WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/W/103/Rev.2 
8 December 2006 
 (06-5878) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures  
  
 
 
QUESTIONNAIRE ON THE OPERAT ION OF SPS ENQUIRY POINTS AND 
NATIONAL NOTIFICATION AUTHORITIES 
 
Note by the Secretariat
1 
 
Revision  
  
1. The SPS Committee has periodically held special  meetings on transparency provisions, in 
November 1999 and October 2003.  The next such sp ecial meeting is scheduled for October 2007.  
2. In preparation for these meetings, Members ha ve been requested to provide information 
regarding the operation of their Enquiry Points a nd National Notification Authorities.  Members are 
therefore requested to fill in the attached questionnaire.  Any additi onal information relevant to the 
matter at issue is also welcome.   
3. An electronic version of the questionnaire is available from http://docsonline.wto.org/
. 
Alternatively, an electronic version can be obtained by sending an e-mail to Irma.Bracco@wto.org 
with the words "Enquiry Point Questionnaire" in the subject line. 
4. Please return the completed questionnaire by Monday, 31 January 2007 to Christiane Wolff, 
Agriculture and Commodities Division, World Trad e Organization, Centre William Rappard, Rue de 
Lausanne 154, 1211 Geneva  21;  Fax:  +41 22 739 5760;  E-mail:  christiane.wolff@wto.org. 
_______________ 
 
 
                                                      
1 This document has been prepared  under the Secretariat's own respon sibility and is without prejudice 
to the positions of Members or to their rights or obligations under the WTO. G/SPS/W/103/Rev.2 
Page 2  
 
  QUESTIONNAIRE ON THE OPERATIO N OF SPS ENQUIRY POINTS AND  
NATIONAL NOTIFICATION AUTHORITIES 
 
 
 
1. Contact Details Please confirm that th e information contained in G/SPS/ENQ20
 and 
G/SPS/NNA10  is correct.  Please provide any corrections on a separate piece of paper. 
 
2. Enquiry Point and National  Notification Authority 
Are your SPS Enquiry Point and National Notifi cation Authority two separate agencies?  
  
 Yes [   ]  No [   ] 
 
–  If yes, how do they co-ordinate? 
 
 
 
 
 
3. Staff and equipment – Enquiry Point 
(a) Please indicate how many officials se rve the Enquiry Point and describe their functions.  Is this their 
primary responsibility, or do they have other tasks? 
 
 
 
(b) If the Enquiry Point has computer facilitie s, which of the following are used?  
 Word processor [   ]      
 Database [   ]      
 E-mail  [    ]      
 Internet (www) [   ]     Address: 
 Other  [   ]     Please specify: 
 
4. Staff and equipment – National Notification Authority 
(a) Please indicate how many officials serve the National Notification Authority and describe their 
functions.  Is this their primary responsibility, or do they have other tasks? 
 
 
 
(b) If the National Notification Authority has computer facilities, which of the following are used?  
 Word processor [   ]      
 Database [   ]     Please specify: 
 E-mail  [    ]      
 Internet (www) [   ]     Address:  Other  [   ]     Please specify: 
  G/SPS/W/103/Rev.2 
 Page 3 
 
 
  5. Notifications 
(a) Is the submission of notifications part of a regular procedure for developing national SPS regulations? 
 Yes [   ]  No [   ] 
 
– Please briefly explain th e procedure followed. 
 
 
 
 
(b) Is the length of the comment period provided on your notifications determined by your national 
regulatory procedures?  
 Yes [   ]  No [   ] 
 
– If not, please explain how you determine the length of the comment period.  
 
 
 
 
(c) Item 3 (products covered) of the regular an d emergency SPS notification formats requests 
information on tariff item numbers, i.e. HS codes, and ICS numbers.  To what extent are/would you be able to provide these HS codes on your notifications? 
 [   ] Already providing HS codes on all notifications. 
 [   ] Sometimes providing HS codes on notifications.  [   ] Not currently providing HS codes,  but could easily do so if requested. 
 [   ] Could not easily provide HS codes. 
 
– Please explain your response. 
 
 
 
(d) Would you find it useful if other Members provided HS codes on their notifications? 
 
 
 
 
6. International standards 
(a) Is the Enquiry Point or the National Notification Authority regularly informed of the development or 
adoption of international standards by Codex, OIE and IPPC? 
 Yes, the Enquiry Point [   ] Yes, the Notification Authority [   ] No  [   ] 
 
– If yes, how? (e.g. through the National Plant Protection Organisation (NPPO)) 
 
 
 
 G/SPS/W/103/Rev.2 
Page 4  
 
  (b) Annex B of the SPS Agreement requir es notification of new or changed sanitary and phytosanitary 
regulations that are not based on an international standard.  Do you notify 
 [   ] only those regulations that are not based on an international standard; 
 [   ] all new or changed regulations, whether or not they are based on an  
  international standard; or  [   ] some regulations that are based on an in ternational standard, if they are of particular 
interest to trading partners? 
 
– Why? Please comment. 
 
 
 
(c) Would you prefer that other Members notify 
 [   ] only those regulations that are not based on an international standard; 
 [   ] all new or changed regulations, wh ether or not they are based on an   
  international standard; or 
 [   ] some regulations that are based on an in ternational standard, if they are of particular 
interest to trading partners? 
 
– Why? Please comment. 
 
 
 
(d) The notification format requests information about how proposed measures differ from any relevant 
international standards.  How do you check what intern ational standards are relevant?  How do you determine 
what are the differences between your proposed measure and the international standard? 
– Please explain. 
 
 
 
 
7. Handling requests for full texts of proposed and adopted regulations 
(a) Who handles requests for full texts of proposed regulations (draft regulations)? 
 Enquiry Point [   ] Notification Authority [   ]  Both [   ] 
 
– Comments:  
 
 
(b) Do you have a complete inventory of your country's proposed and adopted sanitary and phytosanitary 
regulations? 
 Yes, at the Enquiry Point [   ]      Yes, at the Notification Authority [   ] No [   ] 
 
– Comments: 
 
 
  G/SPS/W/103/Rev.2 
 Page 5 
 
 
  (c) Do you have copies of the full texts of your country's proposed and adopted sanitary and phytosanitary 
regulations? 
 Yes, at the Enquiry Point [   ]      Yes, at the Notification Authority [   ]  No [   ] 
 
– If not, how do you obtain texts when they ar e requested?  How long does it usually take? 
 
 
 
 
(d) In case your country's language is not one of the WTO's working languages (English, French and 
Spanish), is the Enquiry Point/Notif ication Authority able to provide summaries of the sanitary and 
phytosanitary regulations in one of these languages? 
Yes, the Enquiry Point [   ] Yes, the Notification Au thority [   ] Sometimes [   ]      No  [   ] 
 
– Comments: 
 
 
 
 
8. Handling other requests for information 
(a) Are questions addressed to the Enquiry Point (e.g. about control and inspecti on procedures, quarantine 
treatment, risk assessment, bilateral and multilateral agreements  etc.) answered  directly  by the Enquiry Point? 
 Yes [   ]  No [   ] 
 
– Please give a brief explanation of the procedure followed by the Enquiry Point, or if the Enquiry 
Point does not respond directly, identify the authorities dealing with those questions. 
 
 
 
(b) How long does it normally take to respond to questions?  
 
 
9. Inter-agency communication and co-ordination 
(a) Does the Enquiry Point have regular contact with officials in the relevant ministries/agencies (for 
example agriculture, health and trade ministries, veterinary office, plant protection office, mission in Geneva, 
etc.)? 
 Yes [   ]  No [   ] 
 
– If yes, how often? With whom (at what level)?  What type of information does the Enquiry Point 
provide/receive? 
 
 
 
 
 G/SPS/W/103/Rev.2 
Page 6  
 
  (b) Does the National Notification Authority have regular contact with officials in the relevant 
ministries/agencies (for example agriculture, health and trade ministries, veterinary office, plant protection 
office, mission in Geneva, etc.)? 
 Yes [   ]  No [   ] 
 
– If yes, how often? With whom (at what level)?  What type of information does the National 
Notification Authority  provide/receive? 
 
 
 
 
 
10. SPS documents/Committee meetings 
(a) Does the Enquiry Point receive other Members' SPS notifications? 
 Yes [   ]  No [   ] 
 
– If yes, how (fax, SPS e-mail list, WTO website, etc.)? 
 
 
 
(b) Does the Enquiry Point r eceive the monthly summar y of SPS notifications? 
 Yes [   ]  No [   ] 
 
– If yes, please explain if and for what purposes it is useful. 
 
 
 
(c) Does the Enquiry Point receive copies  of other SPS Committee documents? 
 Yes [   ]  No [   ] 
 
– If yes, how? 
 
 
 
(d) Does the Enquiry Point regularly follow the work of the SPS Committee? 
 Yes, by attending Committee meetings  [   ] Yes, by other means  [   ]  No  [   ] 
 
– Please comment. 
 
 
 
(e) Does the Enquiry Point have regular contact with other WTO Members' Enquiry Points? 
 Yes [   ]  No [   ] 
 
– For what purpose? 
 
 G/SPS/W/103/Rev.2 
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  (f) Do the Enquiry Point and the National Notification Authority have a copy of the WTO Handbook on  
How to Apply the Transparency Pr ovisions of the SPS Agreement? 
 Yes, the Enquiry Point [   ] Yes, the Notification Authority [   ] No  [   ] 
 
– Comments: 
 
 
 
 
11. Other services 
(a) Does the Enquiry Point provide information about other  countries' import requirements to interested 
domestic producers/exporters? 
 Yes [   ]  Yes, when requested [   ]  No [   ] 
 
– If yes, please briefly explain how this is done (e.g., via a newsletter, email alert, established 
contact list, etc.). 
 
 
 
(b) Does the Enquiry Point provide comment s on other Members' SPS notifications? 
 Yes [   ]  No [   ] 
 
– If yes, please explain how these comments are dr afted.  Is there a mechanism for inter-agency 
consultation or for coordination with stakeholders? 
– If no, who is responsible for commenting on other Members' notifications? 
 
 
(c) Does the Enquiry Point provide information about your national  import requirements to interested 
national producers/importers/exporters? 
 Yes [   ]  Yes, when requested [   ]  No [   ] 
 
– If yes, please briefly explain how this is done. 
 
 
 
(d) Does the Enquiry Point provide any other servi ces? (For example servin g as contact point for 
Codex, OIE, IPPC, etc.) 
 Yes [   ]  No [   ] 
 
– If yes, please explain. 
 
 
 
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  12. Technical assistance 
(a) Have you provided technical assistance to Enquiry Points and/or National Notification Authorities 
before? 
 Yes [   ]  No [   ] 
 
– If yes, please briefly describe the activities and the countries involved. 
 
 
 
 
(b) Would you be willing to provide technical assistance to Enquiry Points and/or to National Notification 
Authorities? 
Yes, to least-developed countries [   ] Yes, to  other developing countries [   ] No  [   ]  
 
– If yes, in what form? 
 
 
 
 
(c) Have you identified specific technical assistance needs for your Enquiry Point and/or National 
Notification Authority? 
 Yes [   ]  No [   ] 
 
– If yes, please briefly describe these needs. 
 
 
 
(d) Have you requested technical assistance for your Enquiry Point and/or National Notification 
Authority?  Have you received technical assistance? 
 Requested and received   [   ] Requested, but not received   [   ]  
 Received, but not requested   [   ]  Neither received nor requested   [   ] 
 
– Please briefly describe the technical assistance requested and/or received. 
 
 
 
(e) If you have received or provided technical assistance related to the operation of Enquiry Points or 
National Notification Authorities, what could be done  differently to increase its effectiveness?   
If you have not received or provided technical assi stance related to the operation of Enquiry Points 
or National Notification Authorities, what are your expectations from such assistance? 
 
 
 
  G/SPS/W/103/Rev.2 
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  13. §Special and differential treatment  
(a) Are you aware of the Procedure to Enhance Transpar ency of Special and Differential Treatment in 
Favour of Developing Country Members adopted by the SPS Committee in October 2004 (G/SPS/33)? 
 Yes [   ]  No [   ] 
 
(b) As of November 2006, no notification using the format suggested in document G/SPS/33 had been 
submitted.  Based on your own experience , why do you think that is the case? 
 [   ] Developing country Members are using th e steps in G/SPS/33 to request special and 
differential treatment, but th is is not being notified. 
 [   ] Developing country Members are using ot her channels to request special and differential 
treatment.  
 [   ] Developing country Members are unable to  screen incoming notifi cations quickly enough 
to identify potential problems within the comment period and request special and 
differential treatment. 
 [   ] Other (please specify below). 
 
– Please explain your response. 
 
 
 
 
 
14. Equivalence 
(a) Are you aware of the SPS Committ ee's Decision on Notification of Determination of the Recognition 
of Equivalence (G/SPS/7/Rev.2/Add.1) adopted in June 2002? 
 Yes [   ]  No [   ] 
 
(b) As of November 2006, no notification of determination of the recognition of equivalence had been 
submitted.  Based on your own experience , why do you think that is the case? 
 [   ] Members are applying Article 4 of the SPS Agreement on equivalence and the SPS 
Committee's Decision on the Implementation of  Article 4 (G/SPS/19/ Rev.2), but this is 
not being notified. 
 [   ] Members are using mechanisms other than equivalence to obtain market access.  
 [   ] Members are unable to reach agreement on  the recognition of equivalence in practice. 
 [   ] Other (please specify below). 
 
– Please explain your response. 
 
 
 
 
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  15. Comments/Suggestions 
(a) Do you have any other comments about the operation of an Enquiry Point, or suggestions for those 
who are to operate an Enquiry Point? 
 
 
 
 
 
(b)  you have any other comments about the operation of a National Notification Authority, or suggestions 
for those who are to operate a National Notification Authority? 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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