WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/MAR/28 
23 May 2008 
 (08-2404) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   French 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  MOROCCO
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible:  Ministère de l'Agriculture et de la Pêche Maritime – Direction de 
l'Élevage et des Services Vétérinaires  (Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Fisheries – 
Livestock and Veterinary Services Department) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO;  ICS numbers may be provided in addition where 
applicable):  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  
 All countries  
5. Title, number of pages and langua ge(s) of the notified document:  Projet de décret 
portant sur l'institution d'un comité chargé des mesures s anitaires et phytosanitaires  (Draft 
decree establishing a committee on sanitary an d phytosanitary measures) (2 pages) 
6. Description of content: 
The national SPS Committee will be responsible for: 
- Implementing the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on the Application of 
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS); 
- studying the sanitary and phytosanitary measures taken by WTO Members and 
commenting on such measures; 
- helping to draft any proposals that Morocco  intends to make to the WTO Committee on 
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures; 
- circulating, to the members of the nati onal SPS Committee, any notifications received 
or made by WTO Members; 
- providing trading partners with any inform ation relating to the implementation of 
regulations concerning the safety of animal and plant products and animal and plant 
health; 
- proposing studies and research on sanitary and phytosanitary issues which relate to the 
work of the WTO Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures; 
- helping to ensure that sanitary and phyto sanitary measures are taken into account in 
economic and social development pr ogrammes and making any relevant 
recommendations in this respect; 
− participating in the work carried out by tec hnical expert groups in respect of all aspects 
of sanitary and phytosanitary measures; G/SPS/N/MAR/28 
Page 2  
 
  6. Description of content:   (cont'd) 
- coordinating and organizing, in consulta tion with State institutions and bodies 
competent in sanitary and phytosanitary matters, the preparation and implementation of action programmes in these fields; 
- commenting on any regulation or measure ai med at facilitating the introduction of 
international sanitary and phytosan itary measures at national level; 
- encouraging, through its action, the involv ement of national economic operators in the 
implementation of any sanitary and phytosanitary measures taken; 
- helping to raise awareness of all national and international sanitary and phytosanitary 
work; 
- preparing and circulating any guides or manua ls relating to sanitary and phytosanitary 
measures. 
Under this text, the government authority res ponsible for agriculture is designated as the 
"national authority" within the meaning of Article 7 and Annex B, paragraph 10, of the 
World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures. 
As such, it is responsible for the implemen tation of provisions concerning notification 
procedures in accordance with paragraphs 5, 6,  7 and 8 of Annex B of the said Agreement. 
The "enquiry point", within the meaning of Annex B, paragraph 3, of the said Agreement, 
which is responsible for answering questions and providing relevant documents within the 
framework of the implementation of the provisions, will be designated by the government 
authority responsible for agriculture.  
7. Objective and rationale:  [ X ] food safety, [ X ] animal health, [ X ] plant protection, 
[ X ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ X ] 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:  
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Available in French. 
10. Proposed date of adoption:  2008  
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   Following publication in the Official Journal.   G/SPS/N/MAR/28 
 Page 3 
 
 
  12. Final date for comments:  Not specified.  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National notification 
authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:  
Ministère de l'Agriculture et de la Pêche Maritime  
Direction de l'Élevage et des Services Vétérinaires 
Tel.: +(212) 075 37 94 25 Fax: +(212) 37 68 20 49 E-mail: lachabhamid@yahoo.fr 
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National notification authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, 
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: 
Ministère de l'Agriculture et de la Pêche Maritime 
Direction de l'Élevage et des Services Vétérinaires 
Tel.: +(212) 075 37 94 25 Fax: +(212) 37 68 20 49 E-mail: lachabhamid@yahoo.fr