RESTRICTED  
  
WT/ACC/SYC/24  
 
6 March 2013  
(13-1240)  Page: 1/3  
Working Party on the 
Accession of the Republic of Seychelles  Original: English  
  
  ACCESSION OF SEYCHELLES 
CHECK-LIST OF ILLUSTRATIVE SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY (SPS) ISSUES FOR 
CONSIDERATION IN ACCESSIONS 
 The following submission, dated 5 March 2013, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the Republic of Seychelles.  
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  WT/ACC/SYC/24  
 
- 2 - Checklist of Illustrative SPS Issues for Consideration in Accessions 
Commitments (by the time of accession) WTO Reference Status (as of 20 February 2013) 
1. Standstill:  the introduction of new 
standards, animal health regulations and food safety regulations shall conform to SPS Agreement principles. 1. Generally agreed principle in 
WTO accession negotiations. The Government of Seychelles  is committed to complying with the requirements of 
the SPS Agreement.  As a small island st ate, Seychelles reco gnises that it may 
require financial and technical resources to achieve the required level of compliance.  Seychelles may require the support of its trade cooperation partners. 
2. Establishment and operation of a single 
Contact Point for Information ("enquiry point"). 2. Article 7 and Annex B.3. 
  Seychelles has established a National SPS Committee and its Secretariat will operate 
as the enquiry point for information.  The details are as follows:   Seychelles Agricultural Agency (Enquiry Point): 
 P.O. Box 166,  Victoria,  Mahe,   Seychelles  Tel:  (+248) 4611478                 E-mail:   seypro@seychelles.net Website: Under construction 
3. Transparency:  notification and access to 
documentation: 3. Articles 7 and Annex B, also 
G/SPS/7.  
 (a) identification of authority responsible for 
making notifications to the WTO and ensuring transparency obligations are met on an ongoing basis;  (a) Annex B.5(b) and 
Annex B.10. The authority responsible for making notifications to the WTO and ensuring 
transparency obligations are met is the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Industry.  The Animal and Pl ant Protection Servic e of the Seychelles 
Agricultural Agency within the Ministry  of Natural Resources and Industry is 
responsible for ensuring SPS related bilateral and multilateral obligations are met, as per Section 46 of Seychelles Biosecurity Bill. 
 (b) establish guidance or law requiring 
publication of proposed measures at an early stage for comment;  (b) Annex B.5(a). Section 46 of the Animal and Plant Biosecurity Bill st ates that the agency responsible 
for animal and plant biosecurity is mandat ed to ensure SPS related bilateral or 
multilateral obligations including the WTO SPS Agreement are met.  A specific Statutory Instrument or admi nistrative procedures may be required to elaborate the 
notification process. 
 (c) provision in law or administrative 
procedure to provide copies of proposed measures to WTO Members; and  (c) Annex B.5(c). Section 46 of the Animal and Plant Biosecurity Bill states that the agency responsible 
for animal and plant biosecurity is mandat ed to ensure SPS related bilateral or 
multilateral obligations including the WTO SPS Agreement are met.  A specific Statutory Instrument or admi nistrative procedures may be required to elaborate the 
notification process. 
 (d) require in law or administrative 
procedure, a reasonable period of time for comment from Members and the 
public, and establishment of a process to take comments into account without discrimination.  (d) Annex B.5(d). Section 46 of the Animal and Plant Biosecurity Bill states that the agency responsible 
for animal and plant biosecurity is mandat ed to ensure SPS related bilateral or 
multilateral obligations including the WTO SPS Agreement are met.  A specific Statutory Instrument or admi nistrative procedures may be required to elaborate the 
notification process.  
  WT/ACC/SYC/24  
 
- 3 - Commitments (by the time of accession) WTO Reference Status (as of 20 February 2013) 
4. Necessity:  measures are applied only to the 
extent necessary to protect human, animal or plant health. 4. Article 2.2. The following Acts provide for measures to be applied only to the extent necessary to 
protect human, animal or plant health: An imals (Diseases and Imports) Act and the 
Plant Pests Act, both of which will be re pealed upon implementa tion of the Animal 
and Plant Biosecurity Bill during the first quarter of 2013; the Public Health Act; Food Act; Export of Fishery Products Act; an d, the Quarantine Act. The Food Act is 
currently under revision wh ereby necessary amendments will be made to include 
aspects governing food safety. 
5. Regulations Based on Science:  regulations 
governing animal and plant health and food safety shall be based on scientific evidence. 5. Articles 2.2, 3.3 and 5.2. The Animal and Plant Bios ecurity Bill allows for regulations and administrative 
procedures governing animal and plant heal th to be based on science.  The Bill 
further allows for SPS measures to be appl ied commensurate to the SPS risk and one 
that confers the appropriate level of protec tion (ALOP) for Seychelles.  The Food Act 
is currently under revision, whereby necessa ry amendments will be made to include 
aspects governing food safety. 
6. Harmonization:  to  the extent possible, 
members shall follow international standards, guidelines , and recommendations 
in establishing SPS measures. 6. Articles 3.1, 3.3 and 3.4. Seychelles is a member of  the Codex Alimentarius and th e IPPC and as of May 2010, 
the OIE, and implements the international standards set by these Organisations.  The Animal and Plant Biosecurity Bill provides for application of IPPC and OIE standards, recognitions of ri sk analysis results of pest and diseases undertaken by 
other SPS authorities, application of meas ures developed by other SPS authorities 
that meets the Seychelles' ALOP when applied.  
7. Equivalence:  members shall recognize 
different measures th at achieve the same 
level of protection. 7. Article 4. The Animal and Plant Biosecurity Bill provides for application of IPPC and OIE 
standards, recognitions of ri sk analysis results of pest and diseases undertaken by 
other SPS authorities, application of meas ures developed by other SPS authorities 
that meets the Seychelles' ALOP when applied.  
8. Risk Assessment:  developing scientific 
evidence and conducting risk assessments to ensure that measures are based on science and applied only to th e extent necessary to 
protect health. 8. Article 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3. The Animal and Plant Biosecur ity Bill ensures that all imports of animals, plants and 
their products are subject to risk analysis  and measures are applied commensurate to 
the risk.  
9. Regional conditions:  measures take into 
account the regional characteristics both of the areas from which products originate and the areas for which they are destined. 9. Article 6 and Annexes A.6 
and A.7. The Animal and Plant Biosecurity Bill is conscious of the regional SPS conditions in its 
application of the SPS measures and all me asures are based on science including the 
pest and disease situation or  status of the region.  
10. Non-discrimination:  measures do not 
arbitrarily or unjustifiably discriminate between different members or between domestic and fore ign suppliers. 10. Article 2.3, and Annex C.1(a) 
and (d). The current SPS-related legislation mentioned in 4 above does not prescribe 
measures which discriminate between Members or non-Members of the WTO, or between domestic and foreign suppliers. 
11. Control, inspection and approval procedures: 
ensure that procedures, including systems for approval of the use of additives or for establishing tolerances for contaminants in foods, beverages or feedstuffs comply with the Agreement. 11. Article 8 and Annex C. The Animal and Plant Biosec urity Bill adequately covers inspection and control 
provisions for animals, plan ts and their products.  The Food Act is currently under 
revision, whereby necessary amendments will be made to include aspects governing food safety and necessary amendments will be made to the Additives and 
Contaminants Regulations. 
  
 
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