G/SPS/N/CAN/993  
 
4 February 2016  
(16-0739)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English/French  
 
  NOTIFICATION 
1. Notifying Member: CANADA 
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible: Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) 
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): Seeds for propagation 
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: Weed Seeds Order  Language(s): English and French   
Number of pages: 8 and 8 
6. Description of content: The CFIA is proposing revisions to the Weed Seeds Order  
(WSO) under the Seeds Act  to reclassify certain species currently on the list and to 
introduce new weed species to the list. The purpose of the WSO is to specify the kinds of plants whose seeds are weed seeds in order to control the introduction and spread of 
weeds in seed. Weeds are classified based on  distribution and potential harm posed by 
the species. 
Class 1 - Prohibited Noxious Weed Seeds (Applicable to all tables of Schedule I to the 
Seeds Regulations ) has been revised to add 17 new species of weed seeds and to 
reclassify 11 species of weed seeds from Class 1 to Class 2 (Primary Noxious Weed 
Seeds). 
Revisions to Class 2 through Class 6 are the subject of a TBT notification. 
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. 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 Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)    
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)    
[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:   G/SPS/N/CAN/993 
 
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  9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available: 
Seeds Regulations : 
http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regul ations/C.R.C.%2C_c._1400/FullText.html  
(English) 
Règlement sur les semences : 
http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/fra/regleme nts/C.R.C.%2C_ch._1400/TexteComplet.html  
(French) 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 1 May 2016 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 1 May 2016 
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [ ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : 1 November 2016 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 14 April 2016 
Agency or authority designated to hand le comments: [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address 
(if available) of other body:   
13. Text(s) available from: [ ] National Notifi cation Authority, [X] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:   
The electronic version of the proposed policy document can be downloaded at:  
http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/ 2016/2016-01-30/html/reg1-eng.php  (English) 
http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/ 2016/2016-01-30/html/reg1-fra.php  (French)