WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/GEN/1153 
28 March 2012 
 (12-1643) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
IPPC IMPLEMENTATION REVIEW AND SUPPORT SYSTEM (IRSS) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures - 27-29 March 2012 
Agenda Item 11 
 
 The following communication, received on 26 March 2012, is circulated at the request of the 
International Plant Protection Convention secretariat (IPPC). 
 
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1. Introduction 
1. This report provides update on the activities of the Implementation Review and Support 
System (IRSS), which covers the monitoring and ev aluation of the implemen tation of International 
Standards of Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) a nd the International Plant Protection Convention 
(IPPC). 
2. The first year of the three-year cycle has been completed.  Fundi ng for the three-year cycle of 
the IRSS was made possible by a total investment of  EUR 1.2 million from the European Union (EU).  
3. The primary objective of the IRSS is to facilitate  and promote the implementation of the IPPC 
and ISPMs.  The advantages of the system include  the ability to monitor, encourage and support the 
harmonised implementation of the IPPC and its ISPM s and to act as a means to identify and address 
emerging and potential implementation problems before they become disputes.  The IRSS utilizes an assistance-based and non-confrontational approach.  
4. The IRSS is a cross-cutting activity in the I PPC secretariat and involves close collaboration 
between the three principal IPPC secretariat units, i.e. Standard Setting, Capacity Development and 
Information Exchange, as well as with the princi pal governance structures of the IPPC (Commission 
on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) Bureau, Standa rd Setting, Dispute Settlement and Capacity 
Development).  A Triennial Review Group has been established comprising of members from the above structures and the IPPC secretariat. 
5. The main achievements of the IRSS programme are described below.  
2. Implementation Support 
6. An IRSS webpage/HelpDesk has been produced on the IPPC international phytosanitary 
portal (IPP):  ( https://www.ippc.int/index.php ?id=1111059&L=0#irssactivities ).  
7. The page showcases the activities of the IRSS, a nd has a link to a Help Desk utility.  The 
main feature of the HelpDesk utility will be th e FAQ section and a Question and Answer Forum.  
Linked to these will be access to a separate phytosan itary resource site that has been created by the 
IPPC that provides a repository of technical r esources (phytosanitary manuals, standard operating G/SPS/GEN/1153 
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  procedures etc.), media, databases (Phytosanitary Pr ojects, Roster of Experts, Donors Table etc.), 
tools (PCE, and E-learning applications), as well as examples of advocacy materials.  Another 
principal feature of the IRSS webpage is a phytosanitar y country profile feature, a page in the fashion 
of a Wikipedia page highlighting phytosanitary and tr ade related data on a country.  This page can be 
updated through the official contact point of each c ontracting party.  Many of the features mentioned 
are not yet fully functional but will be activated during the course of 2012.  
3. Implementation Review 
8. The IRSS supported the Standards Committee on the review of ISPMs 4, 6 and 8 for the 2011 
operational year.  Three surveys were distributed to contracting parties of the IPPC aimed at 
collecting information concerning implementation challenges and recommendations for improving the 
standards.  The responses to the surveys have been  compiled, analyzed and submitted to the Standards 
Committee. 
9. Further work was undertaken to study "Impleme ntation challenges and best practices of ISPM 
6:1997".  The study was done in two stages, the fi rst of which involved the compilation of baseline 
data using a survey (described above).  The sec ond stage of the study was the conduct of a global 
series of IRSS workshops held in five FAO regi ons to discuss the topic.  These workshops were 
organized by the FAO's Regional Plant Production an d Protection officers.  The workshops produced: 
 a discussion on pest surveillance baseline inform ation gathered from the questionnaires and 
served to raise awareness that all contracting parties had similar challenges to implement the ISPM; 
 collection of examples of best practices from a regional perspective for implementation of 
ISPM 6:1997; 
 collection of information and examples on ex isting tools used in the regions to aid 
implementation of ISPM 6:1997; 
 recommendations to improve ISPM 6:1997; 
 recommendations to improve ISPM 4:1995 and ISPM 8:1997. 
10. The reports of the workshops are available on the IRSS activities page on the IPP.  A power 
point summarizing the results of the su rvey on ISPM6 is also available. 
11. A general survey to compile baseline in formation of contracting parties on the 
implementation of the IPPC convention and the 34 sta ndards has been prepared.  It is currently under 
review by the Triennial Review Group, after which it will be released to contracting parties in April 
for their responses.  
12. The IRSS relies on the application of the PCE in a number of countries as a valuable source 
of information to identify country challenges for IPPC  and ISPM implementation.  In this regard, the 
IPPC, with the consent of countries that have a pplied it, will use PCE data to undertake trends 
analysis.  Such data will be useful to develop appropriate indicators for gauging implementation, and 
provide recommendations for improvement of phytosanitary capacity. 
13. A further information source to review country  implementation challenges is the monitoring 
of the activity of official contracting party re porting on the IPP.  The IPP was established to 
consolidate the information generated from cont racting parties on their reporting obligations.  G/SPS/GEN/1153 
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  4. Implementation Review Response 
14. The Implementation Review Response will be a three-year report that sums up the helpdesk, 
review and support activities conducted by the IRSS pr ogramme.  Additional IRSS products that have 
been produced during 2011 that will contribute to the report include: 
 Internet Trade of Plants Study:  The study builds on previous work presented to Technical 
Consultations among RPPOs and other individual initiatives of at least two contracting 
parties.  The study is meant to be completely practical and provides contracting parties with a 
synopsis of the type of trade of plants and pl ant products being channeled through the internet 
and identifies some pathways for pests that a number of contracting parties may not be aware of.  The study focuses on categories of plants a nd plant products that include those traded as 
novelty items, plants for planting, live orga nisms excluding biological control agents and 
plant products.  The report is available on the IRSS page of the IPP. 
 Aquatic Plants - Uses and risks:  This study  was conducted with the objective to provide 
technical information that can be used as a re ference by the IPPC on how it should address the 
issue of aquatic plants, either in whole or in part, in relation to the established mandate of the 
IPPC.  The study includes a preliminary review of organisms classified as aquatic (including 
those classed as invasive) and attempts to iden tify the parameters that determine which ones 
fall under the protection of the IPPC.  It provi des a few recommendations to CPM on how to 
address the issue.  At a minimum the study is expected to better inform the CPM on the range 
of aquatic plants requiring phytosanitary protec tion or action under the mandate of the IPPC.  
In addition contracting parties may find it useful  to delineate the types of aquatic plants under 
their responsibility and to develop appropriate  phytosanitary programmes.  The study is 
available on the IRSS page on the IPP.  
 Equivalence:  The secretariat has engaged CABI to undertake a study on the application of the 
concept of equivalence in the phytosanitary area since there seems to be a misconception 
identified at the level of the WTO SPS Comm ittee where the OIE and CODEX are recognized 
as active applicators of this concept for system s and processes, but not the IPPC.  In the case 
of the IPPC, equivalence is managed at the leve l of application of phytosanitary measures.  
These measures are applied as single measures, combined measures or as a package of 
measures in systems approaches.  Most of th ese measures are negotiated based on agreements 
at bilateral or multi-lateral levels.  The study seeks to provide a clearer picture to the wider 
SPS community of the importance and frequency of the use of this concept and recognition of 
the IPPC's application of the concept.  The re port is expected to be available in the second 
half of 2012. 
 
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