G/SPS/N/CRI/138  
7 February 2013  
(13-0623)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: Spanish  
 
  NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES 
1. Notifying Member: COSTA RICA 
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible: Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería, MAG, Servicio Fitosanitario 
del Estado, SFE  (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, State Phytosanitary Service). 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item  number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; IC S numbers should be provided in 
addition, where applicable): Coffee (HS chapter 9). 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected , to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[X] All trading partners 
[ ] Specific regions or countries:  
5. Title of the notified document: Language(s): Number of pages: Decreto de 
Emergencia Fitosanitaria Nacional por Epifitia y Daño Severo Causado por la Roya (Hemileia vastatrix Berk & BR) en Cultivo del Café. Decreto Nº 37501 – MAG (Decree declaring a national phytosanitary em ergency as a result of the epiphytotic and 
severe damage caused by coffee leaf rust ( Hemileia vastatrix Berk. & BR ) in coffee 
crops. Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Decree No. 37501-MAG). Language(s): Spanish Number of pages: 3 
Text available at: 
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2013/sps/CRI/13_0542_00_s.pdf  
6. Description of content: The notified Decree declares a national state of phytosanitary 
emergency as a result of the epiphytotic and severe damage caused by coffee leaf rust 
(Hemileia vastatrix Berk. & Br ) in coffee ( Coffea arabica ) crops, in the light of the 
adverse effects of this pest on th e Costa Rican coffee-growing industry. 
7. Objective and rationale: [ ] food safety, [ ] animal health, [X] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.  
8. Nature of the urgent problem( s) and reason for urgent action: Declaration of 
a national state of phytosanitary emergency as a result of the epiphytotic and severe damage caused by coffee leaf rust ( Hemileia vastatrix Berk. & Br ) in coffee 
(Coffea arabica ) crops. Coffee leaf rust is considered to be an economic and quarantine 
pest and is therefore a problem for coffee production in Costa Rica.  G/SPS/N/CRI/138 
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9. Is there a relevant international st andard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or serial  n u m b e r  o f  C o d e x  
standard or related text)  
[ ] World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)  
[X] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)  
[ ] None Does this proposed regulation conform to  the relevant international standard? 
 [X] Yes [ ] No 
 If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:  
10. Other relevant documents and langua ge(s) in which these are available:  
11. Date of entry into force ( dd/mm/yy )/period of application (as applicable): 
Immediately. 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Agency or authority designated to hand le comments: [X] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address 
(if available) of other body:  
13. Texts available from: [X] National Notification Authority, [X] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e-mail 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 Rica 
Tel.: (+506) 2549-3454 
Fax: (+506) 2549-3598 E-mail: puntocontactoMSF@sfe.go.cr