G/SPS/N/CRI/158  
27 March 2015  
(15-1733)  Page: 1/2  
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 Ganadería, Servicio Fitosanitario del 
Estado , SFE (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, State Phytosanitary Service) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item  number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS num bers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable): Technical grade active ingredients and formulated synthetic 
pesticides containing the active ingredient alachlor. 
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: Prohibición del registro, importación, exportación, 
fabricación, formulación, almacenamiento, distribución, transporte, reempaque, reenvase, manipulación, venta, mezcla y uso de ingred ientes activos grado técnico y plaguicidas 
sintéticos formulados que contengan el ingrediente activo alachlor . Decreto Ejecutivo 
N°38677-MAG-S-MINAE-MTSS  (Ban on the registration, importation, exportation, 
manufacture, formulation, storage, distributi on, transportation, repacking, repackaging, 
handling, sale, blending and use of technical grade active ingredients and 
 
formulated synthetic pesticides containing the active ingredient alachlor. Executive 
Decree No. 38677-MAG-S-MINAE-MTSS), published in Official Journal La Gaceta  No. 44 of 
4 March 2015 Language(s): Spanish Number of pages: 2 
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2015/SPS/CRI/15_1369_00_S.pdf 
6. Description of content: The purpose of the notified Decree is to prohibit the registration, 
importation, exportation, manufacture, formulation, storage, distribution, transportation, repacking, repackaging, handling, sale, blending and use of technical grade active 
ingredients and formulated synthetic pesticides containing the active ingredient alachlor. 
7. Objective and rationale: [X] food safety, [ ] animal health, [ ] plant protection, 
[X] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.  
8. Is there a relevant international st andard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text)  
[ ] World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention ( e.g. ISPM No. ) 
[X] None   G/SPS/N/CRI/158 
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   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 language (s) in which these are available: 
 Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes 
and their Disposal; 
 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants; 
 Rotterdam Convention. 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 4 March 2015 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 4 March 2015 
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [ ] Six months from date of publication, and/or 
(dd/mm/yy) : 4 March 2015. Natural or legal persons registering, importing, exporting, 
manufacturing, formulating, storing, distribu ting, transporting, repacking, repackaging, 
handling, selling, blending and using technical grade active ingredients and formulated 
synthetic pesticides containing alachlor will have a non-extendable period of six months from the date of publication of this Decree in the Official Journal La Gaceta  to use up their 
stocks in the domestic market. 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Final date for comments: [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : Not applicable. 
Agency or authority designated to hand le comments: [X] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and email address (if 
available) of other body:   
13. Text(s) available from: [X] National Notification Authority, [X] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and email 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 Email: puntocontactoMSF@sfe.go.cr