. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/COL/160 
3 October 2008 
 (08-4698) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
  
 
 
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  COLOMBIA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved: 
2. Agency responsible:  Ministerio de la Protección Social – Dirección General de Salud 
Pública (Ministry of Social Welfare – Directorate-General of Public Health)  
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):  Milk, milk products and other milk-based products  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
 People's Republic of China, including via third parties  
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Resolución N° 003675 
del 26 de Septiembre de 2008 del Ministerio de la Protección Social "Por la cual se dicta 
una medida de emergencia que prohíbe la im portación de leche, productos lácteos y de 
otros productos, cuya composición sea a base de  leche, producidos en la República Popular 
China contaminados con melamina"  (Resolution No. 003675 of 26 September 2008 of the 
Ministry of Social Welfare "Establishing an  emergency measure prohibiting the importation 
of milk, milk products and other milk-based products produced in the People's Republic of 
China and contaminated with melamine") (2 pages, in Spanish).  
6. Description of content:  Ban on the importation into Colombia of milk, milk products and 
other milk-based products; ex officio review of sanitary registration certificates issued; and 
increased inspection, monitoring, control and notification activities.  
7. Objective and rationale:  [  X ] food safety,  [    ] animal health,  [    ] plant protection,
[ X ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease,  [    ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests   
8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reasons for urgent action:  The European Food 
Safety Authority issued a warning concerning the risk of poisoning to children in the 
European Union from the consumption of m ilk and milk products contaminated with 
melamine and of products such as sweets and biscuits which contain milk residues 
contaminated with melamine from the People's Republic of China.  G/SPS/N/COL/160 
Page 2  
 
  9. International standard, guideline or recommendation: 
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission,  [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention,  [   ] None If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:  
 The Food and Agriculture Organization of  the United Nations (FAO) and the World 
Health Organization (WHO) have  urged all countries to strengthen their food safety systems 
and to adopt much more stringent measures to monitor food production and trade.  
10. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Law No. 09 of 1979 
(available in Spanish).  
11. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable):  Upon publication in the 
Official Journal. 
12. Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [ X ] National notification 
authority,  [ X ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: 
Enquiry Point
 
Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo Dirección de Regulación Calle 28 N° 13A – 15, tercer piso Tel.: +(571) 606-7676, Ext. 31690 Fax: +(571) 241-0480 
or 
Ministerio de la Protección Social
 
Dirección General de Salud Pública Grupo de Salud Ambiental Carrera 13 No. 32 – 76 
Bogotá, D.C., Colombia 
Tel.: +(571) 330-5000, Exts. 1440 to 1445 Fax:  +(571) 330-5050  E-mail:  bolarte@minproteccionsocial.gov.co Web site: http://www.minproteccionsocial.gov.co  
13. Texts available from:  [  X ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry 
point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  
Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo 
Dirección de Regulación Calle 28 N° 13A - 15, tercer piso  Bogotá, D.C., Colombia  Enquiry Point
: 
Contact person: Daniel Héctor Rico R. 
Tel.: (+571) 606-7676, Ext. 31690 Fax: (+571) 241-0480 E-mail:  drico@mincomercio.gov.co
 
Web site: http://www.mincomercio.gov.co