G/SPS/N/MAR/72  
26 November  2020 
(20-8545) Page: 1/2 
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 Food Safety Office)  
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) : Seeds of the plant species indicated in the notification table 
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 : Décision relative aux mesures phytosanitaires exigés à 
l'importation des semences végéta les au Royaume du Maroc  (Decision on the 
phytosanitary measures governing the importation into the Kingdom of Morocco of plant 
seeds) Language(s) : French Number of pages : 16 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/SPS/MAR/20_7277_00_f.pdf  
6. Description of content : The notified text updates the phytosanitary requirements 
governing the importation into the Kingdom of Morocco of courgette, cucumber, squash, 
melon, watermelon, onion, shallot, garlic, Welsh onion, leek, chive, carrot, alfafa, rice, 
tomato, pepper, chilli pepper, bean, broad bean, horse bean, pea, chickpea, vetch, 
cabbage, lettuce, chicory, endive, maize, wheat, triticale, barley, oat, sorghum, rye, sugar 
beet, beetroot, sunflower, rapeseed, soybean and lentil seeds, in order to introduce 
requirements for a dditional declarations on phytosanitary certificates, as well as the 
requirement to submit an analysis report certifying the absence of certain viruses  and/or 
bacteria specific to the plants listed above.  
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 standard ? 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. T errestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) : 
[X] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number) : ISPM Nos. 
4, 7, 8, 10, 12, 26 and 38  
[ ] None  G/SPS/N/MAR/72  
- 2 - 
  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) : 30 March 2 021 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 30 March 2 021 
11. Proposed date of entry into force : [ ] Six months from date of publication, and/or 
(dd/mm/yy) : 30 April 2 021 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Final date for comments : [X] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 25 January 2 021 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments : [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  (Directorate of Risk 
Assessment and Legal Affairs)  
Division de la Normalisation et des Questi ons SPS (Standardization and SPS Division)  
Avenue Hadj Ahmed Cherkaoui, Agdal, Rabat, Morocco  
Tel.: (+212) 537 676 510/13  
Fax: (+212) 537 682 049  
Email: ma.sps.enquirypoint@onssa.gov.ma  
13. Text(s) a vailable 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  
Division de la Normalisation et des Questions SPS  
Avenue Hadj Ahmed Cherkaoui, Agdal, Rabat, Morocco  
Tel.: (+212) 537 676 510/13  
Fax: (+212) 537 682 049  
Email: ma.sps.enquirypoint@onssa.gov.ma