G/SPS/N/ARE/64  
 
22 December 2015  
(15-6843)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION 
1. Notifying Member: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible: Ministry of Environment and Water (MOEW) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item  number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; IC S numbers should be provided in 
addition, where applicable): Seeds and tubers 
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: Ministerial Decree No. (800) of 2015 on Regulating 
the: seeds and tubers  Language(s): Arabic  Number of pages: 3 
http://www.moew.gov.ae/ar/laws-and-legisl ations/ministerial-decrees/general-
ministerial-decrees.aspx  
6. Description of content: The Ministerial Decree "Seed and tuber registration" aims to 
ensure the management and the documentation of the varieties of imported and local 
seed. Imports of these seeds will be prohibited unless it is registered in accordance with 
the requirements described in the Ministerial Decree. Also, circulation of produced local 
seeds will not be allowed unless it is registered in accordance with the requirements 
described in the Ministerial Decree. 
The release of the consignment of seeds will not take place unless it is accompanied by a 
germination and purity certificate issued from a laboratory accredited to the 
International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) or from a government laboratory or from 
an accredited laboratory certified by the competent authority in the country of origin. 
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. Is there a relevant international st andard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or serial  n u m b e r  o f  C o d e x  
standard or related text)   
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)    
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)  
ISPM 20:2004, Section 1.1: The Phytosanitary regulations should specify the 
Phytosanitary measures with which imported consignments of plants, plant 
products and other regulated articles should comply. These Phytosanitary measures may be general, applying to all types of commodities, or the measures 
may be specific, applying to specified commodities from a particular origin.  G/SPS/N/ARE/64 
 
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  [ ] 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) in which these are available:     
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : After three months of publication. 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 29 November 2015 
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [ ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : 29 February 2016 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : Not applicable 
Agency or authority designated to hand le comments: [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address 
(if available) of other body:  
Eng. Sumaya Abdul Rahim Al Rais  
Head of Notification and Inquiry Section 
Ministry of Environment and Water 
P.O. Box 1509 United Arab Emirates - Dubai Tel: +(971 4) 214 8414 
Fax: +(971 4) 265 5822 
Mobile: +(971 50) 450 0606 E-mail: saalrais@moew.gov.ae 
 uaesps@moew.gov.ae 
Website: http://www.moew.gov.ae  
13. Text(s) available from: [ ] National Notifi cation Authority, [X] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:   
Eng. Sumaya Abdul Rahim Al Rais  
Head of Notification and Inquiry Section 
Ministry of Environment and Water 
P.O. Box 1509 United Arab Emirates - Dubai 
Tel: +(971 4) 214 8414 
Fax: +(971 4) 265 5822 Mobile: +(971 50) 450 0606 
E-mail: saalrais@moew.gov.ae 
 uaesps@moew.gov.ae Website: http://www.moew.gov.ae