G/SPS/GEN/1334/Rev.1  
 
5 August 2014  
(14-4591)  Page: 1/4  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures    
 
 EXISTING DEFINITIONS OF PRIVATE STANDARDS 
IN OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS 
NOTE BY THE SECRETARIAT1 
Revision 
1  BACKGROUND 
1.1.  The SPS Committee has been discussing the issue of SPS-related private standards since 
June 2005, when Saint Vincent and the Grenadines raised a specific trade concern regarding 
EurepGAP (now GLOBALGAP) requirements for bananas destined for sale in the United Kingdom.2 
1.2.  In March 2011, the Committee adopted five actions to address some of the identified 
concerns. Under action 1, Members agreed to develop a working definition of SPS-related private 
standards ("The SPS Committee should develop a working definition of SPS-related private 
standards and limit any discussions to these").3 
1.3.  Discussions have been ongoing in the Committee, including through an electronic working 
group (e-WG). At its meeting in March 2014, the Committee discussed a working definition put 
forward by the co-stewards of the electronic working group.4 However, the Committee has, so far, 
not been able to reach a consensus on a working definition of SPS-related private standards. 
Following a suggestion by Canada, in March 2014 the Committee requested the Secretariat to 
identify any existing definitions of a "private st andard" that might be used by other international 
organizations, and to present its findings for consideration by the Committee in July. 
1.4.  At its July 2014 meeting, the Committee discussed the existing definitions of private 
standards contained in the Secretariat note circulated on 18 June (document G/SPS/GEN/1334). 
Argentina drew attention to additional definiti ons from the OIE and Codex, both international 
standards-setting bodies referenced in the SPS Agreement. Canada referred to a draft OECD 
definition of private standards from a forthcomin g report on synergies between private standards 
and public regulations. 
1.5.  The Committee agreed that the e-WG would pursue its work on a definition of SPS-related 
private standards, and would do so based on the working definition tabled by the e-WG co-
stewards and contained in document G/SPS/W/276, namely: " An SPS-related private standard 
is a written requirement or a set of written requirements of a non-governmental entity 
which are related to food safety, animal or  plant life or health and for common and 
repeated use ". 
1.6.  In that regard, it was agreed that: (i) the Secretariat would revise document 
G/SPS/GEN/1334 to reference the three additional definitions mentioned; (ii) Members should 
submit by 5 September 2014 to the co-stewards of the e-WG, through the Secretariat, any 
comments they may have on the co-stewards' draf t definition and regarding elements of other 
existing definitions that could be incorporated into the co-stewards' definition; and (iii) the e-WG 
                                               
1 This document has been prepared under the Secret ariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the positions of Members or to their rights or obligations under the WTO. 
2 G/SPS/R/37/Rev.1, paras. 16-20; G/SPS/GEN/766; STC No. 219. 
3 G/SPS/55. 
4 G/SPS/W/276. G/SPS/GEN/1334/Rev.1 
 
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  should circulate its report on a compromise working definition of an SPS-related private standard 
to the Committee no later than the end of September, for consideration at the SPS Committee 
meeting scheduled for 16-17 October 2014. 
2   EXISTING DEFINITIONS OF A PRIV ATE STANDARD IN OTHER INTERNATIONAL 
ORGANIZATIONS 
2.1.  The table below presents a compilation of th e existing definitions of a "private standard" as 
used in other international organizations. 
Organization  Existing Definition 
of a Private Standard  Source/Reference  
FAO/WHO 
Codex Alimentarius Commission Private standards  are standards that 
are designed and owned by non-governmental entities. "Consideration of the Impact of 
Private Standards"  (citing Liu, P: " Private standards in 
international trade: issues, 
opportunities and long-term 
prospects ". FAO expert meeting, 
Feeding the World by 2050, Rome 
2009, p.2)  
 CX/CAC 10/33/13 
Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards 
Programme. Codex Alimentarius Commission, 33
rd Session, 5-9 July 
2010 
 
ftp://ftp.fao.org/codex/Meetings/CAC/
cac33/cac33_13e.pdf  
International 
Trade Centre Private standards  are understood as 
norms developed by private entities such 
as companies, non-governmental 
organizations or multi-stakeholder 
coalitions. These standards may vary in 
scope, ownership and objectives. 
Objectives range from environmental 
conservation, ensuring food safety or 
protection of social and human rights to 
promoting good agricultural and 
manufacturing practices. Private 
standards can be numerical standards 
defining required characteristics of 
products such as contaminant limits or 
maximum residue limits, or process 
standards prescribing the production 
processes (including performance 
objectives) or pertaining to management 
systems and documentation 
requirements. "When do Private Standards Work? " 
Geneva: ITC, 2012. ix, 52 pages 
(Literature Review Series on the 
Impacts of Private Standards; Part IV) 
Doc. No. MAR-12-227.E, p.2 
 
 
 
When do Private Standards Work: 
http://www.intracen.org/When-do-
Private-Standards-Work/  
OECD The efficacy of exchange is enhanced by 
two main functions of a standard  – as a 
guarantee of a minimum quality and by 
defining the characteristics or 
specifications of the product or its production process and associated criteria of performance. Standards 
reflect the needs of the groups that 
express them and as long as groups differ, their optimal standards will reflect 
these differences. "Interaction of Public and Private 
Standards in the Food Chain ", Smith, 
G. (2009), OECD Food, Agriculture 
and Fisheries Papers, No. 15, OECD 
Publishing, p.11.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/221282527
214 G/SPS/GEN/1334/Rev.1 
 
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  Organization  Existing Definition 
of a Private Standard  Source/Reference  
Draft OECD definition of private 
standards  from a forthcoming report on 
synergies between private standards and public regulations (as referred to by 
Canada at the July 2014 informal 
meeting on private standards) .
5 
OIE Private standards  can be defined as 
"commercial requirements developed, 
owned and implemented by non-
governmental entities, with which 
suppliers must comply to have access to 
specific markets for animals and animal 
products. They sometimes include 
sanitary safety and animal welfare 
issues."6 Report of OIE ad hoc  Group on Private 
Standards and International Trade in 
Animals and Animal Products, 4-
5 June 2009, p. 1007. 
 
http://www.oie.int/fileadmin/Home/en
g/Internationa_Standard_Setting/docs
/pdf/A_TAHSC_Sept_2009_Part_B_b_
.pdf 
UNCTAD Sustainability claims by design are 
private standards . They are designed 
and implemented by organizations 
outside the public sector and promoted for use by producers and retailers as a service. In the case of agriculture, this 
document, referred to as a standard, will 
define which pest products are allowed or prohibited, soil preparation 
mechanisms that are allowed, and 
handling practices of all farm inputs. Environmental Sustainability Claims: a 
Summary of Issues for ACP Countries 
 
http://www.unctad.info/en/Sustainabil
ity-Claims-Portal/Discussion-
Forum/Environmental/  
World Bank Private standards  are standards that 
are set (created) by commercial or non-
commercial private entities, including 
firms, industry organisations, 
nongovernmental organisations, etc.7 
 
Private standards  may serve as 
catalysts, further reducing the 
transaction costs in long-distance trade, 
providing both a stimulus and guide for 
investments in firm and supply chain 
modernization, and providing increased 
incentives for the adoption of better and 
safety farming and manufacturing 
practices.  
 
 
 
 
 
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EX
TERNAL/TOPICS/TRADE/0,,contentMD
K:20629901~menuPK:222955~pageP
K:148956~piPK:216618~theSitePK:2
39071,00.html  
 
                                               
5 The document entitled "Synergies between Private Standards and Public Regulations" is only available 
on "OLIS" with an embargo, and theref ore not for public or official use yet.  Declassification and publication of 
the final document is likely to o ccur only at the end of November. 
6 Official working definition of private standards used  by OIE as described in the Terms of Reference and 
ad hoc Group meeting report. 
7 This definition previously available on the World Ba nk website now appears to have been replaced with 
definition included above. G/SPS/GEN/1334/Rev.1 
 
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  3  EXISTING DEFINITIONS OF A PRIVATE STANDARD OR OF A STANDARD FROM 
ADDITIONAL SOURCES 
3.1.  The table below presents an additional co mpilation of existing definitions of a "private 
standard" or of a "standard" from other pertinent sources. 
Organization  Existing Definition 
of a Private Standard  Source/Reference  
TBT Agreement Standard - Document approved by a 
recognized body, that provides, for common and repeated use, rules, 
guidelines or characteristics for 
products or related processes and production methods, with which compliance is not mandatory. It may 
also include or deal exclusively with 
terminology, symbols, packaging, marking or labelling requirements as 
they apply to a product, process or 
production method. TBT Agreement, Annex 1, paragraph 2 
 http://www.wto.org/english/docs_e/le
gal_e/17-tbt_e.htm#annexI  
ISO A standard  is a document that 
provides requirements, specifications, 
guidelines or characteristics that can be 
used consistently to ensure that 
materials, products, processes and 
services are fit for their purpose. 
 
A standard  is a document, established 
by consensus and approved by a 
recognized body that provides, for 
common and repeated use, rules, 
guidelines or characteristics for 
activities or their results, aimed at the 
achievement of the optimum degree of 
order in a given context. http://www.iso.org/iso/home/standar
ds.htm  
 
 
 
 
 
"ISO/TMB policy and principles 
statement global relevance of ISO 
technical work and publications " 
ISO, 2004, p.1 
 
 
http://www.iso.org/iso/global_relevan
ce.pdf  
UNIDO Industry/private/buyer standards  
can be broken down into three categories: 
 
1. Consortia standards – which are often developed by a sector-specific 
consortium (i.e. GlobalGAP); 
 2. Civil society standards - established as an initiative by an non-profit 
organization usually as a response to 
concerns over social and environmental conditions (e.g. Forest Stewardship 
Council); and 
 3. Company-specific standards - which 
are developed internally and apply to 
the whole supply chain of a company (i.e. codes of conduct). http://www.unido.org/en/what-we-
do/trade/quality-and-compliance-
infrastructure/standards-and-
conformity/private-standards.html  
 
 
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