G/SPS/N/EU/38  
 
1 March 2013  
(13-1123)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
 NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES 
1. Notifying Member:  EUROPEAN UNION 
If applicable, name of local government involved:     
2. Agency responsible:  European Commission, Health and Consumers Directorate-
General 
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):  Wood packaging material used in the transport of 
specified commodities originating in China 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected , to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[ ] All trading partners   
[X] Specific regions or countries:  China  
5. Title of the notified document:  "Commission Implementing Decision of 18 February 
2013 on the supervision, plant health checks and measures to be taken on wood 
packaging material actually in use in the transport of specified commodities originating 
in China"  Language(s):  English  Number of pages:  4 
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2013/sps/EEC/13_0953_00_e.pdf  
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2013/sps/EEC/13_0953_00_f.pdf  
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2013/sps/EEC/13_0953_00_s.pdf  
6. Description of content:  Temporary emergency measures on increased plant health 
import checks at a minimum frequency and enforcement of wood packaging material (WPM) used to transport certain commodities to the EU originating in China. Plant health 
checks will check that EU import requirements for WPM are complied with. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [ ] food safety, [ ] animal health, [X] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pe st or disease, [X] protect territory 
from other damage from pests.    
8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action:  Recent plant 
health checks by Member States have shown that wood packaging material used in the 
transport of certain commodities originating from China was infested by harmful organisms, in particular by Anoplophora glabripennis  (Motschulsky) (ALB), particularly 
consignments of heavy material such as granite. Such situations have been linked to 
several local outbreaks of ALB that n eeded extensive eradication measures. G/SPS/N/EU/38 
 
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9. Is there a relevant international standa rd?  If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or serial  n u m b e r  o f  C o d e x  
standard or related text)   
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)   
[X] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number) ISPM 
No. 13 "Guidelines for the notification of non-compliance and emergency action" 
[ ] None 
Does this proposed regulation conform to  the relevant international standard? 
 [X] Yes   [ ] No 
 If no, describe, whenever possible,  how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:    
10. Other relevant documents and langua ge(s) in which these are available:   More 
information on EU plant health regime for the control of harmful organisms within the 
European Union is available at the link indicated below: 
"http://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/plant_health_ biosafety/legislation/emergency_control_
measures_en.htm " (available in English) 
11. Date of entry into force ( dd/mm/yy )/period of application (as applicable):  
1 April 2013 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Agency or authority designated to handle  comments:  [X] National Notification 
Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address 
(if available) of other body:   
European Commission  
DG Health and Consumers, Unit G6-Multilateral International Relations 
Rue Froissart 101 
B-1049 Brussels Tel: +(32 2) 29 59922 
Fax: +(32 2) 29 98090 
E-mail: sps@ec.europa.eu 
13. Texts available from:  [X] National Noti fication Authority, [X] National Enquiry 
Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail a ddress (if available) of other body:   
European Commission 
DG Health and Consumers, Unit G6-Multilateral International Relations 
Rue Froissart 101 
B-1049 Brussels Tel: +(32 2) 29 59922 
Fax: +(32 2) 29 98090 
E-mail: sps@ec.europa.eu