. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/EGY/37 
13 August 2009  
 (09-3875) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES 
 
1. Notifying Member:  EGYPT
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:     
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation – Central 
Administration of Plant Quarantine (CAPQ) 
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):  Tomatoes, eggplant plants and plant products for all purposes, and any other 
plants that may be a host of Tuta absoluta  in the future 
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:  Additional Import Phytosanitary Requirements for All 
Varieties of Tomatoes, Eggplant Plants and Plant Products for All Purposes   Language:  
Arabic  Number of pages:  1 
6. Description of content:  Any consignment of tomatoes, eggpl ant plants and plant products 
for all purposes that might be a host of Tuta absoluta  in the future, shall be accompanied by 
a new and valid phytosanitary certificate, st ating the following additional declaration: 
"These plants and/or plant products origin ated from an area recognized as free from Tuta 
absoluta  Povolny (Tomato leaf miner)" 
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.    
8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action:  Tuta absoluta is 
considered as a key pest of  tomato both in the field and under protected conditions.  Both  
yield and fruit quality can be significantly reduced by the direct  feeding of the pest and the 
secondary pathogens which may  then enter through the wounds made by the pest.  Severely  
attacked tomato fruits lose th eir commercial value.  50–100%  losses have been reported on 
tomato .  T. absoluta is potentially a serious pest of tomato in the warmer  parts of Egypt, 
both in the field and in protected  conditions.  T. absoluta has spread from Central  America 
to most of South America, Europe and mo st of south Mediterranean countries where 
significant damage  is reported.  In addition, control may be complicated by the  appearance 
of pest resistance to insecticides.   T. absoluta  does not exist in Egypt.  Therefore, Egypt 
decided to take this emergency action. G/SPS/N/EGY/37 
Page 2  
 
  9. Is there a relevant international standard ?  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)   
[X] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number) ISPM #13 
"Guidelines for the notification of non-compliance and emergency action " 
[ ] 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:    
10. Other relevant documents and langua ge(s) in which these are available:   Download at 
http://www.ippc.int  (available in all FAO languages) 
11. Date of entry into force ( dd/mm/yy )/period of application (as applicable):  
15 August 2009 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
Department of Foreign Agricultural Relations  
Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation 
Nadi El Saïd St., Dokki, Cairo, Egypt Tel:  +(202) 376 281 95 Fax:  +(202) 333 741 95 E-mail:  enq_egy_sps@yahoo.com 
 
Central Department of WTO Ministry of Trade & Industry Extension of Ramsis St. Ministry of Finance Building, Tower 5, 7
th Floor 
Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt 
Tel:  +(202) 3422 47 6 
13. Texts available from:  [X] National Notification Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  
Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:   
Department of Foreign Agricultural Relations  
Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Nadi El Saïd St., Dokki, Cairo, Egypt Tel:  +(202) 376 281 95 
Fax:  +(202) 333 741 95 
E-mail:  enq_egy_sps@yahoo.com