RESTRICTED  
  
G/SPS/R/83/Corr.1  
 
2 December 2016  
(16-6610) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures    
 
 SUMMARY OF THE MEETI NG OF 30 JUNE – 1 JULY 2016  
NOTE BY THE SECRETAR IAT1 
Corrigendum* 
The following paragraph s should be corrected to read  as follows:  
4  SPECIFIC TRADE CONCE RNS 
4.2  Issues previously raised  
4.2.7   Costa Rica's suspension of the issuing of  phytosanitary import certificates for 
avocados (G/SPS/N/CRI/160, G/SPS/N/CRI/160/Add.1  and G/SPS/N/CRI/162)  – 
Concerns of Mexico (No. 394)  
4.22.   Mexico reiterated its concern regarding Costa Rica's suspension of the issuing of 
phytosanitary certificates for avocado imports originating from Mexico. Mexico considered the 
measure to be in violation of fundamental principles of technical and scientific justification based 
on international standards, most -favoured nation, proportionality and transparency princ iples as 
enshrined in the SPS Agreement and the SPS Chapter of the Free Trade Agreement between 
Mexico and Latin America . Mexico noted its preference to promote dialogue between authorities in 
various consultative formats; however, these efforts had not be en successful as no response had 
been received from Costa Rican authorities in regard to the issue. Mexico indicated that its 
avocado exports continued to be significantly affected by the restrictions imposed by Costa Rica 
and further reiterated its reques t for Costa Rica to immediately withdraw its measure in order to 
resume avocado trade between the two countries.  
4.2.17   China's lack of transparency for certain SPS measures – Concerns of the United 
States  (No. 184)  
4.53.   The European Union supported the  points made by the United States and Australia, and 
underlined its particular concern about the new Chinese certification regime. The European Union 
feared that this specific measure would not be justified by any risk assessment, as the products 
concerned  – pasta, confectionary or baked products – were inherently safe, and would impose a 
disproportionate and unnecessary burden on the exporting countries. The European Union looked 
forward to seeing the Chinese notification for this measure, and to work with  China on this issue.  
5  OPERATION OF TRANSPA RENCY PROVISIONS  
5.2  European Union – Transparency Provision of the SPS Agreement  
5.7.  The European Union thanked the Secretariat for its work on improving the SPS tools, and 
reiterated its interest in other topics from the October 2015 transparency workshop such as: 
(i) facilitating access to Members' SPS import requirements via dedicated websites; (ii) conducting 
a discussion on trade facilitating measures; and (iii)  sharing unofficial translations of notifi ed 
                                                
1 This document has been prepared under the Secretariat's own responsibility and is without prejudic e 
to the positions of Members or to their rights and obligations under the WTO.  
* In English and French only. G/SPS/R/83/Corr.1  
 
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  regulations. On the first and second topics, the European Union indicated that it might submit 
proposals in the future. On the third one, the European Union supported posting unofficial 
translations of notified documents, with a disclaimer, on the WTO S PS webpage. The European 
Union underlined that these translations should be unofficial, unless otherwise agreed by the 
notifying Member, and that their access should be restricted to Members only. The European Union 
sought clarification on whether this new  procedure would run in parallel with the current one, i.e. 
sharing of unofficial translations through the notification of supplements, or not.  
 
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