G/SPS/GEN/1568  
 
4 July 2017 
(17-3598) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures    
 
 
WORKSHOP ON TRANSPARENCY  
MONDAY, 30 OCTOBER – TUESDAY, 31  OCTOBER 201 7 
DRAFT PROGRAMME  
Note by the Secretariat1 
1.  The Secretariat of the World Trade Organization is organizing a workshop on the transparency 
provisions of the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures 
(SPS Agreement), to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, on 30-31 October 201 7. The w orkshop will 
be followed by informal and formal meetings of the SPS Co mmittee, lasting until Friday, 
3 November  2017. Representatives of Members, Observers and Observer Organizations are all 
invited to participate in the transparency workshop as well as th e subsequent meeting s of the 
Committee.  
2.  Document G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev. 7 provide s information on the workshop . The WTO, with the 
financial assistance of the Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund (DDAGTF), will sponsor 
the participation of approximately 4 0 government officials from developing country Members and 
Observers  to the workshop . The Secretariat will select participants to be sponsored among 
applications from government officials in charge of the implementation of the transparency 
provisions of the SPS Agreement.  
3.  The workshop is intended to be a highly interactive, "hands -on" event , including training  on the 
use of the improved  SPS Information Management System (SPS  IMS) and on -line submission  
system of SPS notifications (SPS  NSS), as well as on the ePing SPS/TBT notification alert system. 
Delegates planning to attend the hands -on training sessions are invited to bring their laptops.   
4.  The workshop will also provid e a forum  for discussion and experience  sharing on developments , 
challenges  and practices  in the area of SPS transparency . In addition , it will be an occasion to 
continue the discussions on transparency started as part of the Fourth Review of the 
implementation of the SPS Agreement . 
5.  Members will be invited to comment on the following draft proposed programme for the 
workshop  at the SPS Committee meeting  on 13-14 July 201 7. 
                                                
1 This document has been prepared under the Secretariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the positions of Members or to their rights and obligations under the WTO.  G/SPS/GEN/1568  
 
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 MONDAY, 30  OCTOBER 2017  
10:00–10:15  
Opening remarks  
Overview of t he workshop and its objectives  
10:15–10:45  
Session 1: Introduction  
Overview of the transparency provisions in the SPS Agreement and of relevant Committee/Ministerial 
Decisions  
10:45–11:15 
Session 2: WTO sources of SPS information  
 Documents O nline; ePing; I-TIP… 
 SPS gateway + presentation of the improved  version of the SPS IM S 
11:30-13:30 
Participants will break into three groups : (i) English speakers ; (ii) French speakers ; and (iii) Spanish 
speakers.  
Session 3: Practical session on the use of the improved  SPS IMS   
 SPS IMS hands -on exercise  
Session 4 : Practical session on the use of ePing  
 ePing SPS/TBT notification alert system hands -on exercise  
13:30–15:00  Lunch break  
15:00–15:45 
Session 5 : Implementation of the transparency provisions  
 Presentation of Members' level of implementation of transparency provisions and decisions 
(G/SPS/GEN /804/Rev.10 ) 
15:45–16:15 
Session 6 : Overview of the improved SPS NSS  
 How does the on -line submission facility work?  
 Presentation of the improved  SPS NSS platform: what has changed?  
16:30–18:00 
Session 7: Practical session on the use of the improved SPS NSS  
Participants will break into three groups : (i) English speakers ; (ii) French speakers ; and (iii) Spanish 
speakers.  
 Intro: How to use the improved SPS NSS and how to fill in a notification form  
 SPS NSS hands -on exercise  G/SPS/GEN/1568  
 
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 TUESDAY, 31 OCTOBER 2017  
10:00–10:15  
Opening remarks  
10:15–13:00 
Session 8: Sharing of national experiences and best practices in public consultations  
Possible themes of discussion, include:  
 Models and mechanisms for public consultation in SPS rulemaking , including work from other 
international organizations  (OECD, APEC, World Bank) ; 
 Members' experiences in c onducting public consultations ; 
 Benefits of public consultation ; 
 Private sector views ; 
 Other . 
13:00–14:30  Lunch break  
14:30–16:15 (14:30 -15:00 plenary, 15:00 -16:15 groups)  
Session 9 : What actions could improve the implementation and benefits of SPS 
transparency provisions?  
Participants will break into groups to discuss specific topics related to the implementation of the 
transparency provisions or recommendations (G/SPS/7/Rev.3), which emerged from the last 
transparency workshop, previous proposals in the context of the Fourth Review or Members' 
comments received after the March 2017 Committee meeting.2 
Possible themes of discussion, include : 
 Improving  the quality of  notifications;  
 Identifying and targeting interested stakeholders;  
 How to manage the volume of notifications on which to comment;  
 Decision criteria: what to notify and when;  
 Sharing of unofficial translations;  
 Web access to Members' SPS regulatory measures;  
 Other . 
Approximately 1  hour will be allocated for g roup discussions.  
16:30–17:30 - Reporting to the plenary  
Rapporteurs of each group will report back to the plenary (5 minutes  each). The floor will then be 
opened for questions and comments.  
17:30–18:00  
Session 10 : Conclusion and recommendations  
 
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2 See G/SPS/R/80, G/SPS/W/290, G/SPS/W/294/Rev.1 and the compilation of Members' suggestions for 
the transparency workshop circulated by the Chair on 7 June 2017.