. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/N/CRI/128 
24 July 2012 
 (12-4048) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original: Spanish 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Notifying Member:  COSTA RICA 
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible:  Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganad ería, Servicio Fitosanitario del 
Estado, SFE (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, State Phytosanitary Service) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO;  ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Propagation material (other than botanical seed) 
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:  Guía Técnica ARF 02:  Requisitos Fitosanitarios para la 
Importación de Material Vegetal Propagativo  (Technical Document on High Phytosanitary 
Risk No. 02:  Phytosanitary requirements for the importation of plant propagation material) (Most recent update:  July 2012) 
Language(s):  Spanish Number of pages:  127 
Text available at: 
http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2012/sps/CRI/12_2844_00_s.pdf  
http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2012/sps/CRI/12_2844_01_s.pdf  
6. Description of content:  Phytosanitary requirements for the importation of propagation 
material (other than botanical seed), such as seedlings, bulbs, corms, roots, rhizomes, 
stems, stalks, shoots, tubers, cutti ngs, slips or twigs, buds, layers, in vitro  plants and any 
other material used for plant propagation. 
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.  G/SPS/N/CRI/128 
Page 2  
 
  8. Is there a relevant international stan dard?  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)  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)  
[X] None 
Does this proposed regulation conform to  the relevant international standard? 
 [ ] Yes [ ] No 
 If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard: 
9. Other relevant documents and langua ge(s) in which these are available:  
Reglamento Técnico RTCR 379:2000 Procedimie ntos para la aplicación de requisitos 
fitosanitarios para la importación de plant as, productos vegetales y otros capaces de 
transportar plagas, Decreto Nº 29473-MEIC-MAG  (Costa Rican Technical Regulation 
RTCR 379:2000:  Procedures for the implementation of phytosanitary requirements for the 
importation of plants, plant products and other plant material capable of harbouring pests, 
Decree No. 29473-MEIC-MAG), published in Official Journal La Gaceta  No. 93 on 
16 May 2001 (available in Spanish). 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  To be determined. 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) :  To be determined. 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [X] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) : 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure 
12. Final date for comments:  [X] Sixty days  from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  22 September 2012 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [X] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address 
(if available) of other body:  
13. Texts available from:  [X] National Notification Authority, [X] National Enquiry 
Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:  
Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería 
Servicio Fitosanitario del Estado (SFE) 
Centro de Información y Notificación MSF Apartado Postal 1521 - 1200 San José, Costa Rica Tel.: (+506) 2549-3454 
Fax: (+506) 2549-3598 
E-mail: puntocontactoMSF@sfe.go.cr