G/SPS/N/MAR/56  
10 October  2018 
(18-6260) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original:  French  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member : MOROCCO  
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible : Office National de Sécurité Sanitaire des Produits Alimentaires , 
ONSSA (National Office for Food Safety)  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO ; ICS numbers should be provided in addition 
where applicable) : Primary vegetable products, plants and plan t products, and food 
products other than ones submitted under veterinary certification  
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 : Projet de deux documents sanitaires pour les produits 
végétaux primaires et pour les produits végétaux et d'origine végétale et produits 
alimentaires non -soumis à la certification vétérinaire obligatoire  (Two draft sanitary 
documents for  primary vegetable products and for plants and plant products and food 
products other than ones submitted under veterinary certification) . Language(s) : French 
Number of pages : 3 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2018/SPS/MAR/18_5282_00_f.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2018/SPS/MAR/18_5282_01_f.pdf  
6. Description of content : Food safety is a primary concern of the ONSSA, which is 
responsi ble for the requirements for marketing food products . According to Article 4 of 
Law No. 28-07 on food safety, no primary product or food product may be marketed, 
imported  or exported if it constitutes a danger to human life or health.  
With respect to impor tation , Article 48 of Decree No. 2-10-473, which implements Law 
No. 28-07, provides that an importer must ensure that food products, including plants 
and plant products:  
1. are from a country, zone or region not subject to any sanitary or phytosanitary 
restri ctions;  
2. meet the hygiene and health requirements laid down in the regulations in effect;  
3. come from a facility or company that has an HACCP self -control or other equivalent 
system in place;  
4. are accompanied by documents or other certificates required by spec ial regulations 
for the products being imported, issued by the authorities in the country of export 
and certifying in particular that the products comply with existing laws and entail no 
risk for human life or health.  
According to Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Fisheries, Rural Development, Water 
Resources and Forestry Order No. 141-18 of 1 0 January 2 018 on conformity control 
methods and techniques for imported primary products, food products and animal feed, 
in particular its Article 7, the importer or th e importer's representative must file, inter 
alia, the sanitary certificates or other equivalent documents issued by the competent G/SPS/N/MAR/56  
- 2 - 
  authority in the country of export and certifying that the products or foods concerned 
comply with existing laws and entail n o risk for human or animal life or health.  
In light of the foregoing, the ONSSA has prepared a draft sanitary document to ensure 
the safety of imported products . It must:  
 satisfy the conditions indicated in points 1, 2 and 3;  
 contain elements allowing the identification of the exporter, the products imported 
(description, production date, sell -by date, batch number, transport and storage 
conditions, etc.) and the means of transport;  
 be genuine, bearing the clearly printed number, first and last name and pos ition of 
the certifying official, an official stamp and the date;  
 be signed by the competent sanitary authority of the country of provenance.  
7. Objective and rationale : [X] food safety, [ ] animal health, [ ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from ani mal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.  
8. Is there a relevant international standard ? If so, identify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) : CAC/GL 38 -2001 
[ ] World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. T errestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) : 
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. I SPM number) : 
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[X] Ye s [ ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 3 December 2 018 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 3 December 2 018 
11. Proposed date of entry into force : [X] Six months from date of publication, 
and/or ( dd/mm/yy ): 
[X] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Final date for comments : [X] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 9 December 2 018 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments : [X] National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point . Address, fax number and email address 
(if ava ilable) of other body:  
Office National de Sécurité Sanitaire des Produits Alimentaires , ONSSA (National Office 
for Food Safety)  
Direction de l'Évaluation des Risques et des Affaires Juridiques  (Directorate of Risk 
Assessment and Legal Affairs)  
Avenue Hadj  Ahmed Cherkaoui  
Agdal Rabat  
Tel.: (+212) 53 767 6510/11  
Mobile : (+212) 67 399 7803  
Fax: (+212) 53 768 2049  G/SPS/N/MAR/56  
- 3 - 
  13. Text(s) available from : [X] National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point . Address, fax number and email address (if available) of other body:  
Office National de Sécurité Sanitaire des Produits Alimentaires , ONSSA  
Direction de l'Évaluation des Risques et des Affaires Juridiques  
Avenue Hadj Ahmed Cherkaoui  
Agdal Rabat  
Tel.: (+212) 53 767 6510/11  
Mobile : (+212) 67 399 7803  
Fax: (+212) 53 768 2049