G/SPS/N/NZL/590  
 
28 March 2019  
(19-1956) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES  
1. Notifying Member:  NEW ZEALAND  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry fro Primary Industries  
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): Pelargonium and Epipremnum nursery stock (whole plants, cuttings 
[dormant and/non -dormant] and tissue cultures) - falling under the conditions of the  
Acacia and Epipremnum schedules respectively - known hosts of Ralstonia 
pseudosolanacearum  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All tradin g partners  
[ ] Specific regions or countries:  
5. Title of the notified document: Import Health Standard 155.02.06:  Importation of 
Nursery stock . Language(s): English.  Number of pages: 402 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2019/SPS/NZL/19_1642_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content: The standard describes the import specifications and entry 
conditions for nursery stock imported into New Zealand.  
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. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action: The bacterial 
pathogen Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum  has a large distribution and host range. It is 
reported as causing serious disease within plant species of economic and ecological 
significance to New Zealand (e.g. members of the Solanum, Vaccinium, Rosa  and 
Anthurium  genera).   
The status of Ralstonia psedosolanacearum  in New Zealand has been confirmed as not 
present, and the regulatory status has been updated to regulated.  
To prevent the introdu ction of this bacteria to New Zealand on known hosts an urgent 
amendment has been made to the nursery stock import health standard. Emergency 
measures have been implemented under SPS Agreement Article 7, annexe B, part 2 and 
6 for the pathogen while a Pest  Risk Analysis is completed.  
The following host species will now require regulation for Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum : 
Pelargonium  and Epipremnum . 
The proposed measures will apply to all countries and are detailed in the Acacia 
(page  34-37) and Epipremnum (page 137 -139) schedules  of the nursery stock import G/SPS/N/NZL/590  
 
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  health standard. These measures will apply to whole plants (cuttings [dormant and non -
dormant]) and plants in tissue culture.  See below for the measures:  
Condition for Ralstonia pseudosolanaceanum  
One of  the following Additional Declarations must be endorsed on the phytosanitary 
certificate:  
'The (insert plant species) plants were sourced from a pest free area, free from Ralstonia 
pseudosolanacearum )' Or 'The (insert plant species) plants have been source d from a 
'pest free place of production', where parent plants were tested according to an NPPO 
approved methodology and found free from Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum . 
9. 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 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 N° 4 
and 10  
[ ] 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 language(s) in which these are available:    
11. Date of entry into force ( dd/mm/yy )/period of application (as applicable): 
7 March 2019  
[ ] 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:  
Mrs Sally Jennings, Coordinator, SPS  New Zealand, PO Box 2526, Wellington, New 
Zealand. Tel: +(64 4) 894 0431; Fax: +(64 4) 894 0733; E-mail: sps@mpi.govt.nz  
Website:  https://www.mpi.govt.nz/importing/overview/access -and-trade-into-new-
zealand/w orld-trade-organization -notifications/  
13. Text(s) available from: [X]  National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:  
Mrs Sally Jennings, Coordinator, SPS  New Zealand, PO Box 2526, Wellington, New 
Zealand. Tel: +(64 4) 894 0431; Fax: +(64 4) 894 0733; E -mail: sps@mpi.govt.nz  
Website:  https://www.mpi.govt.nz/importing/overview/access -and-trade-into-new-
zealand/world -trade-organization -notifications/