G/SPS/N/JPN/1021  
 
16 May 2022  
(22-3795) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES  
1. Notifying Member:  JAPAN  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries  
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):  Seeds for planting and live plants and plant parts being capable of 
planting for cultivation (excluding seeds and fruits) of  the following plant: eggplant 
(Solanum melongena ) 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[ ] All trading partners   
[X] Specific regions or countries:  Austria; Belgium; Bulgaria; Canada; Canary 
Islands; Chile; China (excluding Hong Kong, China); Cyprus; Czech  Republic ; 
Denmark; Ecuador; France; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Ireland; Israel; Italy; 
Lithuania; Mexico; Morocco; Netherlands; New Zealand; Peru; Poland; South Africa; 
Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Syria; Turkey; United Kingdom (Great Britain and 
Northern Ireland); United States of America (excluding Hawaiian Islands)  
5. Title of the notified document:  Emergency measures to prevent Pepino mosaic virus  
(PepMV) from entering Japan through  the importation of seeds and plants of host plants of 
PepMV . Language(s):  English . Number of pages:  3 
6. Description of content:  To prevent PepMV from entering Japan, the Ministry of 
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF) will require Nation al Plant Protection 
Organizations (NPPO) of exporting countries to certify that:  
A. for seeds, either:  
i. The samples randomly taken from parent plants and ones with suspected symptoms 
are tested by an appropriate serological diagnosis method such as ELISA or an 
appropriate genetic method such as RT -PCR assay and found to be free from 
Pepino mosaic virus ; or 
ii. The seeds are tested prior to export by an appropriate serological diagnosis method 
such as ELISA or an appropriate genetic method such as RT -PCR assay and found 
to be free from Pepino mosaic virus ; 4,600 seeds are randomly taken from a lot as 
samples in ac cordance with the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) 
procedures; or in case that the number of seeds of a lot is less than 46,000, 
10% of the seeds are used for the testing; they are divided into at most 250 seeds 
for ELISA or 400 seeds for RT -PCR as sub -samples.  
B. for live plants and plant parts for planting (excluding seeds and fruits):  
The plants randomly taken from a lot and plants with suspected symptoms are tested 
during the growing season or prior to export by an appropriate serological diag nosis 
method such as ELISA or an appropriate genetic method such as RT -PCR assay and found 
to be free from Pepino mosaic virus . 
In addition, the NPPO will be required to declare as below in the column of Additional 
declaration of Phytosanitary Certificate.  G/SPS/N/JPN/1021  
 
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  "Fulfills item 25 of the Annexed Table 2 -2 of the Ordinance for Enforcement of the Plant 
Protection Act (MAF Ordinance No. 73/1950) " 
7. Objective and rationale: [  ] food safety, [  ] animal health, [X]  plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.   
8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action:  PepMV is one of the 
most serious pests for Japan. To prevent PepMV from entering Japan, an additional 
declaration is to be provided in the Phytosanitary Certificate for the import of seeds and 
plants of host plants of PepMV. This is the urgent action prior  to the revision of the 
Ordinance for Enforcement of the Plant Protection Act upon the detection of PepMV from 
eggplant ( Solanum melongena ) seeds during an inspection in Japan.  
9. 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 Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[X] International Plant Protection Convent ion (e.g.  ISPM number) : 
IPPC Article  7 and ISPM No. 1  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[X] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
10. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  
Table  2-2, MAF Ordinance No. 73/1950  
https://www.maff.go.jp/pps/j/law/houki/shorei/E_Annexed_Table2 -
2_from_20210428.html  
(available in English)  
11. Date of entry into force ( dd/mm/yy )/period of application (as applicable):  
20 June 2022  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
Standards Information Service  
International Trade Division  
Economic Affairs Bureau  
Ministry of Foreign Affairs  
2-2-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda -ku 
Tokyo 100 -8919, Japan  
Tel: +(81 3) 5501 8344  
Fax: +(81 3) 5501 8343  
E-mail: enquiry@mofa.go.jp  G/SPS/N/JPN/1021  
 
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  13. Text(s) available from: [  ] National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
Standards Information Service  
International Trade Division  
Economic Affairs Bureau  
Ministry of Foreign Affairs  
2-2-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda -ku 
Tokyo 100 -8919, Japan  
Tel: +(81 3) 5501 8344  
Fax: +(81 3) 5501 8343  
E-mail: enquiry@mofa.go.jp