G/SPS/GEN/1334  
 
18 June 2014  
(14-3514)  Page: 1/3  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures    
 
EXISTING DEFINITIONS OF PRIVATE STANDARDS 
IN OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS 
NOTE BY THE SECRETARIAT1 
1  BACKGROUND 
1.1.  The SPS Committee has been discussing the issue of SPS-related private standards since 
June 2005, when Saint Vincent and the Grenadines raised a specific trade concern regarding 
EurepGAP (now GLOBALGAP) requirements for bananas destined for sale in the United Kingdom.2 
1.2.  In March 2011, the Committee adopted five actions to address some of the identified 
concerns. Under action 1, Members agreed to develop a working definition of SPS-related private standards ("The SPS Committee should develop a working definition of SPS-related private 
standards and limit any discussions to these").
3 
1.3.  Discussions have been ongoing in the Committee, including through an electronic working 
group. At its meeting in March 2014, the Committee discussed the following working definition put 
forward by the co-stewards of the electronic working group:  "An SPS-related private standard is a 
written requirement or a set of written requirements of a non-governmental entity which are related to food safety, animal or plant life or health and for common and repeated use."
4 However, 
the Committee has, so far, not been able to reach a consensus on a working definition of 
SPS-related private standards.  
1.4.  At its March 2014 meeting, following a suggestion by Canada, the Committee requested the 
Secretariat to seek to identify any existing defini tions of a "private standard" that might be used 
by other international organizations, and to present its findings for consideration by the Committee 
at its July 2014 meeting.  
2  EXISTING DEFINITIONS OF A PRIVAT E STANDARD IN OTHER INTERNATIONAL 
ORGANIZATIONS 
2.1.  The table below presents a compilation of th e existing definitions of a "private standard" as 
used in other international organizations. 
Organization Existing Definition 
of a Private Standard Source/Reference 
FAO Private food safety standards  are 
generally set by private firms and 
standard setting coalitions and aim to facilitate supply chain management (…). 
 
  
 "Private Food Safety Standards: Their 
Role in Food Safety Regulation and 
their Impact ." 
 
Paper prepared by Renata Clarke for 
presentation and discussion at the 33
rd Session of the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission. FAO 2010, p. ii. 
                                               
1 This document has been prepared under the Secret ariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the positions of Members or to their rights or obligations under the WTO. 
2 G/SPS/R/37/Rev.1, paras. 16-20; G/SPS/GEN/766; STC No. 219. 
3 G/SPS/55. 
4 G/SPS/W/276. G/SPS/GEN/1334 
 
- 2 - 
 
  Organization Existing Definition 
of a Private Standard Source/Reference 
 
 
  
Private standards  are standards that 
are set (created) by commercial or non-commercial private entities, including 
firms, industry organisations and NGOs. 
(Brunsson and Jacobsson, 2000). http://www.fao.org/docrep/016/ap236
e/ap236e.pdf  
 
 
"The Impacts of Private Food Safety 
Standards on the Food Chain and on Public Standard-Setting Processes " 
 
Paper Prepared for FAO/WHO - Spencer Henson and John Humphrey. May 2009, p.5 of main paper. 
 
http://ec.europa.eu/food/international
/organisations/sps/docs/private_stand
ards_codex_en.pdf  
International 
Trade Centre Private standards  are understood as 
norms developed by private entities such 
as companies, non-governmental 
organizations or multi-stakeholder 
coalitions. These standards may vary in 
scope, ownership and objectives. 
Objectives range from environmental 
conservation, ensuring food safety or 
protection of social and human rights to 
promoting good agricultural and 
manufacturing practices. Private 
standards can be numerical standards 
defining required characteristics of 
products such as contaminant limits or 
maximum residue limits, or process 
standards prescribing the production 
processes (including performance 
objectives) or pertaining to management 
systems and documentation 
requirements. "When do Private Standards Work? " 
Geneva: ITC, 2012. ix, 52 pages 
(Literature Review Series on the 
Impacts of Private Standards; Part IV) 
Doc. No. MAR-12-227.E, p.2 
 
http://www.intracen.org/uploadedFiles
/intracenorg/Content/Policy_Makers/A
rticles/When%20do%20Private%20St
andards%20Work%20-
%20Part%20IV%20for%20web.pdf   
OECD5 The efficacy of exchange is enhanced by 
two main functions of a standard – as a 
guarantee of a minimum quality and by 
defining the characteristics or specifications of the product or its production process and associated 
criteria of performance. Standards 
reflect the needs of the groups that express them and as long as groups 
differ, their optimal standards will reflect 
these differences. "Interaction of Public and Private 
Standards in the Food Chain ", Smith, 
G. (2009), OECD Food, Agriculture 
and Fisheries Papers, No. 15, OECD Publishing. p.11 
 
http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/221282527
214 
UNCTAD Sustainability claims by design are 
private standards . They are designed 
and implemented by organizations 
outside the public sector and promoted 
for use by producers and retailers as a 
service. In the case of agriculture, this 
document, referred to as a standard, will 
define which pest products are allowed 
or prohibited, soil preparation 
mechanisms that are allowed, and 
handling practices of all farm inputs. http://www.unctad.info/en/Sustainabil
ity-Claims-Portal/Discussion-
Forum/Environmental/  
                                               
5 The OECD has been working on a tentative definiti on of private standards since 2013. Discussions are 
still ongoing on the tabled proposals. G/SPS/GEN/1334 
 
- 3 - 
 
  Organization Existing Definition 
of a Private Standard Source/Reference 
World Bank Private standards  are standards that 
are set (created) by commercial or non-
commercial private entities, including firms, industry organisations, 
nongovernmental organisations, etc.  http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EX
TERNAL/TOPICS/TRADE/0,,contentMD
K:20629901~menuPK:222955~pageP
K:148956~piPK:216618~theSitePK:2
39071,00.html  
 
3  EXISTING DEFINITIONS OF A PRIVATE STANDARD OR OF A STANDARD FROM 
ADDITIONAL SOURCES 
3.1.  The table below presents an additional co mpilation of existing definitions of a "private 
standard" or of a "standard" from other pertinent sources. 
Organization Existing Definition 
of a Private Standard Source/Reference 
TBT Agreement Standard - Document approved by a 
recognized body, that provides, for 
common and repeated use, rules, 
guidelines or characteristics for 
products or related processes and 
production methods, with which 
compliance is not mandatory. It may 
also include or deal exclusively with 
terminology, symbols, packaging, 
marking or labelling requirements as 
they apply to a product, process or 
production method. TBT Agreement, Annex 1, paragraph 2 
 
http://www.wto.org/english/docs_e/le
gal_e/17-tbt_e.htm#annexI  
ISO A standard  is a document that 
provides requirements, specifications, 
guidelines or characteristics that can be used consistently to ensure that materials, products, processes and 
services are fit for their purpose. 
 A standard  is a document, established 
by consensus and approved by a 
recognized body that provides, for common and repeated use, rules, 
guidelines or characteristics for 
activities or their results, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context. http://www.iso.org/iso/home/standar
ds.htm  
 
 "ISO/TMB policy and principles 
statement global relevance of ISO 
technical work and publications " 
FAO, 2004, p.1 
 
 http://www.iso.org/iso/global_relevan
ce.pdf  
UNIDO Industry/private/buyer standards  
can be broken down into three 
categories: 
1. Consortia standards – which are 
often developed by a sector-specific 
consortium (i.e. GlobalGAP); 
2. Civil society standards - established 
as an initiative by an non-profit 
organization usually as a response to 
concerns over social and environmental 
conditions (e.g. Forest Stewardship 
Council); and 
3. Company-specific standards - which 
are developed internally and apply to 
the whole supply chain of a company 
(i.e. codes of conduct). http://www.unido.org/en/what-we-
do/trade/quality-and-compliance-
infrastructure/standards-and-
conformity/private-standards.html  
 
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