. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/CRI/56 
20 July 2007  
 (07-3104)  
Committee on Sanitary and  
Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
 
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   REPUBLIC OF COSTA RICA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible:  Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Comercio  (Ministry of the 
Economy, Industry and Trade), Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería  (Ministry of 
Agriculture and Livestock) and Ministerio de Salud  (Ministry of 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):  International Classification for Standards (ICS) code 67.080:   lettuce 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:    
 Trading partners  
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Reglamento Técnico  
RTCR 402:2007: Lechuga para Consumo en Estado Fresco  (Costa Rican Technical 
Regulation (RTCR) No. 402:2007:  Fresh lettuce for consumption) (9 pages, in Spanish). 
6. Description of content:  The notified Technical Regulation establishes the quality, safety, 
packaging and labelling requirements for fresh domestic and imported lettuce ( Lactuca 
sativa ) for human consumption in Costa Rica. 
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. International standard, guideline or recommendation:  
[  ] Codex Alimentarius Commission,  [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE),  [   ] International Plant Protection Convention,  [ X ] None  
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the 
appropriate reference and briefly identify deviations:    G/SPS/N/CRI/56 
Page 2  
 
  9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  The following 
references were used to draft this technical regulation: 
- Costa Rica. 1993. Executive Decree No. 22268-MEIC of the Ministry of the 
Economy, Industry and Trade, published in Official Journal La Gaceta  No. 132 of 
13 July 1993.  Costa Rican Standard (NCR) No. 143:1993:  Metrología. Contenido 
Neto de Preempacados  (Metrology: Net contents of pre-packaged goods) and 
amendments thereto.  San José, Costa Rica, National Printing Press. 
- Costa Rica. 1996.  Executive Decree No. 24907-MEIC of the Ministry of the 
Economy, Industry and Trade, published in Official Journal La Gaceta  No. 25 of 
5 February 1996.  Costa Rican Standard (NCR) No. 230:1995:  Productos 
Hortícolas Frescos.  Muestreo  (Fresh horticultural products.  Sampling).  San José, 
Costa Rica, National Printing Press, p. 4-5. 
- Costa Rica. 1997.  Executive Decree No. 26012-MEIC of the Ministry of the 
Economy, Industry and Trade, published in Official Journal La Gaceta  No. 91 of 
14 May 1997.  Costa Rican Technical Regulation (RTCR) No. 100:1997: 
Etiquetado de los Alimentos Preenvasados  (Labelling of pre-packaged foods) and 
amendments thereto.  San José, Costa Rica, National Printing Press, p. 2-6. 
- Consejo Nacional de Producción , CNP (National Production Council), Estudio de 
Caracterización de lechuga: Cosecha Veranera 2005 para Desarrollo de 
Reglamento Técnico (Lettuce study: summer 2005 harvest, with a view to the 
development of a technical regulation). San José, Costa Rica.  16 pages. 
- National Production Council. Estudio de Caracterización de Lechuga:  Cosecha  
Invierno 2005 para Desarrollo del Reglamento Técnico  (Lettuce study: 
winter 2005 harvest, with a view to the development of a technical regulation). 
San José, Costa Rica.  19 pages. 
10. Proposed date of adoption:  Upon publication in the Official Journal La Gaceta  
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  Three months' validity following publication in the 
Official Journal. 
12. Final date for comments:  60 days as from the date of notification. 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [ X ] National notification 
authority, [   ] National enquiry point or address, fax number and Email address (if 
available) of other body:     
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notifi cation authority, [ X ] National enquiry 
point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  
Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería 
Servicio Fitosanitario del Estado 
Centro de Información y Notificación en  Medidas Sanitarias y Fitosanitarias 
Apartado Postal 70-3006 Barreal de Heredia, Costa Rica Tel.: +(506) 260-8300, Ext. 2065 
Fax: +(506) 262-7831 
E-mail: notificaciones@protecnet.go.cr