. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/L/943 
11 November 2010 
 (10-6035) 
  
  
 
REPORT (2010) ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON SANITARY  
AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES 
 
 
1. The present report is being circulated by the Chairperson of the Committee on Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures on his own responsibility.  This report provides a summary of the activities 
and decisions of the Committee during 2010. 
2. The Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary  Measures (the "SPS Committee") has held 
three regular meetings in 2010:  17-18 March, 29-30  June, and 20-21 October.  At the June meeting, 
Mr. Flavio S. Damico of Brazil was appointed Chairperson for the 2010-2011 period. 
3. At its March 2010 meeting, th e SPS Committee adopted the report on the Third Review of the 
Operation and Implementation of the SPS Agreement (G/SPS/53).  In addition, as agreed by the Committee in its Second Review (G/SPS/36), the Committee has been considering proposals to 
facilitate the use of ad hoc cons ultations and negotiations to reso lve trade problems.  The Committee 
has been discussing a proposed mech anism specifically for use with regard to the implementation of 
the SPS Agreement (G/SPS/W/243/Rev.3), however a number of Members have indicated their 
preference for awaiting the outcome of negotiations on the "Procedures for the Facilitation of Solution 
to NTBs" under discussion in the Negotiating Group for Non Agricultural Market Access. 
4. In accordance with the transpar ency provisions of the SPS Agreement, 1,197 notifications 
(including addenda, corrigenda, re visions, supplements and agreem ents on equivalence) were 
submitted by Members in the period 1 January to 31 October 2010.  This brings  the total number of 
SPS notifications submitted since the entry into for ce of the Agreement to 12,057 by November 2010.  
5. A workshop on the operation of the transparency  provisions of the SPS Agreement was held 
on 18 and 22 October.  Concrete ways to enhance the implementation of transparency obligations and 
benefit from a transparent system were discussed.  Hands-on training was provided on the SPS IMS and on the new system for online submission of SPS notifications. 
6. The SPS Committee considered a wide range of  specific trade concerns, including some 
related to individual notifications.  During 2010, 16 new specific trade concerns were raised and nine 
previously raised concerns were again discussed.  Tw o concerns were reported to have been resolved 
at the March Committee meeting, while at the October Committee meeting the European Union 
reported that 14 specific trade concerns previously raised by the European Un ion had been resolved. 
7. The Committee also continued to discuss the eff ects of SPS-related private standards on trade, 
and the appropriate role of the SPS Committee.  An ad hoc working group has been charged with 
identifying possible actions that could be ta ken by the Committee and/or Members to address 
concerns regarding the effects of private SPS standards (G/SPS/W/247/Rev.3).  This group is 
expected to submit its report for considerati on by the Committee at its March 2011 meeting. G/L/943 
Page 2  
 
  8. At each of the Committee's meetings, Members,  Observer Organizations and the Secretariat 
provided information on their respective SPS-re lated technical assistance activities, and the 
Secretariat kept the Committee informed of the work of the Standards and Trade Development 
Facility (STDF).  The most recent report on STD F activities is contained in G/SPS/GEN/1046. 
9. The issue of special and differential treatme nt was considered at each meeting of the 
Committee.  The Chairman informed the October meeting of the SPS Committee regarding his report 
to the Working Group on Trade and Transfer of Technology on the Transfer of Technology. 
10. The SPS Committee maintained its  close working relationship with the IPPC, the OIE and 
Codex and received regular updates on their activities.   Other observer organizations also provided 
information on their activities, including technical assistance activities. 
11. The Committee agreed to grant observer status, on an ad hoc, meeting-by-meeting basis, to 
the Agency for International Trade Information and Cooperation (AITIC), to the Community of 
Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD), to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), 
and to the West African Economic and Monetary  Union (UEMOA).  The Committee continued to 
invite organizations which had been granted obser ver status on an ad hoc, meeting-by-meeting basis 
to participate in each of its meetings during 20 10.  The Committee was unable to reach any decision 
with regard to pending requests for observer st atus from the Convention on Biological Diversity 
(CBD), Office International de la Vigne et du Vin (OIV), from the Asian and Pacific Coconut 
Community (APCC), and from the Gulf Cooperati on Council Standardisation Organization (GSO). 
12. The Committee agreed to the follo wing tentative calendar for its regular meetings in 2011:  
30-31 March, 29-30 June  and 19-20 October. 
 
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