WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/N/COL/225 
19 August 2011 
 (11-4140) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
  
 
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES 
 
1. Notifying Member:  COLOMBIA 
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible:  Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario , ICA (Colombian Agricultural 
Institute) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO;  ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Horses 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[ ] All trading partners [X] Specific regions or countries:  Arizona (United States)  
5. Title of the notified document:  Resolución 3231 del 10 de Agosto de 2011 "Por medio de 
la cual se suspende la importación a Colomb ia de equinos procedentes del Estado de 
Arizona (Estados Unidos) por presencia de Metritis Contagiosa Equina"  (Resolution 
No. 3231 of 10 August 2011 "Suspending the importation into Colombia of horses from the State of Arizona (United States) following out breaks of Contagious Equine Metritis") 
Language(s):  Spanish  Number of pages:  2 
Text available online at: 
http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2011/sps/COL/11_2753_00_s.pdf  
6. Description of content:  Purpose;  Suspension of applications ;  Notification;  and Period of 
validity. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [ ] food safety, [X] animal health, [ ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from other 
damage from pests.  
8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action:  The World Organisation 
for Animal Health (OIE) report of 27 July 2011 notified an outbreak of Contagious Equine 
Metritis in Maricopa in the State of Arizona (United States).  Bearing in mind that 
Contagious Equine Metritis is an exotic di sease in Colombia and that there have been 
previous sanitary requirements for the impor tation of horses from the country concerned, 
the importation of these animals is considered to  pose a serious risk to  Colombia's health 
status.  Article 2 of the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures states that WTO Me mbers have the right to take sanitary and 
phytosanitary measures necessary for the protec tion of human, animal or plant life or 
health.  G/SPS/N/COL/225 
Page 2  
 
  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)  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)  
[X] 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 langua ge(s) in which these are available:   
11. Date of entry into force ( dd/mm/yy )/period of application (as applicable): 
10 August 2011, for a period of six (6) months 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point.   Address, fax number and e-mail address 
(if available) of other body:  
National Enquiry Point 
Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo Dirección de Regulación 
Calle 28 N° 13A - 15, tercer piso 
Tel.: +(57-1) 606-4775 Fax: +(57-1) 606-4777 
or Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario 
Dirección Técnica de Asuntos Internacionales 
Cra 41 No. 17 - 81, piso 4 Bogotá, Colombia Tel.: +(57-1) 332-3700, Ext. 1515 Website: http://www.ica.gov.co   G/SPS/N/COL/225 
 Page 3 
 
 
  13. Texts available from:  [X] National Notification Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  
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.;  Juan Diego Thorrens P. 
Tel.: +(57-1) 606-7676, Ext. 1690, 1392 Fax: +(57-1) 606-4777 E-mail: drico@mincomercio.gov.co  pregulacion2@mincomercio.gov.co 
 Puntocontactotc-msf@mincomercio.gov.co