G/SPS/GEN/1412  
 
4 June 2015  
(15-2923)  Page: 1/7  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures    
 
 ANNUAL REPORT ON THE IMPL EMENTATION OF ARTICLE 6 
OF THE AGREEMENT ON THE APPLICATION OF SANITARY 
AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES 
 NOTE BY THE SECRETARIAT1  
Article 6 of the SPS Agreement requires that measures take into account pest- or disease-free 
areas or areas of low pest or disease prevalence. This concept is frequently referred to as 
"regionalization". At the 2-3 April 2008 meeting, the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary 
Measures adopted guidelines to further the practical implementation of Article 6.2 These guidelines 
are intended to provide assistance to Members in  the implementation of Article 6 by improving 
transparency, exchange of information, predictability, confidence and credibility between importing 
and exporting Members. 
The guidelines require the Secretariat to prepare an annual report to the Committee on 
implementation of Article 6 based on the in formation provided by Members concerning: 
a. requests for recognition of pest- or disease-free areas or areas of low pest or disease 
prevalence; 
b. determinations on whether to recognize a pest- or disease-free area or area of low pest 
or disease prevalence; and/or 
c. Members' experiences in the implementation of Article 6 and the provision of relevant 
background information by Members on their decisions to other interested Members. 
This report, which covers the period from 1 June 2014 until 31 March 2015, is based on 
information provided by Members through notifica tions and from information presented during SPS 
Committee meetings. This information was frequently  provided under the agenda item "Pest- and 
or Disease-Free Areas - Article 6". Relevant information provided under other agenda items is also 
included in the report. A list of notifications related to Article 6 is contained in section 4; section 5 
lists the relevant specific trade concerns. 
1  REQUESTS FOR RECOGNITION OF PEST- OR DISEASE-FREE AREAS OR AREAS OF LOW 
PEST OR DISEASE PREVALENCE 
1.1  October 2014 meeting (G/SPS/R/76) 1.1.  Brazil announced the eradication of cydia pomonella  from its territory. Notification hereof was 
issued by Normative Instruction No. 10, published in the Brazilian Official Journal on 8 May 2014. 
Brazil informed Members that the eradication of cydia pomonella  was achieved over a ten-year 
period of coordinated action among the public and private sector, following the relevant IPPC 
standards. As of 2011, there had been no detection of cydia pomonella , and Brazil had 
implemented actions to maintain this phytosanitary status. Brazil requested that importing 
Members now remove requirements concerning this pest and allow imports from Brazil. 
1.2.   Uruguay provided information on its compartmentalization procedure for sheep populations, 
in accordance with Chapters 4.3 and 4.4 of th e OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code. Uruguay 
informed Members that, since 2003, it had been recognized as FMD-free with vaccination. 
                                               
1 This document has been prepared under the Secret ariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the positions of Members or to their rights or obligations under the WTO. 
2 G/SPS/48. G/SPS/GEN/1412 
 
- 2 - 
 
  Although vaccination for its sheep population had been suspended since 1988, this neither 
modified nor suspended its status as FMD-free with vaccination. Uruguay informed the Committee that, in order to facilitate the access of sheep meat on the bone to international markets that possess FMD-free health status, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries had established a 
programme for the compartmentalization of sheep with the aim of improving sheep production, 
and requested official recognition from the OIE. Uruguay had provided relevant documentation to the OIE and invited health inspectors from various trading partners to visit its sheep 
compartments. 
1.2  March 2015 meeting (G/SPS/R/78) 1.3.  South Africa informed Members that, after consideration by the OIE, it had regained its 
status of foot and mouth disease (FMD) free zone without vaccination, with effect from 
14 February 2014. South Africa urged Members to lift restrictions on trade in cloven-hoofed 
animals and their products. 
2  DETERMINATION ON WHETHER TO RECOGNIZE A PEST- OR DISEASE-FREE AREA OR 
AREA OF LOW PEST OR DISEASE PREVALENCE 
2.1  June 2014 meeting (G/SPS/R/75) 2.1.  The OIE recalled that the full list of disease free country status was available in Annex 1 of 
the OIE report (G/SPS/GEN/1343). 
2.2  October 2014 meeting (G/SPS/R/76) 2.2.  Chile raised concerns regarding the underutiliz ation of the guidelines relating to recognition of 
pest and disease-free areas (G/SPS/48) and equivalence (G/SPS/19/Rev.2). The Committee had 
worked hard on these decisions, and it would be g ood to hear about their application, particularly 
in relation to recognition of a country's particular pest- or disease status. Chile noted that specific trade concerns were proof that Members did not always accept international recognition of a 
country's particular disease status. Chile requested more consistency from Members in their 
recognition of international pest and disease statuses. 
2.3.  The Secretariat encouraged Members to provide information on their experiences in 
requesting the recognition of pest- or disease-free areas, in accordance with the Committee's 
decision on the recognition of pest- disease-fr ee areas (G/SPS/48). Some of the information 
reported under earlier agenda items referred to such recognition, and it would be helpful if Members who had recognized such areas would confirm that this was the case. 
2.3  March 2015 meeting (G/SPS/R/78) 
2.4.  Madagascar informed Members that it had considered South Africa's new FMD status and had 
lifted its ban on the importation of produc ts of animal origin from South Africa. 
2.5.  Zambia reported its recognition of South Africa's new FMD status and supported South 
Africa's request. 
3  MEMBERS' EXPERIENCES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ARTICLE 6 
3.1  June 2014 meeting (G/SPS/R/75) 
3.1.  South Africa reported that during its 82
nd General Session, the OIE had recognized 
South Africa as free from Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) together with 47 other countries. South Africa explained that PPR was an economically devastating viral disease affecting small ruminants 
and its eradication had been earmarked by the FAO and the OIE. 
3.2.  South Africa also reported on the necessity to implement import measures to protect its 
territory against the introduction of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED), after several countries had 
reported outbreaks of PED to the OIE. South Africa was free from PED. During 2013, South Africa 
had conducted surveillance on a number of porcine diseases, including PED, and the outcome G/SPS/GEN/1412 
 
- 3 - 
 
  proved the absence of these diseases in the do mestic swine population. Additional scientific 
information on the management of the disease would be incorporated in the import requirements as soon as it became available. 
3.3.  Argentina reported that during the 82
nd General Session of the OIE in May 2014, the 
Assembly had recognized a new FMD-free zone without vaccination in Argentina, Patagonia 
Norte A. This zone added to the four FMD-free zones previously recognized by the OIE. This new zone does not imply any modification to the FMD-free zone without vaccination called Patagonia, 
as it is not a part of it, but rather is a contiguous zone to Patagonia. Argentina would soon provide 
detailed information on all FMD-free areas. 
3.4.  Argentina also reported that it had been recognized free from PPR and contagious bovine 
pleuropneumonia (CBPP) by Reso lutions No. 17 and 20 at the 82
nd OIE General Session. See also 
G/SPS/GEN/1347. 
3.5.  Korea provided an update on its OIE status for four animal diseases. In May 2014, the OIE 
had recognized Korea as: (a) an FMD-free country with vaccination as a result from the measures 
taken to control the disease since the FMD outbreak in 2011; (b) PPR- and African horse sickness 
(AHS)-free country through its effort to remain free from the diseases over the past 25 years; and (c) a country having a negligible BSE risk as  a result of effective preventive measures. 
3.6.  The European Union announced the detection of African swine fever (ASF) in two of its 
member States: Lithuania and Poland. Stringent measures had been immediately taken by the 
affected member States in accordance with inte rnational standards. Furthermore, the European 
Union not only had had surveillance and detection measures in place for a number of years, but 
was also providing technical assistance to its neighbouring countries, which had ASF on their 
territory and had thus far been unable to control its spread. The European Union urged its trading partners not to take more trade restrictive measures than necessary given the measures the 
European Union had taken that were fully in line with the principle of regionalization. 
3.2  October 2014 meeting (G/SPS/R/76) 3.7.  The Philippines reported on its final rule recognizing the entire Philippines territory as an area 
free from Mango Seed Weevil (MSW) and, with the ex ception of a small island within the Philippine 
territory, Mango Pulp Weevil (MPW). In achieving this, the Philippines implemented a ten month survey across the mango production season, in terms of which 2.6 million fruit was inspected. The results of the survey showed no detection of ei ther MSW or MPW. Moreover, the Philippines was 
pleased to report to the Committee on the United St ates' approval of an irradiation dose of 165 Gy 
as treatment for MPW from the affected island which, when combined with area freedom, had a positive impact on the Philippines' exports of ma ngoes to the United States, Hawaii, Guam and the 
Mariana Islands, and would help in securing the Philippines' access to other markets. Lastly, the 
Philippines thanked the United States for their final rule recognizing an area in the Philippines as free of MPW. 
3.3  March 2015 meeting (G/SPS/R/78) 
3.8.  The European Union provided, for the fo urth time, a factual update on the current 
epidemiological situation of ASF within its borders. In addition to the well-known endemic situation on the island of Sardinia, the virus had been introduced into the European Union from Russia 
through Belarus in January 2014. Since then it had been detected in four EU member States 
(Lithuania, Poland, Latvia and Estonia), with cases concentrating along their eastern borders. The European Union had put in place a comprehensive set of harmonized legislation. 
Zoning/regionalization was being applied as a tool to limit the impact on trade while eradicating 
and preventing the spread of the disease. The li mited geographical spread of the disease more 
than a year after ASF was introduced into the European Union was an important indicator of the 
effectiveness of the control and regionalization measures applied. The European Union expressed 
concern that its repeated requests for information on the surveillance and control measures taken by Belarus and Russia had not been answered. The European Union also indicated that, upon its 
initiative, a standing group of experts on ASF in  the Baltic and Eastern Europe region had been 
established last year, under the OIE/FAO framewor k. Members of this expert group were Russia, 
Belarus, Ukraine, the four affected EU member States and the European Commission, while the G/SPS/GEN/1412 
 
- 4 - 
 
  OIE acted as the secretariat. Since ASF was a trans-boundary disease, the aim of this standing 
group was to enhance collaboration between all affected countries to ensure better control of the disease. 
3.9.  Nigeria provided information on the avian influenza resurgence in Dala Local Government 
Area and at a live bird market at Onipanu in Lagos in January 2015. All state directors of 
veterinary services had been alerted, and the OIE, AU-IBAR and development partners had been notified. Nigeria had established a technical committee on avian influenza to supervise the current 
control strategy that included quarantine, depopulation, decontamination and vaccination. 
Currently, Nigeria received support from the World Bank and from FAO to contain the disease. Nigeria stressed that the resurgence of the disease was a matter of great concern for the continent, and that more intensive control and surveillance activities were needed. Nigeria urgently 
requested more support from national and regional governments and from international 
development agencies. 
3.10.  Madagascar noted that the emergence of avian influenza in Nigeria was of concern for 
neighbouring countries and for Africa as the whole. Madagascar requested assistance from Nigeria 
to avoid the spread of the disease. 
3.11.  Mexico provided information on various pest- or disease-free areas. Mexico had been 
declared free from Mediterranean fruit flies, as detailed in G/SPS/GEN/1376. Mexico had also 
submitted documents regarding the absence of Aujeszky's disease in the state of Jalisco (G/SPS/GEN/1380); the absence of Boll weevil in th e state of Baja California and various regions 
in Chihuaha, Coahuila and Sonora (G/SPS/GEN /1378 and G/SPS/GEN/1378/Corr.1); the absence 
of pink bollworm in the state of Chihuahua and several municipalities in Sonora and Coahuila 
(G/SPS/GEN/1377); areas of low prevalence of fruit flies of the genus Anastrepha  in certain 
municipalities in Michoacan and Nayarit (G/SPS/GEN/1379 and G/SPS/GEN/1389); areas free of 
spotted-wing drosophila (G/SPS/GEN/1386 and G/SPS/GEN/1388); areas free from large and 
small avocado seed weevils and avocado seed moths (G/SPS/GEN/1390-1393) and areas free from Pierce's disease (G/SPS/GEN/1385 and G/SPS/GEN/1387). 
3.12.  Mexico also reported the response to comments and modifications made to the Official 
Mexican Standard NOM-026-FITO-1995 as notified in G/SPS/N/MEX/48/Add.1, and provided information on the modification of the Official Mexican Standard NOM-026-FITO-1995, amending the controlled cotton pests, as notified in G/SPS/N/MEX/260/Add.1. 
3.13.  Under the procedure to monitor the process of international organization, the United States 
reminded Members about the OIE guidelines on imports of live poultry and poultry products (including heat-treated/cooked products) related to avian influenza, including highly pathogenic 
avian influenza (HPAI). The guidelines made clear that when HPAI was detected only in wild birds, 
OIE Members should not impose bans on trade in poultry commodities. The guidelines also clearly established provisions for the recognition of zones or regions free of the disease. The affected 
country should define the control zones based on its response efforts, and the remainder of the 
country outside of those control zones could conti nue to be considered disease free. Additionally, 
heat-treated poultry products (meat, liquid eggs, rendered meals, etc.) that had been heat-processed to destroy the HPAI virus in accordance with OIE guidelines were safe to trade 
irrespective of whether the products came from an area where HPAI had been detected. The 
United States called upon its trading partners to lift any import restrictions on live poultry and poultry products (including heat-treated products) from the United States that were not consistent 
with the OIE guidelines. 
3.14.  The European Union shared the US concern and supported the removal of import 
restrictions with relation to HPAI that were not in line with international standards. Canada noted 
that the OIE provided effective guidance around  the principle of zoning and encouraged all 
Members to recognize zones established by affected  Members, in accordance with this guidance. 
4  NOTIFICATIONS RELATED TO ARTICLE 6 4.1.  From June 2014 through March 2015, 90 notifications (32 regular and 58 emergency) related 
to Article 6. Nine of those notifications (eight regular and one emergency) indicated that the 
notified measure was trade facilitating; these notifications mainly inform of measures that will G/SPS/GEN/1412 
 
- 5 - 
 
  simplify the requirements for the import of products  originating from certain regions, as well as the 
recognition of pest-free or disease-free areas. 
Table 4.1: Trade Facilitating Notifications Related to Article 6 
Document symbol Notifying Member  Description of content 
G/SPS/N/CHL/481 Chile The notified text amends Agriculture and Livestock 
Service Resolutions Nos. 2.867 and 2.868 of 2001, which lay down requirements governing the 
importation into Chile of fresh citrus fruit from the 
States of California and Arizona, United States of America, respectively. 
G/SPS/N/CHL/493 Chile As a result of the work carried out within the 
framework of the Agricultural Surveillance 
Programme, and as part of the updating of 
phytosanitary requirements for the entry into Chile of 
fresh peaches ( Prunus persica ), nectarines 
(P. persica  var. nucipersica ), Japanese plums 
(P. salicina ), European plums ( P. domestica ), apricots 
(P. armeniaca ) and cherries ( P. avium ), Monilinia 
fructicola  has been removed from the list of 
quarantine pests. 
G/SPS/N/MEX/261 Mexico Pursuant to the "Decision establishing the module of 
phytosanitary requirements for the importation of 
goods regulated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food, in 
relation to plant health" (Acuerdo por el que se 
establece el módulo de requisitos fitosanitarios para la importación de mercancías reguladas por la 
Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo 
Rural, Pesca y Alimentación, en materia de sanidad vegetal), published in the Mexican Official Journal on 7 February 2012, the phytosanitary requirements for 
the importation into Mexico of unrooted pepper 
(Capsicum annuum  L.) cuttings for non-commercial 
propagation purposes, have been submitted to public 
comment. Unrooted pepper ( Capsicum annuum  L.) 
cuttings must also be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by the Spanish plant 
health authority, stating that the cuttings originate 
and come from the Spanish province of Almería in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, that they have undergone inspection and have been certified 
free from Eggplant mottled dwarf virus , Parietaria 
mottle virus , Pelargonium zonate spot virus , Pepper 
mild mottle virus , Patato stolbur phytoplasma  and 
Pseudomonas marginalis  pv. marginalis . 
G/SPS/N/MEX/264 Mexico Pursuant to the Decision establishing the module of 
phytosanitary requirements for the importation of 
goods regulated by the Ministry of Agriculture, 
Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food, in 
relation to plant health (Acuerdo por el que se 
establece el módulo de requisitos fitosanitarios para 
la importación de mercancías reguladas por la 
Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo 
Rural, Pesca y Alimentación, en materia de sanidad 
vegetal), published in the Mexican Official Journal on 
7 February 2012, the phytosanitary requirements for 
the importation into Mexico of botanical pepper 
(Capsicum annuum  L.) seed originating in and 
coming from Hungary, established on the basis of a 
pest risk analysis, have been submitted for comment. G/SPS/GEN/1412 
 
- 6 - 
 
  Document symbol Notifying Member  Description of content 
Imports of botanical pepper ( Capsicum annuum  L.) 
seed originating in and coming from Hungary require 
a phytosanitary certificate issued by the Hungarian 
phytosanitary authority stating that the seed 
originates in Hungary, that it has undergone 
inspection, and that a phytosanitary diagnosis has 
found it to be free from Colletotrichum dematium , 
Pseudomonas viridiflava , Dulcamara yellow fleck 
virus, Pepper mild mottle virus , Tobacc o mild green 
mosaic virus  and Tomato aspermy virus . 
G/SPS/N/RUS/63 Russian Federation This letter allows import of live pedigree cattle from 
the Netherlands to the Russian Federation without additional laboratory tests on bluetongue for animals 
under quarantine. Shipment should be consistent 
with provisions of relevant veterinary certificate. 
G/SPS/N/ARE/32 United Arab 
Emirates The United Arab Emirates is lifting the ban on the 
importation of domestic and wild birds and their 
products including poultry meat, day-old chicks and 
eggs originating from Italy. 
G/SPS/N/USA/2686 United States of 
America The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 
(APHIS) is proposing to amend the regulations 
governing the importation of animals and animal products to define a low-risk classical swine fever 
region in Mexico from which we would allow the 
importation of fresh pork and pork products under certain conditions. Under this proposed rule, such 
pork and pork products would have to be derived 
from swine raised on farms meeting stringent sanitary and biosecurity requirements. We would also provide safeguards against commingling of the swine 
and the pork and pork products with animals and 
products that do not meet our proposed requirements. Establishments that slaughter the 
swine from which the pork or pork products are 
derived would have to allow periodic inspection and evaluation of their facilities, records, and operations 
by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. 
This proposed rule would relieve some restrictions on the importation of pork and pork products from Mexico while continuing to protect against the 
introduction of classical swine fever into the United 
States. Federal Register Vol. 79, No. 145, Tuesday, 29 July 2014, pages 43974-43980. 
G/SPS/N/USA/2699 United States of 
America The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 
(APHIS) is proposing to amend the regulations 
governing the importation of certain animals, meat, 
and other animal products to allow, under certain 
conditions, the importation of fresh (chilled or frozen) 
beef from a region in Argentina located north of 
Patagonia South and Patagonia North B, referred to 
as Northern Argentina. Based on the evidence in a 
recent risk assessment, we believe that fresh (chilled 
or frozen) beef can be safely imported from Northern 
Argentina provided certain conditions are met. This 
proposal would provide for the importation of beef 
from Northern Argentina into the United States while 
continuing to protect the United States against the 
introduction of foot-and-mouth disease. Federal 
Register Vol. 79, No. 168, Friday 29 August 2014, 
pages 51508-51514. G/SPS/GEN/1412 
 
- 7 - 
 
  Document symbol Notifying Member  Description of content 
G/SPS/N/USA/2733 United States of 
America The Animal and Plant Inspection Service is advising 
the public that we determined that the Republic of Croatia is free of foot-and-mouth disease, swine 
vesicular disease, and rinderpest and is low risk for 
classical swine fever. We are making our determinations, as well as an evaluation we have 
prepared in connection with this action, available for 
review and comment. Federal Register Vol. 80, No. 22, Tuesday, 3 February 2015, pages 5728-5729. 
 5  SPECIFIC TRADE CONCERNS AND REGIONALIZATION 
5.1.  Specific trade concerns (STCs) can be raised due to issues pertaining to regionalization. From 
June 2014 through March 2015, six STCs that related to regionalization were raised for the first 
time. 
Table 5.1: New STCs Related to Re gionalization (June 2014–March 2015) 
STC No Title Member raising 
the concern Member 
maintaining 
the measure Date first 
raised 
371 India's import requirements for 
blueberries and avocados Chile India 09/07/2014 
375 US non-acceptance of OIE 
categorization for BSE India United States 09/07/2014 
376 Australia's non-acceptance of 
OIE categorization for BSE India Australia 09/07/2014 
383 China's measures on bovine 
meat India China 26/03/2015 
384 General import restrictions due 
to African swine fever European Union Various Members 26/03/2015 
385 General import restrictions due 
to highly pathogenic avian 
influenza European Union Various Members 26/03/2015 
 
5.2.  For the same period, three previously raised STCs that related to regionalization were 
brought again to the attention of the Committee. 
Table 5.2: Previously Raised STC's Rela ted to Regionalization (June 2014–March 2015) 
STC No Title Member raising 
the concern Member 
maintaining 
the measure Date first 
raised 
193 General import restrictions due 
to BSE European Union Various Members 09/07/2012 
330 Indonesia's Jakarta port closure Chile Indonesia 27/03/2012 
351 EU temperature treatment 
requirements for imports of 
processed meat products Russia European union 27/06/2013 
 
5.3.  In addition, panel proceedings in the co ntext of the WTO dispute settlement resolution 
procedures continued with respect to two previously raised STCs:  
 US failure to recognize South Patagonia as FMD-free and to import beef from north of the 
42nd Parallel (STC 318 raised by Argentina, June 2011); and 
 Russia's measures on live pigs and pork products due to African swine fever (STC 369 
raised by the European Union, March 2013). 
__________