G/SPS/N/CRI/187  
27 March  2017 
(17-1667) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original:  Spanish  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member : COSTA RICA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible : Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería, Servicio Nacional de Salud 
Animal, SENASA (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, National Animal  Health Service)  
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) : Fish and aquaculture products  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  
[ ] All trading partners, or  
[X] Specific regions or countries : China 
5. Title of the notified document : Resolución N° SENASA -DG-R066-2016 - Dirección 
General Servicio Nacional de Salud Animal  (Resolutio n SENASA -DG-R066-2016 - 
Directorate -General of the National Animal Health Service) Language(s) : Spanish 
Number of pages : 3 
Text available at:  
http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2017/SPS/CRI/17_1506_00_s.pdf  
6. Description of content : 1. The notified Resolution requests all establishments in China 
that currently export fish and aquaculture products to Costa Rica and those that were 
authorized to do so under Resolution SENA SA-DG-628-2013 dated 5 July 2 013, to 
complete the following documents : DCA-PG-002-RE-028 - Preliminary questionnaire to 
assess the competent authorities of the countries interested in exporting fish and 
aquaculture products to Costa Rica, and DCA -PG-002-RE-034 - Questionnaire providing 
general information on the establishments interested in exporting products, by -products or 
derivatives of animal origin to Costa Rica for human consumption.  
The above documents must be completed by the relevant establishments  within 180 
calendar days following notification . If an establishment fails to complete the requested 
documents, it will no longer be authorized to export to Costa Rica . This information will be 
notified by SENASA to the competent authority.  
If, once recei ved, the questionnaires are  found to be  incomplete, SENASA will not carry out 
its review, and the documents will be returned to the competent authority within 20 
calendar days of their receipt, in order for them to be completed appropriately.  
Once the comp leted questionnaires have been received, SENESA will have 180 calendar 
days to review them . The results of the review will be transmitted to the competent 
authority.  
2. The establishments in China that wish to export fish products to Costa Rica for the fir st 
time must complete documents DCA -PG-002-RE-028 - Preliminary questionnaire to assess 
the competent authorities of the countries interested in exporting fish and aquaculture 
products to Costa Rica, and DCA -PG-002-RE-034 - Questionnaire providing general 
information on the establishments interested in exporting products, by -products or G/SPS/N/CRI/187  
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  derivatives of animal origin to Costa Rica for human consumption, in order for the 
Equivalence Evaluation Committee of SENASA to carry out its review.  
If, once received, the  questionnaires are  found to be  incomplete, SENASA will not carry out 
its review, and the documents will be returned to the competent authority within 20 
calendar days of their receipt . The competent authority will then have 90 calendar days to 
complete  them appropriately.  
If, at the end of this period, the questionnaire s have not been submitted  in their complete 
form, SENASA will archive the request, and therefore, if the establishment wishes to 
maintain its interest in exporting fish products to Costa Ric a, it must start the process 
again.  In this situation, SENASA will inform the competent authority that the deadline has 
expired.  
Once the complete questionnaire s have been received, SENASA will have 90 calendar days 
to review them. The results of the revie w will be transmitted to the competent authority . 
These results will determine whether an inspection visit to the country will be carried out.  
3. Brokers dealing with fish products, of which the exports to Costa Rica represent less 
than 5000 kg per exporti ng establishment, are not required to submit the questionnaire s. 
However, the processing plants must be authorized by the European Union and must have 
a sanitary certificate issued by the competent authority of the country of origin and the 
exporting count ry. 
7. Objective and rationale : [X] food safety, [X]  animal health, [ ] plant protection, [ 
] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.  
8. Is there a relevant international standard ? If so, ide ntify 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 do cuments and language(s) in which these are available: 
http://www.senasa.go.cr/senasa/sitio/files/290916010153.pdf  (available in Spanish)  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : Sixty calendar days after the notification of 
this Resolution to the competent authority in China.  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined.  
11. Proposed date of entry into force : [ ] Six months from date of publication, and/or 
(dd/mm/yy) : Sixty calendar days after the notification of this Resolution to the 
competent authority in China.  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Final date for comments : [X] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 26 May 2 017 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments : [X] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point . Address, fax number and email address (if 
available) of other body:   G/SPS/N/CRI/187  
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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 Agricultura y Ganadería  
Servicio Fitosanitario del Estado (SFE)  
Centro de Información y Notificación MSF  
Apartado Postal 1521 - 1200 
San José, Costa R ica 
Tel.: +(506) 2549 3454  
Fax: +(506) 2549 3598  
Email : puntocontactoMSF@sfe.go.cr