. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/AUS/199 
11 July 2006 
 (06-3352) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES 
 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  AUSTRALIA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:        
2. Agency responsible:  Biosecurity Australia (BA)  
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):  Fresh corm taro ( Colocasia esculenta ) for human consumption, particularly 
Colocasia esculenta var. antiquorum . 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  All 
countries exporting taro to Australia.  
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Nil 
6. Description of content:  Nil 
7. Objective and rationale:  [   ] food safety ,  [   ] animal health,  [ X ] plant protection,
[   ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease,  [   ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests       
8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reasons for urgent action:  Imports of fresh corm 
taro Colocasia esculenta var. antiquorum into Australia for human consumption have been 
suspended from all countries pending further i nvestigation. New inform ation indicates that 
this variety has a high capacity to grow even  when topped and free from all foliage including 
petiole bases and should therefore be subject to requirements for pr opagable material. The 
suspension only applies to this variety of taro as the topping requirement for Colocasia 
esculenta var. esculenta substantially reduces the capacity of this variety to propagate.  
Phytosanitary certification requirements for imports of fresh corm taro for human 
consumption have been revised (as outlined below) in order to significantly reduce the 
likelihood that imported fresh corm taro for human consumption can propagate and thereby 
introduce pests and diseases of quarantine concern into Australia.    Under interim arrangements, existing import permits will be revoked and re-issued and 
product in-transit will be pe rmitted under existing permits. 
 
These measures will remain in place pending the outcome of a review of pests and diseases 
associated with the import of fresh corm taro.  G/SPS/N/AUS/199 
Page 2  
 
   Phytosanitary certification requirements for fresh corm taro for human consumption 
Each consignment must be ac companied by a Phytosanitary certificate endorsed with the 
following additional declarations: 
1. The taro in this consignment is Colocasia esculenta var. esculenta  and not Colocasia 
esculenta var. antiquorum.  
2. The tubers have been inspected and are: 
a. topped and free from all foliage including petiole bases, and 
b. free from sprouting suckers and attached daughter corms, and 
c. free from soil. 
(All consignments must be free of live insects, disease symptoms, 
contaminant seeds, soil and other debris prior to arrival in Australia) 
3. "The product is free from Potato Cyst Nematode (PCN) ( Globodera rostochiensis  and 
Globodera pallida ) and potato black wart fungus ( Synchytrium endobioticum )", or "PCN 
(Globodera rostochiensis  and Globodera pallida ) and potato black wart fungus 
(Synchytrium endobioticum ) are not known to occur in the country of origin".
 
9. International standard, guideline or recommendation: 
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission,  [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [ X ] International Plant Protection Convention,  [   ] None 
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:        
10. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Nil 
11. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable):  Immediate 
12. 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:   
Contact:  The Australian SPS Notification Point 
GPO Box 858 Canberra  ACT  2601 Australia Fax:  +61 2 6272 3678 
E-mail:  sps.contact@daff.gov.au
 
13. Texts available from:  [    ] National notification authority, [    ] National enquiry point, 
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: