. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/HKG/31 
12 January 2009  
 (09-0087) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
 
 
 
NOTIFICATION  
 
1. Notifying Member:  HONG KONG, CHINA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible:  Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department 
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):  Living modified organisms 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[ X ] All trading partners, or [   ] Specific regions or countries:    
5. Title of the notified document:  Consultation Document:  Proposed Legislation for the 
Implementation of the Biosafety Protocol  Language:  Chinese and English  Number of 
pages:  40   
6. Description of content:  Hong Kong, China is consultin g the public on the detailed 
proposal of a new legislation for the impl ementation of the Cartagena Protocol on 
Biosafety in Hong Kong, China.  The main objective of the proposal is to provide a legislative framework to regulate the release of  living modified organisms (LMOs) into the 
environment.  It would enable Hong Kong, Chin a to fulfil the requirements of the Protocol, 
and contribute to ensuring an adequate leve l of protection against the potential adverse 
effects of LMOs on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [   ] food safety, [ X ] animal health, [ X ] plant protection, 
[   ] protect humans from animal/plant pest  or disease, [ X ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.  Protection of the environment 
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)     
[ X ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM N°)    
 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity  
[   ] None G/SPS/N/HKG/31 
Page 2  
 
  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:    
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Consultation 
Paper: Proposed Legislation for the Implementa tion of the Biosafety Protocol (Chinese and 
English) 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  Not yet confirmed. 
Propose date of publication ( dd/mm/yy) :  Not yet confirmed. 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [   ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  Not yet confirmed. 
[   ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Final date for comments: [   ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or ( dd/mm/yy ):  31 January 2009 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National Notification 
Authority, [   ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:    
 Biodiversity Conservation Division 
 Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department 
 6/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices 
 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road  Hong Kong  Fax: +(852) 2314 2802  E-mail: biosafety@afcd.gov.hk 
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National Notification Authority, [   ] National Enquiry 
Point.  Address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:    
http://www.afcd.gov.hk/english/whatsnew/what_con/what_con.html