G/L/1164  
 
7 Novem ber 2016 
(16-6099) Page: 1/3 
   
 
 REPORT (201 6) ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON  
SANITARY AND PHYTOSA NITARY MEASURES  
1.1.  The present report is being circulated by the Chairperson of the Committee on Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures on her own responsibility. This report provides a summ ary of the activities 
and decisions of the Committee during 201 6. 
1.2.  The Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (the "SPS Committee") held regular 
meetings on 16-17 March, 30 June - 1 July, and 27-28 October 201 6. Mr Felipe Hees  (Brazil ) had 
been el ected in 201 5 as Chairperson for 201 5-2016. The SPS Committee elected Ms  Marcela Otero  
(Chile) as the new Chairperson for 201 6-2017 at the beginning  of its July meeting . 
1.3.  In October 2016, the SPS Committee held a Workshop on Pesticide MRLs , organized by the  
Secretariat .1 This workshop included sessions on the Codex process for setting MRLs, different 
national frameworks, regional initiatives and the role of the private sector. Other sessions focused 
on difficulties in establishing MRLs for so -called "minor u se crops", the impact of default MRLs 
(often set at limits of detection) and of MRL expiration on international trade.  The Committee 
found the workshop useful and considered proposals for follow -up work, to increase transparency 
and harmonization, ensure t he best use of the limited resources available for MRL development 
and reduce duplication of work.  
1.4.  Following up on the Workshop on Transparency held in October 2015, the Committee 
continued to discuss possible improvements in the area of transparency throu ghout 2016, 
including a joint proposal by Chile and the European Union2. The proposal contains suggestions to 
facilitate sharing of unofficial translations of notified SPS measures, to discuss how Members 
decide which SPS regulations they notify as trade -facilitating measures, and to establish a central 
platform to share links to website where Members publish informati on about final SPS regulations.  
The Committee agreed to hold an experience -sharing session on notification of trade facilitating 
measures in March 2017.  
1.5.  The SPS Committee  considered the Annual Overview of the implementation  of the 
transparency provisions of the SPS  Agreement.3 Considering all types of notifications, a total of 
20,618 notifications were submitted from 1 January 1995 to 21 Octobe r 2016 . Between 1 January 
and 21 October 2016 , 797 regular notifications and 53 emergency notifications were circulated. 
The share of notifications from developing countries in the total continues to be high, at about 
67% in 201 6. As  of 21 October , 122 Members had submitted SPS notifications, and of these, 
40 Members had submitted SPS notifications online via the SPS Notification Submission System 
(NSS).  In addition, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kazakhstan have 
submitted SPS notific ations for the first time in 201 6. 
1.6.  The Committee also considered the Annual Report on the Procedure to Monitor the Process of 
International Harmonization.4 Four new issues were raised under this procedure in 2016 . 
These  were related to BSE restrictions not  consistent with the OIE standard, and phytosanitary 
certificate requirements for processed food products, both raised by the United States; measures 
on bovine semen and reproductive material more restrictive than the OIE Standard, raised by 
Argentina; and  the application of International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) 13 on 
notifications of non -compliance, raised by Senegal.  
                                                
1 The programme of the workshop is contained in G/SPS/GEN/1514/Rev.1.  
2 G/SPS/W/290.  
3 G/SPS/GEN/804/Rev.9.  
4 G/SPS/GEN/1490.  G/L/1164  
 
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  1.7.  Many Members provided the SPS Committee with information regarding their status with 
respect to specific plant pests and  animal diseases. These include, inter alia , information from 
Brazil and Mexico regarding freedom from classical swine fever, from Costa Rica, the European 
Union and Mexico  regarding their negligible risk for BSE status, from Nigeria and the United States 
on their avian influenza situation, and from the Russian Federation  on its foot and mouth disease 
(FMD) status . This information is compiled in the Annual Report o n the Implementation of 
Article  6.5 
1.8.  At each meeting, Members provided information regarding c hanges in their SPS policies and 
situations. For example, Ukraine provided information on the Food Safety an d Consumer Protection 
Service, Peru provided information on sanitary requirements for imports of processed foods, 
Turkey on recent developments in t he field of plant health, and Japan provided information  on its 
actions in containing the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant ac cident. The European Union, 
the Russian Federation and Ukraine provided updates on the African swine fever situation , 
the United States on its Food Safety Modernization Act, and the European Union on its public 
consultation to define criteria for identifying endocrine disruptors.  
1.9.   The SPS Committee considered a wide range of specific trade concerns. Thirteen  new 
specific trade co ncerns were raised during 2016. New trade concerns included, inter alia , Namibia's 
concerns over South Africa's revised veterinary health certificates for cattle, sheep and goats ; 
Israel's concern over Costa Rica's regulation on pesticides and related subs tances; Mexico's 
concerns  regarding Guatemala's restrictions on egg products ; and Brazil's concerns over 
EU restrictions on exports of pork from the State of Santa Catarina . The European Union raised 
new concerns relating to China's import restrictions due  to Schmallenberg Virus and Highly 
Pathogenic Avian Influenza; and the Russian Federation's import restrictions  on certain animal 
products from Germany . Ukraine also raised a new concern over the Russian Federation's import 
measures.  
1.10.   Many previously raised  concerns continued to be discussed during 2016. Several Members 
intervened on issues such as the EU Novel food Regulation, and the  EU proposal for categorization 
on compounds as endocrine disruptors. Several Members also reiterated concerns regarding 
GMO-related policies proposed by the European Union and China, and a couple of Members raised 
US measures on catfish . Mexico reiterated concerns on Costa Rica's temporary suspension of 
issuing phytosanitary certificates for avocados. Nigeria reported that its concern concerning 
Mexico's measures on imports of hibiscus flowers had been resolved, and the European Union 
informed the Committee that its trade concern on China's import conditions related to phthalates 
in spirits and wine was resolved.  Information on specific trade concerns is compiled on an annual 
basis in a report on specific trade concerns.6 
1.11.   Since October 2014, t he Committee has been at  an impasse in its adoption of the Report of 
the Fourth Review of the Operation and Implementation of the SPS Agree ment7, and the Catalogue 
of Instruments Available to WTO Members to Manage SPS  Issues8. On the Catalogue, although 
the Committee agreed on the value of the document, there was still no agreement on the inclusion 
of a disclaimer to clarify the legal status of the document, despite the Chairperson's efforts. 
A recommendation regarding the Committee's future work on private standards  has been a point 
of contention  in the adoption of the Review Report , and although  several  Members worked 
together to find a solu tion, they could not bridge the remaining differences . The Committee is now 
considering options on how to move beyond the impasse on the Review.  There was no progress in 
the Committee's develop ment of  a working definition of the term "SPS -related private s tandard".  
1.12.   Members, Observer Organizations and the Secretariat provided information on SPS -related 
technical assistance activities at e ach of the Committee's meetings . The STDF Secretariat also kept 
the Committee informed of the work of the Standards and Tr ade Development Facility.9 
Several  information sessions were held in the margins of SPS Committee meetings, includi ng 
EU sessions on its work on novel foods, and endocrine disrupto rs; and US sessions on the 
Food Safety Modernization Act, and on its Coopera tion Programme on MRLs for Minor Use Crops. 
                                                
5 G/SPS/GEN/1491.  
6 G/SPS/GEN/204/Rev. 16. 
7 G/SPS/W/280/Rev.2.  
8 G/SPS/W/279/Rev.2.  
9 G/SPS/GEN/1 470, G/SPS/GEN/14 97 and G/SPS/GEN/ 1516. G/L/1164  
 
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  The STDF organized a session on prioritizing SPS investments for market access (P -IMA) and 
a seminar on electronic SPS certification. Guidance on the reduction of risks associated with live 
species trade was pres ented by the CBD secretariat.  
1.13.   The SPS Committee maintained its close working relationship with the Codex, IPPC, and the 
OIE (often referred to as the "Three Sister" organizations) and received regular updates on their 
activities. Other observer organizatio ns also provided information on their activities . 
1.14.   Members agreed to revise the structure of the SPS Committee agenda as a part of efforts to 
reinvigorate discussions within the Committee. The revised agenda structure was used for the first 
time in the Octo ber 2016 meeting.  
1.15.   The SPS Committee has tentatively agreed to hold regu lar meetings on 22–23 March, 
13-14 July, and 1-2 Novem ber 201 7. 
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