G/L/1202  
 
8 Novem ber 2017 
(17-6078) Page: 1/3 
   
 
REPORT (201 7) ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON  
SANITARY AND PHYTOSA NITARY MEASURES  
1.1.  The present report is being circulated by the Chairperson of the Committee on Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures on his own responsibility. This report provides a summary of the activities 
and decisions of the Committee during 201 7. 
1.2.  The Committee on Sanit ary and Phytosanitary Measures (the "SPS Committee") held regular 
meetings on 22 -23 March, 13 -14 July, and 2 -3 November 2017 . The March 2017 SPS Committee 
was chaired by interim  Chairperson Mr Felipe Hees  (Brazil).  Subsequently, the SPS Committee 
elected M r Marcial Espínola Ramírez (Paraguay) as the new Chairperson for 2017 -2018.  
1.3.  The SPS Committee adopted the Report of the Fourth Review of the Operation and 
Implementation of the SPS Agreement1 at the July 2017 Committee meeting. The adoption of this 
Report had been pending since October 2014, as the Committee had not reached consensus on the 
inclusion of a recommendation for future work on SPS -related private standards. Following a 
proposal from the United States and subsequent discussions among Members, the specific 
recommendation was replaced by descriptive text explaining the nature of the disagreement.  The 
Committee requested that the Secretariat prepare a proposed timeline and procedure for the Fifth 
Review for consideration at its meeting in March 2018,  with a view to starting this Review in 2018.  
1.4.  The SPS Committee is considering  a proposal submitted by Kenya, Uganda and the 
United  States on follow -up recommendations to the October 2016 Workshop on Pesticide 
Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs).2 This proposal suggests strengthening the Codex system of 
setting MRLs ; enhancing transparency of MRL ; inviting regular reports to the SPS Committee about 
relevant international and regi onal activities;  collaborating on solutions for minor use and specialty 
crops ; and di scussing the role of the Committee in coordination and harmonization . It also includes 
a proposed Ministerial Decision on the Committee's work on pesticide MRLs.  While there was broad 
support for the proposal and for the inclusive, bottom -up procedure thro ugh which it was 
developed, there was no  consensus on  the endorsement of the Ministerial Decision  for 
transmission to the Ministerial Conference to be held in Buenos Aires in December 2017.3 Most 
Members supported including  the proposal's recommendations in the Report of the Fifth Review . 
1.5.  The Committee continued its consideration of the Catalogue of Instruments Available to 
WTO Members to Manage SPS Issues4, tabled by Canada and Kenya as part of the Fourth Review. 
Although the Committee agr ees on the value of the document, there is still no agreement on the 
inclusion of a disclaimer to clarify its legal status . With a view to resolving these differences, the 
Chairman proposed a new approach of combining an introductory paragraph describing t he 
intended uses of the Catalogue  with a soft discl aimer5, but one Member could not accept it due to 
systemic concerns about  the inclusion of  disclaimers  in Committee documents . The Committee 
requested a briefing on the use of Committee decisions and discl aimers in dispute settlement for 
early 2018.  
1.6.  Following up on discussions in 2016, the Committee continued to discuss a joint transparency 
proposal6 by Chile and the European Union, which contains suggestions on the notification of 
                                                
1 G/SPS/62.  
2 G/SPS/W/292/Rev. 2. 
3 The proposed Decision is contained in an Annex to G/SPS/W/292/Rev. 2. 
4 G/SPS/W/279/Rev.2.  
5 RD/SPS/16.  
6 G/SPS/W/290.  G/L/1202  
 
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  trade -facilitating SPS me asures, sharing of unofficial translations of notified SPS measures, and 
creati ng a central platform to provide online access to Mem bers' final SPS regulations. As  agreed 
in October 2016, the Committee held a thematic session in March 2017 for Members to present 
current practices in deciding which regulations to notify as trade facilitating measures. 
The Secretariat provided information  on the transparency requiremen ts under the Trade 
Facilitation Agreement and the mechanisms to publish notified information , which Members had 
requested to evaluate synergies with the proposal to create a platform to publish final regulations . 
The Secretariat also presented the file -sharing feature of the ePing notification alert system , which 
could be used to share unofficial translations .7 Members continued to discuss these  suggestions.  
1.7.  The SPS Committee held a Workshop on Transparency, organized by the Secretariat.8 
This workshop incl uded training on the use of the improved SPS Information Management System 
(SPS IMS) and the online Notification Submission System (SPS NSS)9, as well as the ePing 
SPS/TBT notification alert system. The workshop also provide d a forum for discussion and 
experience -sharing on national consultation mechanisms for SPS regulations, and on other 
developments, challenges and practices in the area of SPS transparency.  
1.8.  Following a proposal from the European Union, the Committee h eld a thematic session on 
regionaliz ation in the animal health area in July 2017. This session provided an opportunity for 
Members to increase their awareness of regionalization principles, and to share experiences about 
the challenges and benefits of implementing regionalization in practice . The Secretariat presented 
relevant provisions of the SPS Agreement, Committee guidelines , and jurisprudence from recent 
disputes. The Deputy Director General of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) provided 
information on the OIE standards on r egionalization. Several Members shared their experiences in 
the implementation of regionalization, both from an importing and an exporting country 
perspective. The Committee found the thematic session useful and decided to hold another 
thematic session, th is time on pest -free areas for plants, in early 2018 . 
1.9.  The SPS Committee consider ed the Annual Overview of the implementation of the 
transparency provisions of the SPS  Agreement.10 Considering all types of notifications, a total of 
21,888 notifications were submitted from 1 January 1995  to 15 September 2017. Between 
1 January and 15  September 2017, 625 regular notifications and 144 emergency notifications were 
circulated. The  share of notifications from developing countries continues to be high, at about 67% 
in 2017. As  of 15 September, 125 Members had submitted SPS notifications, and of these, 
42 Members had submitted SPS notifications online via the SPS NSS. In addition, Côte d'Ivoire has 
submitted SPS  notifications for the first time in October 2017.  
1.10.   The Co mmittee also considered the Annual Report on the Procedure to Monitor the Process 
of International Harmonization.11 In addition, three new issues were raised in 2017. These  related 
to Codex guidelines and principles for official certification requirements ; to the relation of WHO and 
FAO to Codex Alimentarius; and to the OIE's new chapter on po rcine reproductive and respiratory 
syndrome, all  raised by the United States.  
1.11.   Many Members provided the SPS Committee with information regarding their status with 
respect to specific plant pests and animal diseases. This information is compiled in the Annual 
Report on the Implementation of Article  6.12 The Committee also considered t he Annual Report on 
the Use of the Procedure to Encourage and Facilitate the Resolution of Specific SPS Issues , which 
had never been used .13 At each meeting, Members  also provided information regarding changes in 
their SPS policies and situations.  
1.12.   The SPS Committee considered a wide range of specific trade concerns. Members raised 
17 new specific trade concerns during 2017. New trade concerns included, inter alia , Ecuador's 
concerns over Brazil' s measures on bananas, and Saudi Arabia' s measures on shrimp; 
United States'  concerns regarding the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) guide for control of imported 
                                                
7 http://www.epingalert.org . 
8 The programme of the worksho p is contained in G/SPS/GEN/1568 /Rev.2.  
9 http://spsims.wto.org ; https://nss.wto.org/.  
10 G/SPS/GEN/804/Rev.10.  
11 G/SPS/GEN/1550.  
12 G/SPS/GEN/1552.  
13 G/SPS/GEN/1573.  G/L/1202  
 
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  foods; Montenegro' s concerns regarding the Russian Federation' s import restrictions on wine; 
several Members'  concerns over India' s fumigation requirements fo r different products;  Viet Nam' s 
suspension of groundnut seed imports; several Members' concerns regarding specific pesticide  
MRLs adopted by trading partners  and about measures on avian influenza.  
1.13.   Many previously raised concerns continued to be discussed during March and July 2017. 
Several Members intervened on issues such as the  EU proposal for categorization on compounds 
as endocrine disruptors , and China' s certification requirements for food imports. Members 
informed the Committee about the full or part ial resolution of 29 specific trade concerns , allowing 
the Secretariat to update the SPS IMS. Information on specific trade concerns is compiled on an 
annual basis in a report discussed at the March meeting .14 
1.14.   Members, Observer Organizations and the Secretariat provided information on SPS -related 
technical assistance activities at each of the Committee's meetings. The STDF Secretariat also kept 
the Committee informed of the work of the Standards and Trade Development Facility.15 
1.15.   The SPS Committee maint ained its close working relationship with the Codex, IPPC, and the 
OIE (often referred to as the "Three Sister" organizations) and received regular updates on their 
activities. Other observer organizations also provided information on their activities.  
1.16.   The SPS Committee has tentatively agreed to hold regular meetings on 1-2 March, 
11-12 July, and 31 October - 1 November 2018.  
__________  
                                                
14 G/SPS/GEN/204/Rev.17.  
15 G/SPS/GEN/ 1538, G/SPS/GEN /1558 and G/SPS/GEN/ 1581.