G/SPS/N/MAR/49  
3 March  2017 
(17-1280) 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  
(National Office for Food Safety)  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item  number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO ; ICS numbers should be provided in addition 
where applicable) : Dates 
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 n°2 -16-759 relatif à la qualité et la 
sécurité sanitaire des dattes et pâtes de dattes commercialisées  (Draft Decree No. 2-16-
759 on the quality and safety of marketed dates  and date paste ) Language(s) : French 
Number of pages : 5 
6. Description of content : The main objectives of this decree are as follows:  
 to define dates;  
 to define date paste;  
 to establish the characteristics of marketed dates, with uniformity and quality 
tolerances constituting key criteria to be taken into account for the classification of this 
product ; 
 to establish the characteristics of marketed date paste;  
 to specify the information that is to appear on labels attached to  marketed dates and 
date paste;  
 to establish requirements for ensuring the safety and quality of marketed dates and 
date paste, most notably the sanitary authorization  obligation falling  to establishments 
and companies that treat, process, package, pack, transport, distribute, store and 
conserve these products, and the requirement  whereby  product packaging must meet  
the specifications and requirements established in existing regulations.  
7. Objective and rationale : [X] food safety, [ ] animal health, [ ] plant protection, [ ] 
protect hum ans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.  
8. Is there a relevant international standard ? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or serial number of Codex 
standard or re lated text) : 
[ ] World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. T errestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) : 
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. I SPM number) : G/SPS/N/MAR/49  
- 2 - 
  [X] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant i nternational standard?  
[ ] Yes [ ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:  
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 1 June 2 017 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 1 June 2 018 
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 days from the date of circulat ion of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 2 May 2 017 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments : [X] National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point . Address, fax number and email address (if 
available) of other body:  
Office National de  Sécurité Sanitaire des Produits Alimentaires  
Direction de l'Évaluation des Risques et des Affaires Juridiques  
Avenue Hadj Ahmed Cherkaoui  
Agdal Rabat  
Tel.: (+212) 53 767 6510/11  
Mobile : (+212) 67 399 7803  
Fax: (+212) 53 768 2049  
13. Text(s) available fro m: [X] National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point . Address, fax number and email address (if available) of other body:  
Office National de Sécurité Sanitaire des Produits Alimentaires  
Direction de l'Évaluation des Risques et des Affaires Ju ridiques  
Avenue Hadj Ahmed Cherkaoui  
Agdal Rabat  
Tel.: (+212) 53 767 6510/11  
Mobile : (+212) 67 399 7803  
Fax: (+212) 53 768 2049