RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/ACC/LAO/13/Rev.2 
5 May 2009 
 
 (09-2174) 
Working Party on the 
Accession of the Lao PDR Original:   English 
 
 
 
ACCESSION OF THE LAO PDR 
 
Action Plan on the Legislative Work an d Implementation of the WTO Agreement  
on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS)  
 
Revision  
   The following submission, dated 9 April 2009, is  being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). 
 
_______________ WT/ACC/LAO/13/Rev.2 
Page 2  
 
   
Issues Actions Implementation 
Timeframe Technical Assistance 
Provided/Sought 
Regulation on Bottled Drinking 
Water, No. 585/MOH, dated 
12 May 2006 Adopted in 2006 Recommendations received 
from FAO and WHO. 
Regulation on Production, 
Exported-Imported Safe Food, No. 
586/MOH, dated 12 May 2006 Adopted in 2006 Recommendations received 
from FAO and WHO. 
National Policy on Food Safety, No. 028/PM dated 3 February 2009 Adopted in 2009 Recommendations received 
from FAO and WHO.  
Technical Assistance (TA) 
requested for publication and training implementing 
officers. 
Regulation on Basic Principles in 
Application of Sanitary and 
Technical Measures in Food Safety 
Management in accordance with the SPS Agreement (formerly 
referred to as Decree on 
Implementation of Food Law) Adopted in 2009 Recommendations received 
from FAO and WHO. 
 
TA to be requested from Trade Development 
Facility (TDF) for 
publication and training implementing officers. 
Regulation on Labelling of 
Pre-Package Food  Adopted in 2009 TA received from WHO on 
drafting. 
Regulation on Food Inspection 
(formerly referred to as Regulation on Food Control System) To be drafted by 
2009 TA to be requested from 
TDF and WHO for drafting the regulation and 
guidelines, training. 
Regulation on Food Additives To be drafted by 
2009 TA to be requested from 
TDF for drafting the regulation. 
Adopting Codex Alimentarius 
Standards for Lao PDR Ongoing TA to be requested for 
selecting necessary 
standards and training. 
Establishment of an independent 
food laboratory 2010 TA to be requested for 
design, training, and 
equipment. 1.  Food Safety 
Improving food processing by 
introducing food hygiene practice, 
GMP Ongoing TA to be requested for 
training and developing 
guidelines. 
Livestock Production and 
Veterinary Law No. 03/NA, dated 25 July 2008 (formerly referred to 
as a Veterinary Law) Adopted in 2008 Recommendations received 
from FAO and EU.  
TA to be requested for 
publication and training implementing officers. 
Law on Fisheries To be submitted 
to National 
Assembly in 
December 2009 TA to be requested for 
publication and training for 
implementing officers. 2.  Animal Health 
Decree on Meat Inspection 
(formerly referred to as Decree on 
inspection of live animals at import and transit) To be drafted by 
2009 TA to be requested from 
TDF for drafting the 
Decree.  WT/ACC/LAO/13/Rev.2 
 Page 3 
 
 
  Issues Actions Implementation 
Timeframe Technical Assistance 
Provided/Sought 
Decree on Animal Epidemic Diseases To be drafted by 
2010 TA to be requested from 
TDF for drafting the 
Decree. 
Decree on Livestock Production 
Management To be drafted by 
2010 TA to be requested from 
TDF for drafting the 
Decree. 
Decree on Animal Quar antine To be drafted by 
2009 TA to be requested from 
TDF for drafting the Decree. 
Establishment of a diagnostic 
laboratory 2010 TA to be requested from 
World Bank and FAO for 
design, training, and equipment. 
Decree on Zoonotic Diseases 
Control To be drafted by 
2009 TA to be requested from 
TDF for drafting the 
Decree.  
Adaptation to animal disease free 
areas 2010 TA to be requested for 
planning and execution. 
Law on Plant Protection and 
Quarantine (formerly referred to as 
Law on Plant Protection and Plant Quarantine) Adopted in 2008 Recommendations received 
from FAO legal experts, 
practices of neighbouring countries. 
 
TA to be requested for publication and training 
implementing officers. 
Regulation on Plant Quarantine to 
be updated To be drafted by 
2011 TA to be requested from 
TDF for drafting the 
update. 
Regulation on Plant Inspection and 
Certification To be drafted by 
2011 TA to be requested from 
TDF for drafting the regulation. 
Establishment of a laboratory on 
plant diseases and pests 2010 TA to be requested from 
TDF for design, training, 
and equipment. 3.  Plant Health 
Adaptation to pest and disease free 
areas 2010 TA to be requested from 
TDF for planning and 
execution. 
Decree on the establishment of SPS 
and TBT enquiry point and notification point To be adopted by 
2010 TA received from EU on 
drafting. 
Establishment of SPS enquiry point 
at the Department of Planning, 
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Operational upon 
accession TA to be requested for 
training and equipment. 4.  Information 
     Procedures 
Establishment of the SPS and TBT 
notification point at the Foreign Trade Policy Department, Ministry 
of Industry and Commerce    
 WT/ACC/LAO/13/Rev.2 
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  Note:  The above transition strategy for the im plementation of Agreement on the Application of 
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures is expected to be achieved by 2012 based on technical assistance 
and national capacity.  Technical assistance on SPS is being elaborat ed under a multi-donor trust fund, the Trade 
Development Facility, under the Integrated Framewor k.  The key components of the project are the 
strengthening of SPS capacity, focussing on:  (i) Strengthening SPS institutional, legal and regulatory framework; (ii) Determining risk-based policies and control measures for SPS; and 
(iii) Strengthening the role of the private sector in the SPS regime.   
  
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