WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/PAN/52 
18 January 2010  
 (10-0225) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
  
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES 
 
1. Notifying Member:  PANAMA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved: 
2. Agency responsible:  Autoridad Panameña de Seguridad de Alimentos , AUPSA 
(Panamanian Food Safety Authority)  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item num ber(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO;  ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Fresh or chilled potato tubers for consumption (HS Chapter 07, tariff item 
0701.90.00) 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[ ] All trading partners 
[X] Specific regions or countries:  Member States of the European Union 
5. Title of the notified document:  Resolución – AUPSA – CTI – 031-2009 del 24 de 
diciembre de 2009  (Resolution of the Panamanian Food Safety Authority (AUPSA) and 
Institutional Technical Commission (CT I) No. 031-2009 of 24 December 2009) 
Language:  Spanish Number of pages:  2 
6. Description of content: 
(1) A sanitary and phytosanitary restriction measure shall temporarily be applied to 
imports of fresh or chilled potato tubers ( Solanum tuberosum ) originating from 
European countries. 
(2) The national plant protection bodies or competent authorities of the European 
countries shall be requested to send detaile d reports on their phytosanitary status 
and the measures adopted to control the spread of the Dickeya solani bacteria in 
connection with the emergence of the latter, and on the effectiveness of such 
measures.  Furthermore, they shall be required to certify in which areas, places or 
production of sites there has been any outbreak of the bacteria. 
(3) The National Directorate for the Verification of Imported Foods shall be given 
instructions to circulate and enforce this provision. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [ ] food safety, [ ] animal health, [ X] plant protection,
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ X] protect territory from other 
damage from pests. G/SPS/N/PAN/52 
Page 2  
 
  8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action:  (International) 
phytosanitary alert concerning the spread of  a new bacterial disease, identified as potato 
soft rot ( Dickeya solani ), which is threatening potato production in several European 
countries.  
9. Is there a relevant international standa rd?  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 number) ISPM 1 and 
ISPM 11 
[ ] 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: 
10. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:  The following 
Resolutions of the Panamanian Food Safety  Authority and the Directorate for Rules 
Governing the Importation of Food have been temporarily rescinded:  AUPSA – DINAN-389-2007, AUPSA – DINAN-012-2009, AUPSA – DINAN-065-2009, issuing the phytosanitary requirements for fresh or chilled potato tubers originating from the 
Netherlands, Poland and Spain resp ectively (available in Spanish). 
11. Date of entry into force ( dd/mm/yy )/period of application (as applicable):  The 
Resolution will enter into force immediately a nd remain applicable until the national plant 
protection bodies or competent authorities of the European countries submit detailed 
information about their phytosanitary status in  relation to this pest, and the Panamanian 
Food Safety Authority completes its risk analysis. 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure 
12. Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [ X] National Notification 
Authority, [ X] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if 
available) of other body: 
Licenciado Jose Luis Coloma 
Jefe de Cooperación Técnica Institucional 
Plaza Sun Tower, Segundo Piso Avenida Ricardo J. Alfaro Tel: +(507) 522-0000 Fax: +(507) 522-0014 
E-mail: jcoloma@aupsa.gob.pa  G/SPS/N/PAN/52 
 Page 3 
 
 
  13. Texts available from:  [ X] National Notification Authority, [ X] National Enquiry 
Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body: 
1. National Enquiry Point  
Licenciado Jose Luis Coloma 
Jefe de Cooperación Técnica Institucional 
Plaza Sun Tower, Segundo Piso 
Ministerio de Desarrollo Agropecuario Avenida Ricardo J. Alfaro Tel: +(507) 522-0000 Fax: +(507) 522-0014 
E-mail: jcoloma@aupsa.gob.pa 
Website: http://www.mida.gob.pa
 
2. National Notification Authority  
Licenciada Marquelda Isaza 
E-mail: misaza@mici.gob.pa 
Licenciada Ana Mae Jiménez 
E-mail: amjimenez@mici.gob.pa 
Dirección Nacional de Administración de Tratados Comerciales internacionales y de 
Defensa Comercial Ministerio de Comercio e Industrias 
Avenida Ricardo J. Alfaro y Calle El Paical 
Plaza Edison, Segundo piso Tel: +(507) 560 0610 Fax: +(507) 560 0618 PO Box: 0819-05820 Website: http://www.mici.gob.pa