G/SPS/W/296  
 
19 December  2017 
(17-7082) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures    
 
PROPOSED PROCESS FOR  THE FIFTH  REVIEW OF THE OPERAT ION AND  
IMPLEMENTATION OF T HE AGREEMENT ON THE APPLICATION  
OF SANITARY AND PHYT OSANITARY MEASURES  
NOTE BY THE SECRETAR IAT1 
At the Fourth Session of the Ministerial Conference, Ministers instructed the Committee to review 
the operation and implementation of the SPS Agreement at least once every four years, pursuant 
to the provisions of Article 12.7 of the Agreement.2 The Fourth  Review , which started in October 
2013,  was concluded by the Committee in July 2017 (G/SPS/62 ). In order to facilitate an efficient 
review process, the Secretariat,  at the request of Members and  in consultation with the 
Chairperson, has prepared the following pro cedure. The Committee is invited to consider  this 
procedure at its meeting of 1-2 March 2018. 
 
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1.  The Fifth Review will initially be conducted through open -ended informal meetings of the 
Committee. The informal meetings will normally be sche duled back -to-back with the regular 
meetings of the Committee. Interpretation will be provided at the informal meetings. If necessary, 
further informal and special meetings of the Committee may be scheduled.  
2.  Members will be invited to identify issues for d iscussion as part of the Review , and 
subsequently to submit papers and propose specific action s on the issues under consideration . 
The Chairperson will propose the order in which issues will be considered at each informal meeting 
of the Committee , in light  of the proposals and submissions received . 
3.  An item relating to the Review will be included in the agenda of each regular meeting of the 
Committee during the Review period, under which the Chairperson will provide an  oral report on 
the informal Review proc ess, including the  issues discussed and conclusions reached. On the basis 
of this report, the SPS Committee will consider what fur ther action may be appropriate.  
4.  The Secretariat will prepare a background document summar izing information regarding 
the imple mentation of the Agreement (e.g., notifications, technical assistance, dispute resolution), 
as well as the work of the Committee since the  end of the period covered by the Report of the  
Fourth Review (e.g., specific trade concerns, issues considered by the  Committee, decisions 
adopted) , including the Committee's work since October 2014 .3 This document will be revised to 
also include background information on any specific issues proposed for consideration, and may 
serve as the basis for the Committee's repor t on the Fifth Review.  
5.  The Review process will be conducted on the basis of the following calendar, recognizing that 
some of the dates may need to be modified in light of other activities and resource constraints.  
                                                
1 This document has been prepared under the Secretariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the positions of Members or to their rights and obligations under the WTO.  
2 Implementation -Related Issues and Concerns, Decision of 14 November 2001, WT/MIN(01)/17, 
paragraph 3.4.  
3 In accordance with the procedures for the Fourth Review, the Committee considered the revised report 
of the Review  for adoption at its October 2014 meeting. Further to the submission of Members' comments and 
suggestions, as well as discussions in several Committee meetings, the report was subsequently adopted in 
July 2017 (G/SPS/62) . As such, t he report of the Fourth Review largely reflects the work of the Committee as 
of October 2014, except where stated otherwise.  G/SPS/W/296  
 
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  Informal and formal meetings of 28 Februar y – 2 March 2018  
 Consideration by the Committee , and possible adoption,  of the procedure for the Fifth 
Review   
 Initial identification and discussion by Members of issues they wish to be considered 
during the Review  
3 April 2018  
 Written s ubmission by Members of the issues they wish to be considered during the 
Review  
4 May 2018  
 Circulation by the Secretariat of a background document  
1 June  2018  
 Submission by Members of any written comments on the background document 
prepared by the Secretar iat and/or requests for background information on additional 
specific issues  
 Submission by Members of papers on the issues proposed for consideration  
 Identification by Members of any other issues they wish to be considered during the 
Review  
22 June 2018  
 Circulation by the Secretariat of updated background document  
 Circulation by the Secretariat of overview of proposals received  
Informal meeting of 11 July 2018  
 Discussions on issues identified  
8 August 2018 
 Submission by Members, in writing, of proposals for  actions on issues under 
consideration  
14 September 2018  
 Comments by other Members, in writing, on proposed actions on issues under  
consideration  
8 October 2018  
 Circulation by the Secretariat of a compilation of the comments submitted by Members   
Informal meeting of 30 October 2018  
 Discussion of Members' specific proposals for actions on issues under consideration  
 Identification and discussion on  issues for further work by the Committee  
4 December 2018  
 Circulation by the Secretariat of  the draft re port o f the Fifth Review  
31 January 201 9 
 Submission of written comments by Members on the draft report of the Fifth Review  
Informal meeting of March 2019  
 Discussion of  the draft report  of the Fifth Review  
April 2019 (4 weeks after previous step)  
 Submission  of additional written comments by Members on the draft report of the Fifth 
Review  
June 2019 (6 weeks after previous step)  
 Circulation by the Secretariat of the revised  draft report o f the Fifth Review  G/SPS/W/296  
 
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  Informal m eeting of July 201 9 
 Consideration and, if possibl e, finalization of the report of  the Fifth Review  
Formal meeting of July 2019 
 Adoption of the report on the Fifth Review  
 
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