G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.8/Add.1  
 
16 March 2018  
(18-1600) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures    
 
WTO SPS TECHNICAL AS SISTANCE ACTIVITIES IN 201 8: 
GENERAL INFORMATION,  SELECTION PROCESS AN D APPLICATION FORM  
NOTE BY THE SECRETAR IAT1 
Addendum  
1  THEMATIC SPS WORKSHO P 
1.  At its 1 -2 March meeting, the SPS Committee agreed to use the occasion of the SPS thematic 
workshop in July to focus on control, inspection and approval p rocedures (Annex C  of the 
Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures ). This SPS thematic workshop on control, 
inspection and appro val procedures will take place on Monday  9 and Tuesday , 10 July 2018 . 
The SPS informal and regular meetings will be held on 1 1-13 July 2018. 
2.  The objective of the workshop is to bring together officials responsible for participation in and 
implementation of  the SPS Agreement, as well as the relevant international standard -setting 
bodies for an in depth discussion, at a technical level, on control, inspection and approval 
procedures. More specifically:  
a. Participants will review the relevant provisions of the A greement and jurisprudence. This 
will include information from the Codex, IPPC and OIE on their respective work, as well 
as a review of the outcome of WTO dispute settlement cases as they relate to Annex C 
provisions of the SPS Agreement. The relationship between the SPS and Trade 
Facilitation Agreements in the context of Annex C will also be discussed;  
b. Participants will be exposed to the relevant international and regional work on: 
(i) approval procedures; (ii) certification procedures, including electroni c certification 
schemes; and (iii) control and inspection procedures, including sampling and testing; 
and 
c. Participants will discuss their experiences in complying with Annex C, including 
information on their domestic regulatory and legal infrastructures.  
3.  The workshop will be open to participation by all delegates from WTO Members and Observers 
attending the SPS Committee meeting in July 2018. 
4.  Government officials from WTO Members and Observers meeting the above -mentioned criteria 
and wishing to apply for th e thematic workshop must consult the instructions provided in Annex III  
of G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.8, which is reproduced hereafter for ease of reference,  and complete and 
submit by 3 April 2018  the online application form available at:  
https://worldtradeorganization.wufoo.eu/forms/2018 -wto-sps-technical -assistanceapplication -
form/ . 
 
                                                
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/997/Rev.8/Add.1  
 
- 2 - 
 
  ANNEX III  
THEMATIC SPS WORKSHO P IN 2018  
Title of the 
activity  SPS Thematic Workshop on Control, Inspection and Approval 
Procedures (Annex C)1 
Dates  9 to 10 July 2018  
Venue  Geneva, Switzerland  
Eligible WTO 
Members and 
Observers  WTO least -developed and developing country Members and Observers  
Pre-requisites for 
funding  Only for government officials holding direct responsibilities in the SPS area.  
Preference will be given to applications from least-developed countries 
(LDCs), and from developing country Members and Observers that have not 
been sponsored to participate in a thematic workshop on the SPS 
Agreement in the recent past. No more than one participant from each 
country will be selected.  
Fluent in either English, French or Spanish.  
Application  Candidates must fill -in and submit the online application form which is 
available at:  
 
https://worldtradeorganization.wufoo.eu/forms/2018 -wto-sps-technical -
assistanceapplication -form/  
 
Candidates should complete and submit the online application form by 
3 April 2018 . 
 
Incomplete forms or forms sent after the deadline will not be considered.  
Results of the 
selection  Only selected candidates will be informed about the results of the selec tion 
during April 2018.  
Administrative and logistical information will be provided in due course to 
the selected candidates.  
For administrative purposes, selected candidates will be required to 
immediately provide their passport information, including numb er, place 
and date of issue, and date of expiry.  
 
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1 The subject has been defined since the circulation of G/SPS/GEN/997/Rev.8  on 30 January 2018 .