G/SPS/N/MEX/277
23 April 2015
(15-2146)  Page: 1/3
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: Spanish
 
  NOTIFICATION 
1. Notifying Member: MEXICO 
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible: Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y 
Alimentación , SAGARPA (Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries 
and Food) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item  number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS num bers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable): Seed certification agencies 
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: Proyecto de Norma Oficial Mexicana PROY-NOM-003-
SAG/FITO-2013, Por la que establecen las especificaciones a cumplir por las personas morales para poder ser aprobadas como Organismos de Certificación de Semillas  (Draft 
Mexican Official Standard PROY-NOM-003-SAG/FITO-2013 establishing the specifications 
that are to be met by legal persons in order to be approved as seed certification agencies) Language(s): Spanish Number of pages: 9 
http://www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.p hp?codigo=5387980&fecha=07/04/2015 
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2015/SPS/MEX/15_1716_00_s.pdf 
6. Description of content: The purpose of this Mexican Official Standard is to establish the 
specifications and requirements that are to be met by legal persons applying for approval or renewal of approval as a seed certification agency. It is binding throughout national 
territory. 
In Mexico, the qualification and certification of seeds falls to the National Seed Inspection 
and Certification Service (SNICS), a decentralized administrative body of the Ministry of 
Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA), which, through 
its operational units, inspects, monitors, qualifies and certifies seeds for sowing at national level. 
The Federal Law on the production, certification and trading of seeds (Law on seeds), 
published in the Mexican Official Journal on 15 June 2007, provides for the participation of 
legal persons in the seed qualification and certification process, through their integration as agencies acting in compliance with the standards issued by SAGARPA. 
SAGARPA, through the SNICS, is responsible fo r monitoring compliance with this Mexican 
Official Standard. SNICS staff will carry out the inspection and monitoring work necessary in collaboration with the departments and bodies of the federal, state and municipal public 
administration, within the scope of their respective powers. G/SPS/N/MEX/277 
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  7. Objective and rationale: [X ] 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 number of Codex 
standard or related text)  
[ ] World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention ( e.g. ISPM No. ) 
[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:   
9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available: 
− Ley Federal de Producción, Certificación y Comercio de Semillas  (Federal Law on the 
Production, Certification and Trading of Seeds), Mexican Official Journal, 15 June 2007;
− Ley Federal de Sanidad Vegetal  (Federal Law on Plant Health), Mexican Official Journal, 
5 January 1994. Most recent revision, Mexican Official Journal, 16 November 2011; 
− Ley Federal sobre Metrología y Normalización  (Federal Law on Metrology and 
Standardization), Mexican Official Journal, 1 July 1992. Most recent revision, Mexican 
Official Journal, 9 April 2012; 
− Reglamento de la Ley Federal de Producción, Certificación y Comercio de Semillas 
(Regulations implementing the Federal Law on the Production, Certification and Trading of Seeds), Mexican Official Journal, 2 September 2011, 002E; 
− Reglamento de la Ley Federal sobre Metrología y Normalización  (Regulations 
implementing the Federal Law on Metrology and Standardization, Mexican Official 
Journal, 14 January 1999. Most recent revision, Mexican Official Journal, 28 November 2012; 
− International Rules for Seed Testing, International Seed Testing Association (ISTA, 
2012); 
− NMX-CC-9-1992: criterios generales para los organismos de certificación de sistemas 
de calidad 1992  (Mexican Standard NMX-CC-9-1992: General criteria for quality 
system certification bodies 1992); 
− NMX-CC-10-1992: criterios generales para los organismos de certificación de productos 
1992 (Mexican Standard NMX-CC-10-1992: General criteria for product certification 
bodies 1992); 
− NMX-CC-11-1992: criterios generales para los organismos de certificación de personal 
1992 (Mexican Standard NMX-CC-11-1992: General criteria for personnel certification 
bodies 1992). 
(available in Spanish) 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined. 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : To be determined. 
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [ ] Six months from date of publication, and/or 
(dd/mm/yy) : To be determined. 
[X] Trade facilitating measure  G/SPS/N/MEX/277 
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  12. Final date for comments: [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 5 June 2015 
Agency or authority designated to hand le comments: [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and email address (if 
available) of other body:  
Comité Consultivo Nacional de Normalizació n Agroalimentaria                                     
Municipio Libre No. 377, Piso 4 B                                                                                
Col. Santa Cruz Atoyac, C.P. 03310                                                                            Delegación Benito Juárez, México, Distrito Federal  
Tel.: 3871 1000, Ext. 33620                                                                                           
Email: manuel.chavez@sagarpa.gob.mx 
13. Text(s) available from: [ ] National Notifi cation Authority, [X] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and email address (if available) of other body: 
Subsecretaría de Competitividad y Normatividad 
Dirección General de Normas 
Av. Puente de Tecamachalco 6, Piso 2, Lomas de Tecamachalco Sección Fuentes, C.P. 53950 
Naucalpan de Juárez, Estado de México 
Tel.: +(52 55) 5729 9100, Ext. 43220 Email: normasomc@economia.gob.mx http://www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.p hp?codigo=5387980&fecha=07/04/2015