G/SPS/N/GTM/61  
 
9 February 2016  
(16-0853)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: Spanish  
 
  NOTIFICATION 
1. Notifying Member: GUATEMALA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible: Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganadería y Alimentación , MAGA 
(Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food), Dirección de Sanidad Vegetal  (Directorate 
of Plant Health) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item  number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; IC S numbers should be provided in 
addition, where applicable): Central American Tariff System (SAC), Section on 
vegetable products, Chapter 6: Live trees and other plants; bulbs, roots and the like; cut 
flowers and ornamental foliage; Chapter 7: Edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers; Chapter 8: Edible fruit and nuts; Chapter 9: Coffee, tea, maté and spices; 
Chapter 10: Cereals; Chapter 11: Products of  the milling industry; Chapter 12: Oil seeds 
and oleaginous fruits; and Chapter 14: Vegetable plaiting materials; vegetable products not elsewhere specified or included 
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: Acuerdo Ministerial 491-2015. Acuérdese establecer el 
listado de plagas reglamentadas y disposiciones para determinar requisitos fitosanitarios 
de importación aplicables a envíos de origen vegetal, que se pretendan importar por 
primera vez al territorio nacional  (Ministerial Decision No. 491-2015 establishing the list 
of regulated pests and the provisions govern ing the establishment of the phytosanitary 
import requirements applicable to consignments of products of plant origin imported into 
national territory for the first time)  Language(s): Spanish  Number of pages: 16 
6. Description of content: The notified  Ministerial Decision establishes the updated list of 
the pests not found in Guatemala and of the pe sts present and subject to official control 
in the country. It also sets out the conditions and procedures for requesting the establishment of phytosanitary requirements for first-time imports into Guatemala of 
products of plant origin and the related risk analysis study.  
7. Objective and rationale: [ ] food safety, [ ] animal health, [X] plant 
protection, [ ] protect humans from animal /plant pest or disease, [X] protect 
territory from other damage from pests.  G/SPS/N/GTM/61 
 
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  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)   
[X] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)  
International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) No. 19, Guidelines on 
Lists of Regulated Pests 
[ ] None 
Does this proposed regulation conform to  the relevant international standard?  
[X] 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:  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 4 November 2015 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 3 November 2015 
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [ ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : 13 November 2015 
[ ] 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. There is no comment period given 
that the Decision is already in force. 
Agency or authority designated to hand le comments: [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address 
(if available) of other body:  
13. Text(s) available from: [X] National Notifi cation Authority, [ ] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:   
Dirección de Sanidad Vegetal 
Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganadería y Alimentación 
7 av. 12-90, zona 13 Edificio Anexo a Monja Blanca Guatemala, Guatemala 
Tel.:  (+502) 2413-7385 / (+502) 2413-7318 
E-mail: gortiz@maga.gob.gt  sramos@maga.gob.gt  
Website: http://portal2.maga.gob.gt/unr_normativas/normativas.php  
 http://visar.maga.go b.gt/?page_id=56