. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/N/CRI/124 
12 July 2012 
 (12-3759) 
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 Ganaderí a, Servicio Nacional de Salud 
Animal , SENASA (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, National Animal Health Service)
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):  Canned fishery products 
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:  RTCR 459:2011 Requisitos para el Doble Sello en 
Envases Metálicos para Conservas de Productos Pesqueros  (Costa Rican Technical 
Regulation (RTCR) No. 459:2011:  Double seam requirements for metal containers used 
for canned fishery products) Language(s):   Spanish Number of pages:   10 
Text available at: http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2012/sps/CRI/12_2649_00_s.pdf  
 http://201.204.174.99/senasa/s itio/index.php/subsecciones/view/163  
6. Description of content:  The notified technical regulation seeks to establish double seam 
requirements for metal containers used for canne d fishery products, with a view to ensuring 
that such products are hermetically sealed and thus safe. 
 It applies to processing establishments that can fishery products using double seam 
lids and to manufacturers that supply double seam containers.  
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 stan dard?  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)  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)  G/SPS/N/CRI/124 
Page 2  
 
  [X] None 
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: 
- Decreto Ejecutivo Nº 36463, RTCR 443:20 10 Metrología.  Unidades de Medidas 
Sistema Internacional (SI)  (Executive Decree No. 36463, Costa Rican Technical 
Regulation No. 443:2010:  Metrology.  Intern ational System of Units (SI)), published in 
Official Journal La Gaceta  No. 56 of 21 March 2011 (available in Spanish). 
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) : 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure 
12. Final date for comments:  [X] Sixty days  from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  10 September 2012 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [X] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address 
(if available) of other body:  
13. Texts available from:  [X] National Notification Authority, [X] National Enquiry 
Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail 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 E-mail: puntocontactoMSF@sfe.go.cr