other body:  
Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo  (Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism)  
Dirección de Regulación  (Regulation Department)  
Calle 28 No. 13A - 15, tercer piso  
Bogotá, D.C., Colombia  
Tel.: (+571) 606 7676, Ext. 1690 - 1340 
Email:  puntocontacto@mincit.gov.co ; mgonzalezs@mincit.gov.co ; 
amejiam@mincit.gov.co  
Website: http://www.mincit.gov.co  
Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario , ICA (Colombian Agricultural Institute)  
Subgerencia de Regulación Sanitaria y Fito sanitaria (Sanitary and Phytosanitary 
Regulation Division)  
Dirección Técnica de Asuntos Internacionales  (Technical Division for International Affairs)  
Avenida Calle 26 No. 85B-09 
Bogotá, Colombia  
Tel.: (+571) 332 3700  
(+571) 288 4800, Ext. 1510 - 1515 
Email: asuntos.internacionales@ica.gov.co ; margarita.lubo@ica.gov.co  
Website: http://www.ica.gov.co  G/SPS/N/COL/317  
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  13. Text(s) available from : [X] National Notification Authority, [X] National Enquiry 
Point . Address, fax number and email address (if available) of other body:  
Ministerio  de Comercio, Industria y Turismo  (Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism)  
Dirección de Regulación  (Regulation Department)  
Calle 28 No. 13A - 15, tercer piso  
Bogotá, D.C., Colombia  
Tel.: (+571) 606 7676, Ext. 1690 - 1340 
Email: puntocontacto@mincit.gov.co ; mgonzalezs@mincit.gov.co ; 
amejiam@mincit.gov.co  
Website: http://www.mincit.gov.co