. /.   
 WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/COL/170 
25 May 2009 
 (09-2503) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
 
 
 
NOTIFICATION  
 
1. Notifying Member:  COLOMBIA  
If applicable, name of local government involved: 
2. Agency responsible:  Ministerio de la Protección Social  (Ministry of Social Welfare) 
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):  Chocolate and chocolate products 
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:  Proyecto de Resolución del Ministerio de la Protección 
Social "Por la cual se establece el reglamento técnico sobre los requisitos sanitarios que 
debe cumplir el chocolate y productos de chocolate para c onsumo humano, que se procese, 
envase, transporte, comercialice, expenda, impor te o exporte en el territorio nacional" 
(Draft Ministry of Social Welfare Resolution "Establishing technical regulations on the health requirements to be met by chocolate and chocolate products for human consumption 
which are processed, packaged, transported, mark eted or sold in, imported into or exported 
from Colombian national territory").  Language:  Spanish Number of pages:  12 
6. Description of content:  The notified Resolution covers the following:  Purpose;  Scope;  
Definitions;  Basic hygiene requirements;  Classification;  Raw materials;  General 
requirements for table chocolate, chocol ate and chocolate substitutes for direct 
consumption;  Physico-chemical and microbi ological requirements;  Maximum pesticide 
limits for table chocolate, chocolate and choc olate substitutes;  Prohibitions;  Packaging 
and labelling;  Requirements for the importa tion of chocolate and chocolate products;  
Inspection, monitoring and control, safety me asures, penalties, notification and period of 
validity. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [ X] food safety, [ ] animal health, [ ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or  disease, [ ] protect territory from other 
damage from pests.  G/SPS/N/COL/170 
Page 2  
 
  8. Is there a relevant international stan dard?  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 N°)  
[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:  
9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:  Law No. 09 
of 1979, Law No. 1122 of 2007, Decree No. 3075 of 1997, Resolution No. 5109 of 29 December 2005, notified in document G/SPS/N/COL/102/Add.1, and Resolution No. 2906 of 22 August 2007, notified in  document G/SPS/N/COL/148 (available in 
Spanish). 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  Date on which the Resolution is signed 
Propose date of publication ( dd/mm/yy) :  Date of publication in the Official Journal 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [ ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  Nine (9) months as from the date of publication in the Official Journal 
[X] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Final date for comments:  [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification 
and/or ( dd/mm/yy ):  19 August 2009 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [ X] National Notification 
Authority, [ X] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:  
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. Tel: +(571) 606-7676, Ext. 1690 Fax: +(571) 241-0480 E-mail: drico@mincomercio.gov.co 
Website: http://www.mincomercio.gov.co