G/SPS/N/CRI/172  
11 July 2016  
(16-3711)  Page: 1/4  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: Spanish  
 
  NOTIFICATION 
1. Notifying Member: COSTA RICA 
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible: Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería, 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; ICS num bers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable): ICS number: 65.100 Pesticides and other phytosanitary products 
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: RTCR 484:2016. Reglamento sobre el Registro, Uso y 
Control de Plaguicidas Sintéticos Formulados, Ingrediente Activo Grado Técnico, Coadyuvantes y Sustancias Afines de Uso Agrícola  (Costa Rican Technical Regulation 
(RTCR) No. 484:2016 Regulations governing the registration, use and control of 
formulated synthetic pesticides, technical grade active ingredients, processing aids and 
related substances for agricultural use) Language(s): Spanish Number of pages: 174 
Text available at:  
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2016/SPS/CRI/16_2751_00_s.pdf 
6. Description of content: The notified text establishes the regulations, general principles 
and procedures governing the registration proc ess, use and control of synthetic formulated 
pesticides, technical grade active ingredients, processing aids and related substances for agricultural use. It seeks to ensure that these products, as well as products of mineral 
origin, inorganic salts and the primary pack aging thereof, are registered prior to 
importation, manufacturing, formulation, storage, distribution, transportation, repacking, repackaging, handling, blending, sale and use. 
It applies to natural or legal persons registering, marketing, importing, formulating, 
manufacturing, repackaging, repacking, storing, distributing and handling formulated synthetic pesticides, technical grade active ingredients, processing aids and related substances, as well as products of mineral origin and inorganic salts. 
7. Objective and rationale: [X] food safety, [ ] animal health, [ ] plant protection, 
[X] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.  
8. Is there a relevant international st andard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text)  
[ ] World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)  G/SPS/N/CRI/172 
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  [ ] International Plant Protection Convention ( e.g. ISPM 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: 
 Guidelines on efficacy data for the registration of pesticides for plant protection . Rome, 
March 1985; 
 Guidelines for the registration and control of pesticides (including a model scheme for 
the establishment of national organizations).  Rome, March 1985; 
 Guidelines for legislation on the control of pesticides. Rome, October 1989; 
 Guidelines on the initial introduction and subsequent development of a simple national 
pesticide registration and control scheme . Rome, August 1991; 
 Manual on the Development and Use of FAO and WHO Specifications for Pesticides . 
Rome, 2004; 
 International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides , Revised 
Version . Rome, 2003; 
 Guidelines on pesticide residue trials to prov ide data for the registration of pesticides 
and the establishment of maximum residue limits . FAO, Rome, 1986; 
 Annex I. OECD Test Guidelines for St udies Included in the SIDS. Manual for 
Investigation of HPV chemicals  
http://www.oecd.org/document/23/0, 2340,en_2649_34379_19 48503_1_1_1_1,00.ht
ml; 
 Decreto Ejecutivo 31961, Resolución 118-2004 (COMIECO), Protocolo Patrón para -
Ensayos en la Eficacia Biológica de Plaguicidas de Uso Agrícola, de 26 junio de 2004 
(Executive Decree No. 31961, Central American Council of Ministers for Economic 
Integration (COMIECO) Resolution No. 118-2004: Standard Protocol for testing the biological efficacy of agricultural pesticides, June 2004) published in La Gaceta No. 179 
of 13 September 2004; 
 Guidance document on the assessment of the equivalence of technical materials of 
substances regulated under Council Directive 91/414/EEC, European Commission, Health and Consumer Protection Directorate-General, Directorate D - Food Safety: 
Production and distribution chain, Unit D.3 - Chemicals, contaminants and pesticides , 
April 2005; 
 ECETOC (2003): (Q)SARs: Evaluation of the commercially available software for 
human health and environmental endpoints with respect to chemical management 
applications. ECETOC Technical Report No. 89 . European Centre for Ecotoxicology and 
Toxicology of Chemicals, Brussels; 
 European Chemicals Bureau (ECB) (2003): "Use of (Quantitative) Structure Activity 
Relationships ((Q)SARs)"  in: Technical Guidance Document on Risk Assessment in 
support of Commission Directive 93/67/EEC on Risk Assessment for new notified substances, Commission Regulation (EC) No 1488/94 on Risk Assessment for existing 
substances and Directive 98/8/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council 
concerning the placing of biocidal products on the market , Part III, Chapter 4, 
European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Health and Consumer 
Protection, European Chemicals Bureau; 
 Tennant RW and Ashby J (1991): Classification according to chemical structure, 
mutagenicity to Salmonella and level of carcinogenicity of a further 39 chemicals 
tested for carcinogenicity by the US National Toxicology Program . Mutation Research 
257, 209-227; 
 Ashby J and Tennant RW (1991): Definitive relationships among chemical structure, 
carcinogenicity and mutagenicity for 301 chemicals tested by the US NTP . Mutation 
Research 257, 229-306; 
 Van der Berg, M. et al (1998): Toxic Equivalency Factors (TEFs) for PCBs, PCDDS, 
PCDFs for Humans and Wildlife. Environmental Health Perspective , 106 (12), 775-792 
 WHO/FAO (2005) Manual on development and use of FAO and WHO specifications for 
pesticides . First edition, FAO Plant Production and Protection Paper 173. WHO and 
FAO, Rome; G/SPS/N/CRI/172 
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   Decreto Ejecutivo Nº 15563-MAG-S, Reglamento Protección Industria Apícola Nacional, 
de 5 de julio de 1984  (Executive Decree No. 15563-MAG-S: Regulations for the 
Protection of the National Apiculture  Industry, 5 July 1984), published in La Gaceta  No. 
156 of 20 August of 1984; 
 Decreto Ejecutivo Nº 24715-MOPT-MEIC-S, Reglamento para el Transporte Terrestre 
de Productos Peligrosos, de 6 de octubre de 1995 (Executive Decree No. 24715-MOPT-
MEIC-S: Regulations on the transportation by land of hazardous products, 6 October 
1995),  published in La Gaceta No. 207 of 1 November 1995; 
 Decreto Ejecutivo Nº 26285-H-COMEX, Reglamenta Regímenes de Perfeccionamiento 
Activo y Devolutivo Derechos  de 19 de agosto de 1997  (Executive Decree No. 26285-
H-COMEX: Regulations on the Inward Proc essing and Drawback Regimes, 19 August 
1997), published in La Gaceta  No. 170 of 4 September 1997; 
 Decreto Ejecutivo Nº 26503-MAG, Reglamento de Regencias Agropecuarias del Colegio 
de Ingenieros Agrónomos de Costa Rica, de 24 de octubre de 1997  (Executive Decree 
No. 26503-MAG, Regulations on the agricultural courses of the Costa Rican College of Agricultural Engineers, 24 October 1997), published in  La Gaceta  No. 242 of 
16 December 1997; 
 Decreto Ejecutivo Nº 27037-MAG-MEIC, Norma RTCR 321:1998 Registro y 
Examinación de Equipos de Aplicación de Su stancias Químicas, Biológicas, Bioquímicas 
o Afines, de 5 de enero de 1998  (Executive Decree No. 27037-MAG-MEIC, Costa Rican 
Technical Regulation (RTCR) No. 321:19 98: Registration and examination of 
equipment for applying chemical, biological, biochemical or related substances, 
5 January 1998), published in La Gaceta  No. 174 of 7 September 1998, Supplement 
No. 59; 
 Decreto Ejecutivo Nº 27041-MAG-MEIC, Norma RTCR176: 1991 Agroquímicos. Toma 
de Muestra, de 5 de enero de 1998  (Executive Decree No. 27041-MAG-MEIC, Costa 
Rican Technical Regulation (RTCR) No. 176: 1991: Agrochemicals. Sample-taking, 
5 January 1998), published in La Gaceta No. 176 of 9 September 1998; 
 Decreto Ejecutivo Nº 27056-MAG-MEIC, Norma RTCR 213:1997. Toma de muestras 
para análisis de residuos de plaguicidas en los cultivos de vegetales, de 5 de enero de 
1998 (Executive Decree No. 27056-MAG-MEIC, Costa Rican Technical Regulation 
(RTCR) No. 213:1997: Sampling for Analysis of Pesticide Residues in Vegetable Crops, 
5 January 1998), published in La Gaceta  No. 178 of 11 September 1998; 
 Decreto Ejecutivo Nº 27763-MAG, Fijación de Tarifas de Servicios del Ministerio de 
Agricultura y Ganadería, de 10 de marzo de 1999  (Executive Decree No. 27763-MAG, 
Setting of tariffs for services provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, 
10 March 1999), published in La Gaceta  No. 68 of 9 April 1999, Supplement No. 26; 
 Decreto Ejecutivo Nº 27973-MAG-MEIC-S, RTCR 318:1998 Laboratorio Análisis de 
Sustancias Químicas y Biológicas de Uso en la Agricultura, 19 de mayo de 1998 
(Executive Decree No. 27973-MAG-MEIC-S, Costa Rican Technical Regulation (RTCR) 
No. 318:1998: Regulations on laboratory analysis of chemical and biological 
substances for agricultural use, 19 May 1998), published in La Gaceta  No. 139 of 
19 July 1999; and 
 Decreto Ejecutivo Nº 31520-MS-MAG-MINAE-MOPT-MGPSP, Reglamento para las 
actividades de la Aviación Agrícola, de 16 de octubre de 2003  (Executive Decree No. 
31520-MS-MAG-MINAE-MOPT-MGPSP, Regulations on agricultural aviation activities, 
16 October 2003), published in 
La Gaceta  No. 241 of 15 December 2003 
(available in Spanish). 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : Upon publication in Official Journal La 
Gaceta.  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined. 
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [ ] Six months from date of publication, and/or 
(dd/mm/yy) : Upon publication in Official Journal La Gaceta.  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  G/SPS/N/CRI/172 
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  12. Final date for comments: [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 26 July 2016 
Agency or authority designated to hand le comments: [X] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and email address (if 
available) of other body:   
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 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 
Email: puntocontactoMSF@sfe.go.cr