G/SPS/N/PAN/59  
23 August  2016 
(16-4486) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original:  Spanish  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member : PANAMA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible : Ministry of Agricultural Development, National Directorate of Plant 
Health ( Ministerio de Desarrollo Agropecuario , Dirección Nacional de San idad Vegetal ) and 
Ministry of Trade and Industry, Directorate -General for Standards and Technology 
(Ministerio de Comercio e Industrias , Dirección General de Normas y Tecnología ). 
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) : ICS number : 67.040  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  
[X] All trading partners  
[ ] Specific regions or cou ntries:  
5. Title of the notified document : Reglamento Técnico Centroamericano RTCA 67.06.74:16 
Productos Agropecuarios Orgánicos . Requisitos para la Producción, el Procesamiento, la 
Comercialización, la Certificación y el Etiquetado  (Central American Tec hnical Regulation 
(RTCA) 67.06.74:16 : Organic agricultural products . Requirements governing production, 
processing, marketing, certification and labelling ) Language(s) : Spanis h Number of 
pages : 66 
6. Description of content : The notified Regulation establi shes the provisions and 
procedures governing the production, registration, certification, processing, labelling, 
storage, transport and marketing of organic agricultural products . It applies to the 
following products that carry or should carry a descriptiv e label relating to organic 
production methods.  
A product is considered to carry information concerning organic production methods when 
the label or property claims, including advertising material and commercial documents, 
describe the product or its ingre dients using the terms "organic", "biological" or 
"ecological" or other similar internationally recognised vocabulary, including abbreviated 
forms, which suggest to the buyer that the product or its ingredients have been obtained 
via organic production met hods in the country in which they have been put on the market.  
The Regulation must be applied by all natural or legal persons engaged in the production, 
processing, labelling, storage, transport and marketing of certified organic agricultural 
products . It is also binding upon public and private bodies engaged in the registration, 
control and/or certification of such production.  
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.  G/SPS/N/PAN/59  
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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 Organis ation 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:  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined.  
Proposed date of publi cation (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined.  
11. Proposed date of entry into force : [ ] Six months from date of publication, and/or 
(dd/mm/yy) : To be determined.  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Final date for comments : [X] Sixty days from the date of circula tion of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 22 October 2 016 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments : [X] National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point . Address, fax number and email address (if 
available) of other body:  
Ministerio d e Comercio e Industrias  
Vía Ricardo J. A lfaro, Edificio Plaza Edison, 3er Piso 
Panamá, Panamá  
Tel.: (+507) 560 0600, Ext. 2389 or 2393  
Email:  mortega@mici.gob.pa  
 earias@mici.gob.pa  
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 e Industrias  
Dirección General de Normas y Tecnología  
Vía Ricardo J. A lfaro, Edificio Plaza Edison, 3er Piso 
Panamá, Panamá  
Tel.: (+507) 560 0600 , Ext. 2389 or 2393  
Email:  mortega@mici.gob.pa  
 earias@mici.gob.pa  
Website:  http://www.mici.gob.pa/  
 
Ministerio de Desarrollo Agropecuario  
Dirección Nacional de Sanidad Vegetal  
Río Tapia, Tocumen  
Panamá, Panamá  
Tel.: (+507) 220 7979  
Email:  rchiari@mida.gob.pa  
 dgordon@mida.gob.pa