. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/L/897/Rev.1 
16 November 2009 
 (09-5685) 
  
  
REPORT (2009) ON THE ACTIV ITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON 
SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES 
 
Revision
 
  
1. The present report is being circulated by the Chairperson of the Committee on Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures on her own responsibility.  This report provides a summary of the activities 
and decisions of the Committee during 1 October 2009. 
2. The Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary  Measures (the "SPS Committee") has held 
three regular meetings in 2009:  25-26  February, 23-24 June, and 28-29 October.
1  A t  t h e  J u n e  
meeting, Ms Miriam Chaves of Argentina was appointed Chairperson for the 2009-2010 period. 
3. The Committee has been undertaking the Third Review of the Operation and Implementation 
of the SPS Agreement at its informal and regula r meetings during 2009.  In accordance with the 
procedures for the Third Review (G/SPS/W/228), and on the basis of information provided by 
Members, the Committee considered a draft re port for adoption at its meeting in October 
(G/SPS/W/237/Rev.1).  The report was not adopted, however, and will be further revised for adoption 
at the meeting in March 2010.  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 
consultations and negotiations to resolve trade probl ems.  At its meeting in October, the Committee 
considered a proposal based on a previous join t proposal from Argentina and the United States 
(G/SPS/W/243), but further revisions were proposed. 
4. Also as agreed in the Second Review, the Comm ittee addressed the issu e of the relationship 
between the SPS Committee and the Codex, OIE and IPPC at a workshop held on 26 October 2009.  
The standard-setting procedures of each organization were reviewed, with a focus on how to enhance 
the participation of developing countries.  Areas fo r future collaboration between the four bodies were 
identified, and the need for more effective coordi nation of positions at the national level was stressed. 
5. In accordance with the transp arency provisions of the SPS Agreement, 812 notifications 
(including addenda, corrigenda, re visions, supplements and agreem ents on equivalence) were 
submitted in the period 1 January to 31 October 2009 , bringing the total number of SPS notifications 
submitted since the entry into force of th e Agreement to 10,667 by November 2009. 
6. 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 STDF held a workshop on the use of economic analysis in SPS-decision making on 30 October 2009.  Various examples of th e use of different kinds of economic analysis 
were presented.  A number of speakers and partic ipants noted how the ability to calculate potential 
benefits could make it easier to secure th e necessary resources to improve SPS capacities. 
                                                     
 
1 The report of the February meeting is contai ned in G/SPS/R/54, that of the June meeting in 
G/SPS/R/55, and that of the October meeting will be circulated shortly in G/SPS/R/56. G/L/897/Rev.1 
Page 2  
 
  7. The issue of special and differential treatme nt was considered at each meeting of the 
Committee.  The Committee adopted, on an ad refe rendum basis, a revision of the procedure to 
enhance the transparency of special and differential treatment.
2 
8. The SPS Committee considered a wide range of  specific trade concerns, including some 
related to individual notifications.  The issues discussed included, inter alia , trade measures imposed 
in response to the Influenza A/H1N1 virus, rest rictions relating to avian influenza and bovine 
spongiform encephalopathy (BSE);  concerns with ma ximum levels of pesticide residues in various 
products;  the EC regulation of novel foods;  and rest rictions related to plant health protection.  To 
date during 2009, 12 new specific trade concerns we re raised, 18 previously raised concerns were 
again discussed, and three were re ported to have been resolved. 
9. The Committee also continued to discuss the ef fects of commercial and private SPS standards 
on trade, and the appropriate role of the SPS Co mmittee.  Members provided examples of specific 
products whose access into certain markets was affected by private standards.  These examples were 
summarized in a report that was considered by th e Committee at its June meeting (G/SPS/GEN/932).  
As agreed by the Committee, the Secretariat also prepared a report describing possible actions, 
identified by Members, that could be taken by the Committee and/or Members to address concerns 
regarding the effects of privat e SPS standards (G/SPS/W/247).  At the October 2009 meeting, the 
Committee decided to further consider the second re port, in light of comments from Members and 
work undertaken by the OIE. 
10. The Eleventh Annual Report on the Procedure to Monitor the Process of International 
Harmonization was adopted by the Co mmittee following its June meeting.3  A number of Members 
raised concerns regarding the potential effects on trade of a draft North American Plant Protection 
Organization standard on Asian Gypsy moth.  Also discussed was the requirement of the Asia Pacific Plant Protection Commission (APPPC) regarding hevea plants and South American leaf blight. 
11. The Committee conducted the transitional revi ew under Paragraph 18 of the Protocol of 
Accession of the People's Republic of China at its Oct ober 2009 meeting.  The report of this review is 
contained in G/SPS/52. 
12. The Committee agreed to invite those organiza tions which had been granted observer status 
on an ad hoc, meeting-by-meeting basis to particip ate in each of its meetings during 2009.  The 
Committee was unable to reach any decision with rega rd to pending requests for observer status from 
the Office International de la Vigne et du Vin (OIV), from the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC), from the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD), and from the Gulf Cooperation Council 
Standardisation Organization (GSO).  A new request for observer status, from the Economic 
Community for West African States (ECOWAS), was examined at the October meeting.  The 
Committee agreed to consider all pend ing requests at it s next meeting. 
13. 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. 
14. The Committee agreed to the follo wing tentative calendar for its regular meetings in 2010:  
17-18 March, 30 June - 1 July and 20-21 October. 
__________  
                                                     
 
2 The procedure is contained in G/SPS/33, and the provisionally adopted revision in 
G/SPS/W/224/Rev.6. 
3 G/SPS/51.