. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/MEX/209 
4 March 2005 
 
 (05-0932) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  MEXICO
 
If applicable, name of local government involved: 
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT)  
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):  Bees and bee semen  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  Any 
natural or legal person seeking to import bees or bee semen 
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Draft Amendment to 
Mexican Official Standard PROY-NOM-001- ZOO-1994, National Campaign Against Bee 
Varroasis (available in Spanish, 9 pages)  
6. Description of content:  Mexican Official Standard NOM-OO1-ZOO-1994, "National 
Campaign Against Bee Varroasis" is mandatory  throughout the national territory for the 
purpose of diagnosing, preventing and monitoring bee varroasis. 
 In order to increase production and improve  the sanitary condition of products of 
bee-keeping origin, and in view of the fact that, since 1992, national bee-keeping has been 
affected by the presence of varroasis, which woul d jeopardize this activity if left unchecked, 
the Government of Mexico, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food, has decided to issue this draft amendment to the above-
mentioned standard and thereby to establish strict  control over the hive populations affected 
by the Varroa destructor  mite (formerly jacobsoni O. ), so as to enable national bee-keeping 
to develop under the most favourable sanitary conditions. 
 The draft amendment refers in section 12 ("Import") to the requirements applicable 
to anyone seeking to introduce bees or bee se men into the country, such as the need for a 
written application and the provision of official certificates and processing records.  
7. Objective and rationale: [  X ] food safety,  [  X ] animal health,  [    ] plant protection, 
[   ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  X ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests        G/SPS/N/MEX/209 
Page 2  
 
 8. International standard, guideline or recommendation: 
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission,  [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention,  [ X ] None 
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:        
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Diario Oficial de la 
Federación  (Official Journal) of 21 February 2005 (available in Spanish)  
10. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined  
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined  
12. Final date for comments:  22 April 2005  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [  X ] National notification 
authority, [    ] National enquiry point, or add ress, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:        
13. Texts available from:  [  X ] National notification authority, [    ] National enquiry 
point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: 
Website: www.economia.gob.mx/?P=85  (Standards catalogue). 
E-mail:   ci dgn@economia.gob.mx