WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/CRI/84 
25 August 2009 
 (09-4008) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Notifying Member:  COSTA RICA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved: 
2. Agency responsible:  Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería, Servicio Nacional de Salud 
Animal , SENASA (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, National Animal Health 
Service) 
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):  International Classification for St andards (ICS) code 67.180.10 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[X] All trading partners, or 
[ ] Specific regions or countries: 
5. Title of the notified document:  RTCR 423:2009, Reglamento Técnico para la Miel de 
Abeja (Costa Rican Technical Regulation (RTCR) No. 423:2009 on natural honey). 
Language:  Spanish Number of pages:  14 
Text available online at: 
http://www.senasa.go.cr/documentosenconsultaOMC.html  
 Full text of notified document: http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2009/sps/CRI/09_2976_00_s.pdf
  
6. Description of content:  The notified Technical Regulation establishes the characteristics 
of and presentation and marketing requirement s to be met by imported or domestically 
produced natural honey for direct consumption.  The Regulation repeals Official Standard 
of the Ministry of Economy and Trade No. 13991-MEC on natural honey, published in Official Journal La Gaceta  No. 224 of 22 November 1982. 
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.  G/SPS/N/CRI/84 
Page 2  
 
  8. Is there a relevant international stan dard?  If so, identify the standard:  
[X] 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 N°)  
[ ] None Does this proposed regulation conform to  the relevant international standard? 
 [ X] Yes [ ] No 
 If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:  
9. Other relevant documents and langua ge(s) in which these are available:  
• Decreto Ejecutivo (Executive Decree) of the Ministry of the Economy, 
Industry and Trade No. 29660-MEIC, Costa Rican Technical Regulation (RTCR) No. 26:2000, Metrología, Unidades Legales de Medida 
(Metrology, Legal Units of M easurement), CDU 53.081:003.62; 
 
• Executive Decree of the Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Trade 
No. 26012-MEIC, Etiquetado de los Alimentos Preenvasados  (Labelling of 
pre-packaged foods), published in Official Journal No. 91 of 14 May 1997; 
 
• Executive Decree No. 30256-S, Etiquetado Nutricional de los Alimentos 
Preenvasados , (Nutrition labelling of pre-packaged foods), published in 
Official Journal No. 71 of 15 April 2002; 
 
• Executive Decree of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Ministry of the 
Economy, Industry and Trade No. 33371-COMEX-MEIC, Resolution No. 168-2006 (Council of Ministers for Economic Integration (COMIECO XLIX), Central American Technical Regulation (RTCA) 
No. 01.01.11:06, Cantidad de Producto en Preempacados  (Quantity of 
product in pre-packages). 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  Upon publication in the Official Journal La 
Gaceta  
Propose date of publication ( dd/mm/yy) : 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [X] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  Six months after publication in the Official Journal La Gaceta  
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Final date for comments:  [ X] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or ( dd/mm/yy ):  25 October 2009 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [ X] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:   G/SPS/N/CRI/84 
 Page 3 
 
 
  13. Texts available from:  [ X] National Notification Authority, [ X] National Enquiry 
Point.  Address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  
Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería 
Servicio Nacional de Salud Animal (SENASA) Centro de Información y Notificación en  Medidas Sanitarias y Fitosanitarias 
Apartado Postal 70-3006 
Barreal de Heredia, Costa Rica Tel.: +(506) 2260-8300, Ext. 2065 Fax: +(506) 2262-7831 E-mail: notificaciones@protecnet.go.cr