G/SPS/N/MAR/35  
24 April 2013  
(13-2152)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: French  
 
  NOTIFICATION 
1. Notifying Member: MOROCCO 
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible: Office National de Sécurité Sanitaire des Produits Alimentaires, 
ONSSA - Ministère de l'Agriculture et de la Pêche Maritime  (National Office for Food Safety 
- Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Fisheries) 
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): Olive oil 
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: Projet de décret réglementant la commercialisation des 
huiles d'olive et des huiles de grignons d'olive  (Draft Decree regulating the marketing 
of olive oils and olive-pomace oils) Language(s): French Number of pages: 5 
6. Description of content: The notified draft regulatory text provides definitions 
of olive oil and the various grades thereof. It states that these oils are required to comply 
with the maximum contaminant levels established in existing Morocco regulations or, failing that, the Codex Alimentarius standards. The text also establishes authorised oil packaging volumes and stipulates that olive oils and olive-pomace oils must comply 
with the physico-chemical and organoleptic characteristics established for each grade 
by order of the Minister of Agriculture. This text also applies to products imported into Morocco. 
7. Objective and rationale: [X] food safety, [ ] animal health, [ ] plant protection, 
[ ] 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:  
[X] 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 number)  
[ ] 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:  G/SPS/N/MAR/35 
- 2 - 
  9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:  
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) : 
[X] Trade facilitating measure 
12. Final date for comments: [X] Sixty da ys from the date of circulation 
of the notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 23 June 2013 
Agency or authority designated to hand le comments: [X] National Notification 
Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address 
(if available) of other body:  
Office National de Sécurité Sa nitaire des Produits Alimentaires  
Division de la Réglementation et de la Normalisation E-mail: ma.sps.enquirypoint@onssa.gov.ma  
13. Texts available from: [ ] National Notifi cation Authority, [X] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:  
Office National de Sécurité Sa nitaire des Produits Alimentaires  
Division de la Réglementation et de la Normalisation E-mail: ma.sps.enquirypoint@onssa.gov.ma