. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/W/252 
5 October 2010 
 
 (10-5055) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
  
 
WORK OF THE COMMITTEE EMANATING FROM THE THIRD REVIEW –  
PROPOSED PRIORITY ISSUES 
 
Communication from Argentina
 
 
 
 The following communication, received on 1 October 2010, is being circulated at the request of the Delegation of Argentina
. 
 
_______________ 
 
 1. In the context of the Third Review of the Operation and Implementation of the 
SPS Agreement
1, the Committee identified a series of recommendations involving specific action to 
be taken on each of the issues addressed.   In addition, at the Committee's 48th regular meeting, the 
Chairperson invited Members to submit proposal s on organizing the Committee's work, identifying 
those recommendations on which there was already ag reement and for which there was a particular 
interest in commencing work.  In response to this pr oposal, it is Argentina's view that priority should 
be given to the following issues2: 
Monitoring the use of international standards (Articles 3.5 and 12.4 ) 
 
2. Bearing in mind the direct relationship between this issue and market access and with a view 
to complying with paragraph 49 of the report on the Third Review of the Operation and Implementation of the SPS Agreement, Argentina cons iders that the Committee should start work as 
soon as possible on revision of the procedure to monitor the use of international standards 
(G/SPS/11/Rev.1) so that it corresponds more clo sely to the provisions in Article 12.4 of the 
SPS Agreement. 
Implementation of the Agreement (Article 13
) 
 3. In order to comply with paragraph 98 of the re port on the Third Review of the Operation and 
Implementation of the SPS Agreement, Argentina considers that the Committee should start work on 
developing guidelines to promote the implementation of Article 13. 
4. As pointed out by Mercosur in document G/SPS/W/245, as some Members have difficulties 
in fully understanding and applying this Article, it is important for the Committee to undertake the 
task of elaborating guidelines to implement the Ar ticle so that its provisions become effectively 
applicable. 
                                                     
 
1 Document G/SPS/53. 
2 The order in which the issues are listed corresponds  to the order in document G/SPS/53 and does not 
imply any particular preference. G/SPS/W/252 
Page 2  
 
  Implementation of the Agreement – Use of ad hoc consultations
 
 5. Argentina considers that, in order to comp ly with paragraph 126 of the report on the 
Third Review of the Operation and Implementation of the SPS Agreement, it is necessary to reach a 
rapid solution to this issue, outstanding from th e Second Review.  This would enable ad hoc 
consultations to take place in order to resolve specific trade concerns. 
Control, inspection and approval pr ocedures (Article 8 and Annex C
) 
 6. As some Members have indicated
3, certain of the provisions in Annex C are ambiguous or 
imprecise.  The absence of guidelines to clarif y or explain these provisions has meant that the 
different criteria followed when implementing Anne x C have led to unjustified restrictions on 
international trade.  Consequently, in order to  comply with the recommendations set out in 
paragraph 146 of the report on the Third Revi ew of the Operation and Implementation of the 
SPS Agreement, Argentina deems it essential for the Committee to study solutions that will facilitate 
the application of Article 8 a nd Annex C of the SPS Agreement. 
7. Specifically and in accordance with Mercosur's comments in document G/SPS/W/244, it is 
proposed that the SPS Committee draft and adopt a decision laying down guidelines on criteria for 
implementing Article 8 and Annex C, in particular with regard to: 
• The expression "undue delay" in paragraph 1(a) of Annex C; 
• the words "reasonable and necessary" in paragraph 1(e) of Annex C; 
• the procedure referred to in paragraph 1(i) of Annex C; 
• the expression "necessary assistance" in paragraph 2 of Annex C; 
• the expression "reasonable inspection"  in paragraph 3 of Annex C. 
8. This would ensure consistency in the crite ria followed by Members when implementing 
control, inspection and approval procedures in rela tion to food safety, animal and plant health. 
 
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3 See the communications from China (G/SPS/W/ 234), India (G/SPS/W/236) and Mercosur 
(G/SPS/W/244).