G/SPS/N/AUS/440  
 
11 December 2017  
(17-6782) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES  
1. Notifying Member:  AUSTRALIA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water 
Resources  
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): Seeds for sowing of Citrullus lanatus  (watermelon), Cucumis melo  
(melon), Cucumis sativus  (cucumber) and Cucurbita pepo  (zucchini)  
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: Emergency measures for cucurbit seeds . Language(s): 
English.  Number of pages: 3 
6. Description of content: Emergency phytosanitary measures for the importation of 
Citrullus lanatus , Cucumis melo , Cucumis sativa  and Cucurbita pepo  are being introduced 
to mitigate the biosecurity risk posed by Kyuri green mottle mosaic virus  (KGMMV), 
Zucchini green mottle mosaic virus (ZGMMV) and  Phomopsis cucurbitae . 
7. Objective and rationale: [  ] food safety, [  ] animal health, [X]  plant protection, 
[X] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [X]  protect territory from 
other damage from pests.  
8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action: Australia is currently 
undertaking a review of import conditions for cu curbit seeds for sowing. This review has 
identified three new pests of quarantine concern: KGMMV, ZGMMV and  Phomopsis 
cucurbitae . 
Australia's existing policy does not require specific risk mitigation measures against these 
pests for the importation of host  seeds. Therefore, emergency measures are required for 
host cucurbit seeds to prevent the introduction of these pests.  
The draft review was be released on 6 December 2017 for a 75 calendar day consultation 
period and all trading partners have been notified  by an SPS notification.  
The emergency measures will be implemented in two phases to minimise trade disruption:  
Phase 0: Transition phase  
Consignments that land in Australia prior to or on 31 January 2018 will be allowed entry 
into Australia under existing  arrangements (no testing required).  
Phase 0 conditions expire at midnight 31 January 2018 and will be replaced by Phase 1 
conditions.  G/SPS/N/AUS/440  
 
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  Phase 1: Commencement of mandatory testing or treatment.  
Consignments that land in Australia from 1 February 2018 will be  required to be tested or 
treated (depending on species), either off -shore or on -shore, to manage the identified 
quarantine pests.  
Mandatory off -shore or on -shore testing by ISTA validated ELISA on a sample size of 
9,400  seeds (or 20 per cent for small seed lots) for seeds of Cucumis sativus (KGMMV 
only), Cucurbita pepo (KGMMV and ZGMMV) , and Citrullus lanatus (KGMMV and ZGMMV) . 
Mandatory off -shore or on -shore fungicidal seed treatment with a broad -spectrum 
systemic fungic ide for seeds of Cucumis melo (Phomopsis cucurbitae ). 
Phytosanitary certification requirements:  
Seed lots of Citrullus lanatus , Cucumis sativus  and Cucurbita pepo  that are tested off -
shore must be accompanied by an official government Phytosanitary Certifi cate endorsed 
with the following additional declaration:  
'The consignment of [ botanical name  (s) (Genus species )] comprises [ insert number 
of cucurbit seed lots ] seed lot(s); for each seed lot, seeds were tested by ELISA 
[insert laboratory name(s) and repo rt number(s) ] on a sample size of 9,400 seeds 
(or 20 per cent of small seed lots) and found free from [ name of the virus ]'. 
Seeds lots of Cucumis melo  treated with a fungicide off -shore must be accompanied by an 
official government Phytosanitary Certificate endorsed with the following additional 
declaration:  
'The [ insert plant species name ] seeds in this consignment have been treated with 
[insert the na me of the chemical and dosage ]'. 
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) : IPPC 
Article  7 and IPSM 1  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[X] Y es   [  ] 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 appli cable): 
1 February 2018  
[ ] 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:  
The Australian SPS Contact Point  
GPO Box 858  
Canberra ACT 2601  
Australia  
E-mail: sps.contact@agriculture.gov.au  G/SPS/N/AUS /440 
 
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  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:  
The Australian SPS Contact Point  
GPO Box 858  
Canberra ACT 2601  
Australia  
E-mail: sps.contact@agriculture.gov.au