G/SPS/N/COL/259  
17 September 2015  
(15-4765)  Page: 1/3  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: Spanish  
 
  NOTIFICATION 
1. Notifying Member: COLOMBIA 
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible: Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social  (Ministry of Health and 
Social Welfare); Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible  (Ministry of the 
Environment and Sustainable Development) 
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): Detergents and soaps (HS codes: 3401, 3402 and 340540) 
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 Resolución del Ministerio de Salud y 
Protección Social y el Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible "Por la cual se adopta el reglamento técnico que establece los límites máximos de fósforo y la biodegradabilidad 
de los tensoactivos presentes en detergentes y jabones, y se dictan otras disposiciones"  
(Draft Resolution of the Ministry of Health  and Social Welfare and the Ministry of the 
Environment and Sustainable Development "adopt ing the Technical Regulation establishing 
the maximum levels of phosphorus and the biod egradability of surfactants in detergents 
and soaps, and introducing other provisions") Language(s): Spanish Number of 
pages: 16 
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2015/SPS/COL/15_3657_00_S.pdf 
6. Description of content: The notified text establishes the maximum levels of phosphorus 
and the biodegradability of surfactants in de tergents and soaps. It covers the following: 
Purpose; Scope; Definitions; Obligations of manufacturers and importers of detergents and soaps; Maximum permissible phosphorus levels ; Biodegradability requirement; Conformity 
assessment procedure; Conformity certificates; Obligation to inform of manufacturers and 
importers of detergents and soaps for institutional and industrial use; Inspection, monitoring and control; Penalties; Review and updating; Transitional regime; and Period of 
validity and derogations.  
7. Objective and rationale: [ ] food safety , [X] 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)  G/SPS/N/COL/259 
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  [ ] 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: 
Resolution ( Resolución ) No. 427 of 2 March 2009 and Resolution No. 0451 of 5 March 2010 
of the Ministry of the Environment, Housin g and Regional Development; Resolutions No. 
1974 and No. 1975 of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare; Colombian Technical Standards ( Norma Técnica Colombiana ) NTC 5604 of 2008 and NTC/ISO/IEC 17050, Parts 
1 and 2; Council Regulation (EC) No. 440/2008 of 30 May 2008, Part C.4.; and judgment 
in file AP 25000-23-27-000-2001-9479-01 of 28 March 2014, declared enforceable on 14 August 2014 (point 4.61) (available in Spanish). 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : Date on which the Resolution is signed. 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : Date of publication in the Official Journal. 
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [X] Six months from date of publication, 
and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Final date for comments: [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 14 December 2015 
Agency or authority designated to hand le comments: [X] National Notification 
Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and email address (if 
available) of other body:  
Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo 
Dirección de Regulación 
Calle 28 No. 13A - 15, tercer piso 
Bogotá, D.C., Colombia Tel.: (+571) 606 7676, Ext. 1690 
Email: drico@mincit.gov.co 
Website: http://www.mincit.gov.co/  
 
Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social 
Dirección de Promoción y Prevención Grupo de Salud Ambiental Carrera 13 N° 32 - 76 
Bogotá, D.C., Colombia 
Tel.: (+571) 330 5000 Email: jmolina@minsalud.gov.co 
Website: http://www.minproteccionsocial.gov.co/  
 
Ministerio de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural 
Dirección Técnica de Asuntos Ambientales Sectorial y Urbana 
Carrera 37 N° 8 - 40 Bogotá, D.C., Colombia 
Tel.: (+571) 332 3400, Ext. 1146 
Email: kromero@minambiente.gov.co 
Website: https://www.minambiente.gov.co/  G/SPS/N/COL/259 
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  13. Text(s) available from: [X] National Notification Authority, [X] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and email address (if available) of other body: 
Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo 
Dirección de Regulación Calle 28 No. 13A - 15, tercer piso Bogotá, D.C., Colombia 
Enquiry point: 
Contact person: Daniel Héctor Rico R. Tel.: (+571) 606 7676, Ext. 1690 
Fax: (+571) 606 4777 
Email: drico@mincit.gov.co  puntocontacto@mincit.gov.co 
Website: http://www.mincit.gov.co/