G/SPS/N/AUS/411  
 
22 December 2016   
(16-7013) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member: AUSTRALIA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible: Department of Agriculture and Water Resources  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specifi ed in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in 
addition, where applicable): All imported foods  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specifi c regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document: Proposals for changes to the imported food 
regulations . Language(s): English . Number of pages: 16 
http://membe rs.wto.org/crnattachments/2016/SPS/AUS/16_5258_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content: The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (the 
department) is seeking submissions on a range of policy proposals under the Imported 
Food Control Regulations 1993 (the Regulations). These proposals are being considered 
as part of the department's review of the Regulations which are required to be remade 
prior to their expiry on 1 October 2018.  
Specific detail on the remaking of these regulations is available here: 
http://www.agriculture.gov.au/import/goods/food/imported -food-control -regulations . 
It is expected that these changes would take effect after December 2017 and be fore 
October 2018.  
7. Objective and rationale: [X]  food safety, [ ]  animal health, [ ]  plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ]  protect territory from 
other damage from pests.   
8. Is there a relevant international stan dard? If so, identify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
 Principles for Food Import and Export Inspectio n and Certification 
(CAC/GL  20-1995)  
 Guidelines For The Design, Operation , Assessment and Accreditation of Food 
Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CAC/GL 26 -1997)  
 Guidelines For The Development of Equivalence Agreements Regarding Food 
Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CAC/GL 34 -1999)  
 Guidelines for Food Import Control Systems (CAC/GL 47 -2003)  
 Guidelines for the Judgement of Equivalence of Sanitary Measures Associated 
with Food Inspection and Certifications Systems (CAC/GL 53 -2003)  G/SPS/N/AUS/411  
 
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   Guidelines for the Exchange of Information in Food Safet y Emergency 
Situations (CAC/GL 19 -1997)  
 Guidelines for the exchange of information between countries on rejections of 
imported food (CAC/GL 25 -1997)  
 Principles for Electronic Certification as an Appendix to the Codex Guidelines 
for Generic Official Certifi cate Formats and the Production and Issuance of  
Certificates (CAC/GL 38 -2001)  
 Principles for Traceability/Product Tracing as a Tool within a Food Inspection 
and Certification System (CAC/GL 60 -2006)  
 Principles and guidelines for the conduct of assessment o f foreign official 
inspection and certification systems (Annex to the Guidelines for the design, 
operation, assessment and accreditation of food import and export inspection 
and certification systems (CAC/GL 26 -1997) (N07 -2008)  
 Guidelines for National Food  Control Systems (CAC/GL 82 -2013)  
 General guidelines on sampling (CAC/GL 50 -2004)  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :   
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM nu mber) :   
[ ] 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:   
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) i n which these are available:     
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : Mid-December 2017  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : Mid-December 2017  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [ ]  Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : Before October 2018  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [ ]  Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 24 February 201 7 (5 pm Australian Eastern 
Daylight Time)  
Agency or authority designated to ha ndle comments: [X]  National Notification 
Authority, [ ]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address 
(if available) of other body:  
The Australian SPS Notification Authority  
GPO Box 858  
Canberra ACT 2601  
Australia  
Fax: +(61 2) 6272 3678  
E-mail: sps.contact@agriculture.gov.au  
13. Text(s)  available from: [ ]  National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:  The  
Australian SPS Notification Authority  
GPO Box 858  
Canberra ACT 2601  
Australia  
Fax: +(61 2) 6272 3678  
E-mail: sps.contact@agriculture.gov.au