G/SPS/W/299  
 
6 June 2018  
(18-3461) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
DEVELOPING GUIDANCE ON CONS IDERATION OF SYSTEMS  APPROACHES  
AS EQUIVALENT TO EXI STING MEASURES  
COMMUNICATION FROM AUSTRALIA  
The following communication, dated 1 June 2018, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of  Australia . 
 
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The proposed topic  
1.  The acceptance of equivalence as a concept, and implementation of the concept, is a 
fundamental obligation of the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary 
Measures (the Agreement) (Article 4).  
2.  The SPS Committee adopte d an initial decision regarding the implementation of Article 4 on 
equivalence in October 2001 , which included a commitment to develop a work program me to 
further the implementation of Article 4 of the Agreement .1 This resulted in the SPS Committee 
adoptin g equivalence guidelines in July 2004.2 
3.  There has been limited subsequent reporting to the SPS Committee , with only two issues of 
equivalence consideration being brought to the SPS Committees attention.3 
4.  To manage a specified pest risk and achieve a Member 's appropriate level of protection, 
equivalence may be applied to: an individual measure, a combination of measures, or integrated 
measures in a systems approach.  
5.  As the options for either new or alternate individual measures (for example, fumigation) have  
decreased, and are likely to further decrease in the future, as a result of Members reviewing their 
import measures, treatments and/or chemicals are no longer available or registered for a specific 
use, or maximum residue limits (MRLs) are lowered and are no longer be achievable. The 
application of systems approaches may be the only option available to exporting Members to 
maintain existing trade.  
6.  The use of the guidance developed by International Standard -Setting Bodies ( ISSBs ) has been 
limited , and additional specific guidance from the SPS Committee may result in increased numbers 
of systems approaches being recognised as equivalent , with resultant improvements in trade , 
while maintaining importing Members' plant, animal and human health status.  
7.  The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) recogni zes equivalence as one of the IPPC 
basic principles4 and has developed guidance on the issue of equivalence in a number of their 
adopted International Standards on Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs).5 
                                                
1 G/SPS/62 . 
2 G/SPS/19/Rev.2 . 
3 G/SPS/62 . 
4 ISPM 1 (Phytosanitary principles for the protection of plants and the application of phytosanitary 
measures in international trade ). G/SPS/W/299  
 
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  8.  Under IPPC guidance, a systems approach is a pest risk management option that integrates 
different measures, at least two of which act independently, with cumulative effect6 and may 
range in complexity. The ISSBs have all developed some guidance on the impl ementation of 
systems approaches to address pests, diseases and human health concerns.  
9.  The OIE standards relevant to the principle of equivalence are contained in the Terrestrial Code  
(mainly in Section 5) and the OIE provides guidelines and recommendation s relevant to 
equivalence (and a number of other issues) in the publication International trade: Rights and 
obligations of OIE member countries . 
10.  Codex recognises equivalence as the state wherein sanitary measures applied in an exporting 
country, though dif ferent from the measures applied in an importing country, achieve, as 
demonstrated by the exporting country, the importing country 's appropriate level of protection.  
11.  Codex members have developed guidelines on the judgement of the equivalence of sanitary 
measures associated with food inspection and certification systems .7 In addition, the Codex 
Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS) has 
commenced examining the issue of equivalence, in relation to import and export c ertification 
systems.  
What the Review would do  
12.  Within the framework of the Fifth R eview , the SPS Committee  would explore the impediments 
to the application of the concept and practices of equivalence to manage SPS risks in trade . Where 
it would assist Members to expand their use of equivalence to facilitate safe trade, the SPS 
Committee could expand on existing guidance on recognition of equivalence in relation to systems 
approaches for achieving equivalence in achieving the importing Members ' appropria te level of 
protection of plant, animal and human health while permitting trade to begin, continue or resume.  
13.  The Review would expand on guidance provided to Members in the Decision on the 
Implementation of Article 4 of the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary 
Measures8 specifically in relation to the determination of equ ivalence of a systems approach.  
14.  The Review would draw on existing and ongoing work of the ISSBs, in relation to systems 
approaches that may be used in determining if a  systems approach could be considered as 
equivalent to existing measures and achieve the importing Member's appropriate level of 
protection.  
 
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5 ISPM 14 (The use of integrated measures in a systems approach for pest risk management, 2002); 
ISPM 24 (Guidelines for the determination and recognition of equivalence of phytosanitary measures, 2005); 
and ISPM 35 (Systems approach for pest risk management of fruit flies (Tephritidae), 2006) . 
6 IPPC ISPM 5 (Glossary of Phytosanitary terms) . 
7 CAC/GL 53 -2003 (Guidelines on the judgement of equivalence of sanitary measures associated with 
food inspection and certification systems) . 
8 G/SPS/19/Rev.2 .