. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/NZL/361 
27 November 2006 
 (06-5686) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  NEW ZEALAND
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) 
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):   Marine and freshwater Bivalve Molluscan Shellfish including live, raw, 
ready-to-eat, canned and dried, impor ted under tariff codes: 0307.10.00.02H, 
0307.10.00.11G, 0307.10.00.22B, 0307.10.00.28A, 0307.10.00.31A, 0307.10.00.41J, 0307.10.00.48F, 0307.10.00.49D, 0307.10.00.52D, 0307.10.00.61C, 0307.10.00.72J, 
0307.10.00.78H, 0307.10.00.81H, 0307.10.00.91E, 0307.10.00.98B, 0307.10.00.99L, 
0307.21.00.01H, 0307.21.00.09C, 0307.21.00.19L, 0307.29.00.01D, 0307.29.00.09K, 0307.31.00.02K, 0307.31.00.11J, 0307.31.00.21F, 0307.31.00.31C, 0307.31.00.39J, 0307.39.00.01H, 0307.39.00.09C, 0307.39.00.19L, 0307.39.00.21B, 0307.39.00.29H, 0307.91.00.01C, 0307.91.00.09J, 0307.91.00.19F, 0307.91.00.29C, 0307.91.00.38B, 
0307.91.00.49H, 0307.99.01.01F, 0307.99.01.09A, 0307.99.01.19J, 0307.99.01.29F, 
0307.99.01.39C, 0307.99.11.00C, 0307.99.19.00D, 1605.90.01.00E, 1605.90.09.01D, 1605.90.09.09K, 1605.90.19.01K, 1605.90.19.09E, 1605.90.19.19B, 1605.90.19.29K, 1605.90.19.31A, 1605.90.19.39G, 1605.90.19.41J, 1605.90.19.49D, 1605.90.19.51F, 1605.90.19.59A, 1605.90.19.69J, 1605.90.19.79F, 1605.90.21.00F, 1605.90.29.00G, 1605.90.39.00B.  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  All 
countries exporting the commodities to New Zealand 
5. Title, language and number of p ages of the notified document:  (Draft) Proposal to 
Amend Prescribed Food Standard and Import Requirements for Bivalve Molluscan 
Shellfish.  NZFSA Public Discussion Docume nt No 05/06 dated N ovember 2006 (Available 
in English, 41 pages). 
6. Description of content:  The amendment will add pathogenic viruses as a condition 
requiring monitoring for Bivalve Molluscan Shellfish (BMS) as a prescribed food.  The 
change to the prescribed food name from "Mollu scs" to "Bivalve Molluscan Shellfish" is 
also being made to more accurately reflect the scientific name for the range of foods. 
The amendment will give provision for consi gnments of BMS arriving in New Zealand to 
only be cleared when they are derived from a BMS programme in the exporting country that 
manages the hazards associated with BMS and has been recognised as meeting 
New Zealand's requirements for BMS. G/SPS/N/NZL/361 
Page 2  
 
   This approach is consistent with the interna tional trends and with the purpose and aims of 
the World Trade Organisation (WTO) San itary Phtyosanitary (SPS) Agreement.  
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:   
9. Relevant documents and language(s ) in which these are available:  The New Zealand 
(Prescribed Foods) Food Standards 2002  and the New Zealand Food Act 1981  (both 
available in English) 
10. Proposed date of adoption:  Anticipated mid February 2007 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  Anticipated mid March 2007,  28 days after Gazettal  
12. Final date for comments:  10 January 2007 
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:  Hilary Eade, Programme Manager (Technical Standards – 
Imports) New Zealand Standa rds Group, New Zealand Food Safety Authority, PO Box 2835, 
Wellington, New Zealand.   
Tel:  +64 4 463 2694;  Fax:  +64 4 463 2591;  Email:  hilary.eade@nzfsa.govt.nz  
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notifica tion authority, [   ] National enquiry 
point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  Ms Sally Griffin, Coordinator, SPS New Zeala nd, PO Box 2526, Wellington, New Zealand.  
Tel:  +64 4 474 4140;  Fax:  +64 4 470 2730;  E-mail:  sps@maf.govt.nz Website:  www.maf.govt.nz/biosecurity/s ps/transparency/notif ications/index.htm