. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/ESP/3 
8 February 2006 
 
 (06-0546) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
  
 
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   SPAIN
 
If applicable, name of local government involved: 
2. Agency responsible:   Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación  (Ministry of 
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) 
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):   Palm plants, excluding fruits and seed s, with a base diameter of more than 
5 centimetres  (HS 0602). 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:    
 All countries and territories  
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Orden APA/94/2006, de 
26 de enero, por la que se modifica la Orden de 12 de marzo de 19 87, por la que se 
establecen para las islas Canarias, las normas fitosanitarias relativas a la importación, 
exportación y tránsito de vegetales y productos vegetales, para prohibir la importación de 
vegetales de especies de palmera s (Palmae) en la Comunidad Autónoma de Canarias  
(Order APA/94/2006 of 26 January amending the Order of 12 March 1987 establishing, for 
the Canary Islands, phytosanitary standard s governing the importation, exportation and 
transit of plants and plant products, prohib iting the importation of plants of the palm 
(Palmae) species into the Autonomous Community of the Canaries).  (2 pages, in Spanish.) 
6. Description of content:  Ban on the importation and transit of palm plants with a base 
diameter of more than 5 centimetres in the Canary Islands. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [   ] food safety, [  ] animal health, [ X ] plant protection, 
[  ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ]  protect territory from other 
damage from pests  
8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action:   The Canary Island date 
palm, Phoenix canariensis  (Hort. ex Cha.), is a species endemic to the Canary Islands and 
is  found in 145 environmentally important protected areas.  It is also present throughout 
the islands as an ornamental plant, and is vul nerable to attack by the red palm weevil,  
Rhynchophorus ferrugineus  (Olivier). 
 Recent interceptions show that the red palm weevil is being spread through trade in 
larger palm trees. Interceptions have been  made in the Canary Islands, the Iberian 
Peninsula, and in other countries. G/SPS/N/ESP/3 
Page 2  
 
  8. Nature of the urgent problem(s)  and reason for urgent action: (cont'd) 
 As a precautionary measure, this Order prohibits the importation of palm plants 
with a base diameter of more than 5 centimetr es, regardless of country of origin, including 
the Iberian Peninsula. This Order complies w ith the stipulations of  Council Directive 
2000/29/EC of 8 May 2000 on protective measures against the intr oduction into the 
Community of organisms harmful to plants or plant products and against their spread 
within the Community (Official Journal No . L 169 of 10 July 2000, p. 0001 – 0112).  
9. International standard, gu ideline or recommendation:  
[  ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [  ]Office International des Epizooties, 
[  ] International Plant Protection Convention, [  ] None  
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:   
10. Relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:     
Order APA/94/2006 of 26 January, Official  Journal (BOE) No. 24 (28 January 2006), 
pages 3563-64). Available in Spanish. 
http://www.boe.es/g/es/bases_datos/doc.php ?coleccion=iberlex&id =2006/01330&txtlen=1
000 
11. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable):   29 January 2006 
12. Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [  ] National notification 
authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, or addr ess, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:  
13. Texts available from:  [  ] National notification authority, [ X ] National enquiry point,  
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: