G/L/1336  
 
12 November 2019  
(19-7711) Page: 1/3 
   
 
 
REPORT (201 9) ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON  
SANITARY AND PHYTOSA NITARY MEASURES  
1.1.  The present report is being circulated by the Chairperson of the Committee on Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures on his own responsibility. This report provides a summary of the activities  
of the Committee during 201 9. 
1.2.  The Committee on Sanitary and Phytos anitary Measures (the "SPS Committee") held regular 
meetings on 21-22 March , 18-19 July and 7-8 November 201 9. Ms Noncedo Vutula (South Africa) 
had been elected in July 2018 as Chairperson for 201 8-2019. The SPS Committee elected Mr Daniel 
Arboleda  (Colomb ia) as the new Chairperson for 201 9-2020 in its July meeting . 
1.3.  The Committee pursued work on the Fifth Review of the SPS Agreement,  which was  launched 
in March 2018  and cover s the following topics: appropriate level of protection, risk assessment and 
science; control, inspection and approval procedures; equivalence; plant pest fall armyworm; 
national coordination mechanisms; notification procedures and transparency ; pesticide MRLs ; 
regionalization ; the role of Codex, IPPC and OIE in addressing specific  trade concerns ; and voluntary 
third-party assurance schemes . In 2019, the Committee  considered six new proposals, bringing the 
total number of proposals under the Review to 20.1 The Committee discussed the draft report  of the 
Fifth Review2 in its July  and November meeting s, as well as  at an additional informal  Committee 
meeting in September 2019 , paving the way for concluding the Review in 2020 .3 
1.4.  The Committee also held informal consultations on the work of the SPS Committee. Led by 
Brazil, these consultations touched on several topics , including on a proposed  online platform to 
submit more information about specific trade concern s before they are discussed in the Committee  
(creating synergies with the Secretariat's eAgenda  project, i.e. the  develo pment of an online 
platform to help Members manage specific trade concern s ahead of SPS and TBT Committee 
meetings ), on enhancing communication in the Committee on relevant discussions in other WTO 
bodies, and on using webcasting for thematic sessions.  Brazil submitted a proposal on strengthening 
the consultative function of the SPS Committee, which was discuss ed at the November meeting  and 
will serve as basis for discussion going forward .4 
1.5.  The SPS Committee also continued to organize thematic sessions and workshops on topics 
included in the Fifth Review to exchange experiences and hear from experts. I n March 2019 , it held  
the second part of a thematic session on equivalenc e. The Committee had already discussed the 
relevant international rules and guidance o n equivalence during the first part of this thematic 
session, held in Octo ber 2018. This second part  built on the previous exchanges and  was dedicated 
to Members' experiences in the implementation of equivalence . Presentations covered the 
equivalence of sp ecific SPS measures or groups of SPS measures, systems -based equivalence and 
regional approaches.5 
                                              
1 See an overview of proposals in G/SPS/GEN/1625/Rev.3  (including a recently circulated proposal in 
G/SPS/W/320 ) and a compilation of draft recommendations submitted by Member s in G/SPS/W/318/Rev.1 . 
2 G/SPS/W/313  and G/SPS/W/313/Corr.1 . A subsequent revision of the report, with recomme ndations, 
was issued ( G/SPS/W/313/Rev.1 ) for discussion at the Novem ber meeting.  
3 The proposed process for the Fifth Review ( G/SPS/W/29 6/Rev.1 ), adopted by the SPS Committee in 
March 2018,  foresees the conclusion of the Review in March 2020.  
4 G/SPS/W/319/Rev.1 . See also  WT/GC/W/777/Rev.4 , Draft General Council Decision on  Procedural 
Guidelines for WTO Councils and Committees addressing trade concerns . 
5 G/SPS/R/94 . G/L/1336  
 
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  1.6.  In March 2019 , the Committee  also held a thematic session on fall armyworm , similarly to 
advance work on the Fifth Review . The session was proposed by  Brazil, Kenya, Madagascar, 
Paraguay, Uruguay and the United States , which also funded  a number of  experts for the event.  
The objective was to discuss the role of the SPS Agreement in enabling access to tools and 
technologies, a nd facilitating international trade, using fall armyworm as a case study. The session 
provided information on the nature and impact of the spread of fall armyworm, the challenges for 
smallholders, and the available tools and technologies, including  integra ted pest management, 
surveillance, monitoring,  pesticides and biotechnology.  The first meeting of an open -ended Working 
Group on fall armyworm was also held in March 2019.6 
1.7.  The SPS Committee's annual workshop  in July 2019  focused on transparency and coordi nation, 
thereby  addressing two proposals submitted in the context of the Fifth Review.7 The objective of this 
workshop was to bring together officials responsible for the implementation of the SPS Agreement, 
as well as experts from regional and internation al organizations, to exchange experiences with 
transparency -related coordination, and with broader domestic coordination mechanisms. An area of 
focus was the difference in scope between the SPS and TBT Agreements, and notification of 
measures containing bo th SPS and TBT elements.  It was suggested  that Members should submit 
relevant resources to the Secretariat to be compiled and made available in a single document.  
1.8.  The Committee  held a thematic session on approval procedures in November 2019. Also under 
the Fifth Review, the session aimed to facilitate information exchange  and further work on  concepts 
within Article 8 and Annex C of the Agreement, as they relate to approval procedures in the current 
trading environment, and any related issues concerning the implementation of the Agreement.  
The session  put a special focus on  products that require approval before importation or placing on 
the market, including  approval  procedures for the  use of additives or for the establishment of 
tolerances for contaminants i n food, beverages or feedstuffs. Th e thematic session  built on the  
Committee 's earlier workshop on control, inspection and approval procedures which was held in July 
2018.8 
1.9.  The Committee also considered  in its July 2019 meeting  the Annual Report on the Procedure 
to Monitor the Process of International Harmonization.9 One new issue has been raised under this 
procedure in 201 9, on the state of play of the Codex Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance. 
Members continued to discuss f our issues that had been raised in previous years. Three of these 
issues related to Members' implementation of World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) standards 
on African Swine Fever, High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza, and BSE; one related to Member's  use 
of the Codex standard on glyphosate.  
1.10.  The SPS Committee  consider ed the Annual Overview on Transparency  in its November 
meeting , which include s new graphs on Members ' implementation of the transparency provisions of 
the SPS  Agreement .10 Considering all types of notifications  (including  addenda and corrigenda) , 
a total of 25,102  notifications had been submitted from 1 January 1995  to 15 September 201 9. 
Between 1  January and 15  September 201 9, 789 regular and 69 emergency notifications had been 
circulated. The  share of notifications from developing countries continue d to be high, at about 60% 
of regular and 75% of emergency notifications  in 201 9. As of 15 September, 128 Members out of 
164 (78%) had submitted at least one notification to the  WTO. Of these, 4 6 Members ha d submitted 
SPS notifications online via the SPS NSS. From  1 January to 15 September 2019, approximately 
75% of notifications were submitted via the SPS NSS.  
1.11.  Throughout the year, Members provided the SPS Committee with information regarding their 
status with respect to specific plant pests and animal diseases. This information  that concerns the 
principle of regionalization  is compiled in the Annual Report on the Implementation of A rticle 6, 
which the Committee considered at its July meeting .11 The Secretariat also issued  prior to the 
Committee's November meeting  the Annual Report on the Use of the Procedure to Encourage and 
                                              
6 G/SPS/R/94 . 
7 G/SPS/W/297  and G/SPS/W/300 . 
8 G/SPS/R/91 . 
9 G/SPS/GEN/1710 . 
10 G/SPS/GEN/804/Rev.12 . 
11 G/SPS/GEN/1711 . G/L/1336  
 
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  Facilitate the Resolution of Specific SPS Issues  (to date , never used ).12 At each meeting, Members  
also provided information regarding changes in their SPS policies and situations.  
1.12.  The SPS Commi ttee considered a wide range of specific trade concerns. Members raised 
17 new specific trade concerns  in 2019. These  included,  among others : The EU's policy on pesticides 
and its approach to providing transitional periods for certain MRLs for pesticides ; Korea 's import 
restrictions on poultry due to highly pathogenic avian influenza; Indonesia 's delay in its authorization 
procedures  for beef ; the EU draft maximum limit for 3MCPD  in palm oil ; Japan's restrictions on 
avocado s; and Thailand's appr oval procedures for imports of pork and other animal products . 
1.13.  Many previously raised concerns continued to be discussed during 201 9. Several Members 
intervened on issues such as measures regarding pesticides (including legislation on endocrine 
disruptors)  and veterinary medicinal products (antimicrobial resistance) ; restric tions on animal 
products, many due to animal diseases including avian influenza  (several  different STCs); and 
approval procedures and certification requirements ( severa l different STCs ). Three Members  
provided information on trade concerns that had been fully or partially resolved, allowing the 
Secretariat to update the SP S Information Management System.  Information on specific trade 
concerns is compiled on an annual basis in a report discussed at the March meeting .13 
1.14.  Members, Observer Organizations and the Secretariat provided information on SPS -related 
technical assistance activities at each Committee meeting. The STDF Secretariat also kept the 
Committee informed of the work of the Stan dards and Trade Development Facility.14 
1.15.  The SPS Committee maintained its close working relationship with the Codex, IPPC, and the 
OIE (often referred to as the "Three Sister" organizations) and received regular updates on their 
activities. Other observer or ganizations also provided information on their activities . The Committee  
considered a request for  ad hoc observer status from the United Nations Industrial Organization 
(UNIDO)  at its November meeting , and will return to it at the meeting in March 2020 .15 
1.16.  The SPS Committee tentatively agreed to hold regular meetings on 19-20 March, 24-25 June  
and 4-5 November 20 20. It decided to hold a Thematic Session on Voluntary Third -Party Assurance 
Programmes in March 2020 . The Committee  discuss ed at its November meeting  possible  topics for 
the July 2020 Committee workshop and November  thematic session , and invited Members to p rovide 
written comments and suggestions on these by end -November 2019.  
 
__________  
                                              
12 G/SPS/GEN/1729 . 
13 G/SPS/GEN/204/Rev.19 . 
14 G/SPS/GEN/1683 , G/SPS/GEN/1713  and G/SPS/GEN/1733 . 
15 G/SPS/GEN/121/Add.18 .