. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/CRI/55 
20 July 2007  
 (07-3103)  
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 Kidney beans 
(Phaseolus vulgaris L) 
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 403:2007:  Vainica para Consumo en Estado Fresco  (Costa Rican Technical 
Regulation (RTCR) No. 403:2007:  Fresh kidney beans 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 kidney beans 
(Phaseolus vulgaris  L) 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/55 
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 Vainica, Cosecha Invi erno 2005, para Elaborar el Reglamento 
Técnico (Study on kidney beans:  winter 2005 harvest, with a view to the development 
of a technical regulation).  San José, Costa Rica. 13 pages. 
- National Production Council. Estudio de Caracterización de Vainica, Cosecha 
Veranera 2005, para Elaborar el Reglamento Técnico (Study on kidney beans: 
summer 2005 harvest, with a view to the deve lopment of a technical regulation).  San 
José, Costa Rica. 13 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 notification 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