G/TBT/N/KOR/645  
 
23 May 2016  
(16-2783)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION 
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6 
 
1. Notifying Member: REPUBLIC OF KOREA 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):    
2. Agency responsible: Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs(MAFRA) 
Name and address (including telephon e and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above :  
Environment-Friendly Agriculture Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural 
Affairs (MAFRA) 
Tel.:  +82-44-201-2432 Fax:  +82-44-868-0483 E-mail:  lny@korea.kr  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applic able, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable): Environment-friendly 
agricultural and fishery products, processed organic foods and materials for organic farming. 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: - Proposed 
Amendments to the Act and its enforcement decree and rule on Promotion of Environment-
friendly Agriculture and Fisheries, and Management of and Support for Organic Foods  (46 
pages, in Korean; 13 pages, in Kore an; 79 pages, in Korean).     
6. Description of content: The main amended contents in this document are as follows: 
Proposed Amendments to the Act on Promotion of Environment-friendly Agriculture and 
Fisheries, and Management and Support for Organic Foods 
 The private certification body alone will conduct certification process which was 
previously conducted by both private cert ification body and National Agricultural 
Products Quality Management Service(NAQS) for the sake of fairness and equity of certification body(Article 20.1, 34.3) 
 Separate labeling of organic food will be allowed for the sake of organic food export 
promotion(Article 23.3.2,3, New Act) 
 The official notice and quality certification system of organic agricultural and fisheries 
material will be integrated into ?official notice? system only(Article 37.2, 42) 
Proposed Amendments to the enforcement decr ee of the act on Promotion of Environment 
friendly Agriculture and Fisheries, and Management of and Support for Organic Foods  
 
 Administrative authority will be commissioned to the National Agricultural Products 
Quality Management Service(NAQS) for the sake of consistent management of 
accreditation system and approved material(including organic agricultural material)( 
Article 5.2.,3) G/TBT/N/KOR/645 
 
- 2 - 
 
  Proposed Amendments to the enforcement  rule   of  the Act on Promotion of Environment 
friendly Agriculture and Fisheries, and Management and Support for Organic Foods, etc. 
under ministry of agriculture, food and rural affairs   
 Amendment of approved material selection standard and procedure and change to 
notice with regard to approved material listed in Annex 1(draft Article 3.1, 3.2, Annex 1, 2) 
 Streamline documents required for renewal (draft Article 16) 
 Organic agriculture material management regulation(draft Article 67) 
 Change to notice with regard to details of organic and agricultural chemicals-free 
certification standard(draft Annex3, 11) 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable: 
Protection of Human health or Safety 
8. Relevant documents:  Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs(MAFRA) Public Notice  
No. 2016-116(available in Korean)  
9. Proposed date of adoption:   September 2016 or later 
Proposed date of entry into force:   September 2016 or later   
10. Final date for comments: 60 days from notification. Co mpetent authority will receive 
comments for sixty days after the date of notification in order to seek possible way to reflect 
the comment into enforcing regulations of the Act sometime in the future 
11. Texts available from: National enquiry point [  ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:   
Environment-Friendly Agriculture Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural 
Affairs (MAFRA) Tel.:  +82-44-201-2432 
Fax:  +82-44-868-0483 
E-mail:  lny@korea.kr  
https://members. wto.org/crnattachments/2 016/TBT/KOR/16_2008_00_x.pdf  
https://members. wto.org/crnattachments/2 016/TBT/KOR/16_2008_01_x.pdf  
https://members. wto.org/crnattachments/2 016/TBT/KOR/16_2008_02_x.pdf