Resolution No 979/2008  
HAVING REGARD TO Laws Nos 23.737, 26.045 and 24.072;  Decree No 1095/96 
and its amending act No 1161/00;  Decree No 1339/96;  A.N.M.A.T. Order No 5260/08;  the 
minutes of the Interministerial Committee on Decree No 1168/96, and  
WHEREAS:  
Article 44 of Law No 23.737 states that "...firms or trading companies that produce, 
manufacture, prepare, export or import authorised substances or chemicals which, because of their 
characteristics or components, may be illegally diverted towards use as a  base for or as an 
ingredient in the manufacture of narcotic drugs, must be entered in a special register that will 
operate in the jurisdiction defined by the National Executive and that must be kept updated through 
regular inspections of the bodies regist ered. This register must record the annual production, sales, 
geographical destination and use, as well as all information necessary for the performance of proper 
controls during both the productive process and the placing on the market of the substances o r 
products, and their later use ...” 
Whereas, along the same lines, Article 11 of Law No 26.045 states that the Secretariat 
of Planning for the Prevention of Drug Addiction and the Fight against Trafficking will be 
empowered to hand down the regulatory text s and adopt the measures necessary to ensure the 
most effective control over the area under its responsibility . 
Whereas Article 4 of Law 26.045 states that "...The acts referred to in Article 44 of 
Law No 23.737 may only be performed by those with the prio r and express authorisation of the 
National Register, which will grant the said authorisation once it has approved the addition or 
renewal of the entry… ". 
Whereas Article 6 of the said regulation authorises “the implementing authority to take 
all action ne cessary to verify compliance with the requirement to be entered in the National Register 
referred to in Article 1, the veracity of the information provided and, in general, compliance with all 
other obligations in accordance with this law and its regulator y provisions…" . 
Whereas Article 7(5) of the said law states, "Those entered in the National Register 
must be officially inspected as provided for in this law and provide the information and present the 
documentation requested of them by the designated comp troller for the purposes of checks . Without 
prejudice to the requirement to undergo these checks, and compliance with the duties and obligations 
arising out of this Law, Law No 23.737 and any other regulatory provision, the following special 
requirements m ust be met:  ... 5.- Applying to the implementing authority, ensuring compliance 
with any precautions it may lay down , for prior import and export authorisation ". 
Whereas Article 14 of Decree No 1095/96 states that “anyone importing/exporting 
chemicals incl uded in list I of Annex I will have to submit an official request in writing to the 
Secretariat for prior import/export authorisation, at least 15 working days before submitting the 
corresponding customs documentation…”  
Whereas, similarly, Article 16 of th e abovementioned Decree states that the 
“Secretariat will adopt the measures necessary to check the legitimate destination of the substances 
on List I in Annex I, when these are imports ...". 
Whereas Article 34 of the same Decree empowers “the SECRETARIAT t o hand 
down any explanatory, interpretative and complementary regulations that will enable better 
compliance with this instrument ...". Whereas Law No 24.072 transposes into our legislation the 1988 Vienna Convention, 
of which Article 12 states that “The Pa rties shall take the measures they deem appropriate to 
prevent diversion of substances in Table I and Table II used for the purpose of illicit manufacture 
of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances, and shall co -operate with one another to this end ". 
Whereas in accordance with the foregoing and with the undertakings taken on by our 
country as a participant in PROJECT PRISM, implemented by the INTERNATIONAL 
NARCOTICS CONTROL BOARD (INCB) , a rise in external trade in the following chemicals has 
been observe d in the Argentine Republic : 3,4-METHYLENEDIOXY -PHENYL -2-PROPANONE , 
1-PHENYL -2-PROPANONE, EPHEDRINE, ITS SALTS, OPTICAL ISOMERS AND SALTS 
OF ITS OPTICAL ISOMERS, PSEUDOEPHEDRINE, ITS SALTS, OPTICAL ISOMERS AND 
SALTS OF ITS OPTICAL ISOMERS . 
Whereas these su bstances are controlled together with 
PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE, ITS SALTS, OPTICAL ISOMERS AND SALTS OF ITS 
OPTICAL ISOMERS , ERGOTAMINE, ERGOMETRINE, LYSERGIC ACID and RYE ERGOT, 
as they are included in list I of Decree No 1095/96 as amended by No 1161/00.  
Wher eas all of the substances described in the two previous paragraphs are used on 
the licit medicines market for the manufacture of medicines, pharmaceutical preparations and 
laboratory use, but can also be diverted to the illicit market for the manufacture o f narcotic drugs.  
Whereas it has consequently become necessary to adopt more exhaustive control 
measures for both internal and external trade in the mentioned substances, to be coordinated with 
those adopted by other State bodies with competence for this m atter. 
Whereas, in this connection, the National Medicines, Food and Medical Technology 
Administration (ANMAT), part of the National Ministry of Health, through ANMAT Order No 
5260/08, has stepped up controls for the manufacture, preparation, distribution,  import, export and/or 
storage under the national jurisdiction or for the purposes of inter -jurisdictional trade of the said 
active pharmaceutical ingredients, including 3,4-METHYLENEDIOXY -PHENYL -2-
PROPANONE, 1 -PHENYL -2-PROPANONE, EPHEDRINE, ITS SALTS, OPT ICAL ISOMERS 
AND SALTS OF ITS OPTICAL ISOMERS, PSEUDOEPHEDRINE, ITS SALTS, OPTICAL 
ISOMERS AND SALTS OF ITS OPTICAL ISOMERS,  PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE, ITS 
SALTS, OPTICAL ISOMERS AND SALTS OF ITS OPTICAL ISOMERS, ERGOTAMINE, 
ERGOMETRINE, LYSERGIC ACID and RYE ER GOT.  
Whereas the interministerial meetings held in accordance with Decree No 1168/96 
between this Secretary of State, the National Judiciary Authority, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 
International Trade and Worship, the National Ministry of Health  —ANMA T—, the National 
Ministry of the Economy and Production — SENASA — and the Federal Administration of Public 
Revenue — Directorate -General of Customs —, on 19 February 2007, 15 May 2007, 20 June 2007, 
16 August 2007, 6 November 2007, 13 November 2007 and 24 July 2008 gave rise to the need for 
concerted action by the various bodies to monitor trade in the said substances in order to achieve 
complete, coordinated and effective control . 
Whereas during the last meeting mentioned in the paragraph above a draft of this 
Resolution was produced with the support of the members present . 
Whereas, in the light of the foregoing, it is necessary for the National Register of 
Chemical Precursors to follow a coordinated procedure with the other State bodies in order to 
optimis e controls on internal and external trade in the following chemicals : LYSERGIC ACID, RYE 
ERGOT, 3,4 -METHYLENEDIOXY -PHENYL -2-PROPANONE , 1-PHENYL -2-PROPANONE, 
EPHEDRINE, ITS SALTS, OPTICAL ISOMERS AND SALTS OF ITS OPTICAL ISOMERS, 
PSEUDOEPHEDRINE, ITS SALTS,  OPTICAL ISOMERS AND SALTS OF ITS OPTICAL 
ISOMERS, ERGOTAMINE, ITS SALTS, ERGOMETRINE (ERGONOVINE), ITS SALTS, PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE, ITS SALTS, OPTICAL ISOMERS AND SALTS OF ITS 
OPTICAL ISOMERS . 
Whereas the DIRECTORATE FOR LEGAL AFFAIRS has taken due action.  
Whereas this measure is issued by virtue of the powers conferred by Law No 26.045 
and Decrees Nos 1256/07 and 18/07.  
Therefore,  
THE NATIONAL PRESIDENCY SECRETARIAT OF PLANNING FOR THE PREVENTION 
OF DRUG ADDICTION AND THE FIGHT AGAINST DRUG TRAFFICKING  
RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:  
Article I.  – The subcategory of INGREDIENTES FARMACEUTICOS ACTIVOS   (IFA, active 
pharmaceutical ingredients) is hereby created within the National Register of Chemical 
Precursors, in which all operators working with the following substan ces must be entered: 
LYSERGIC ACID, RYE ERGOT, 3,4 -METHYLENEDIOXY -PHENYL -2-PROPANONE , 1-
PHENYL -2-PROPANONE, EPHEDRINE, ITS SALTS, OPTICAL ISOMERS AND SALTS OF 
ITS OPTICAL ISOMERS, PSEUDOEPHEDRINE, ITS SALTS, OPTICAL ISOMERS AND 
SALTS OF ITS OPTICAL ISOMERS , ERGOTAMINE, ITS SALTS, ERGOMETRINE 
(ERGONOVINE), ITS SALTS, PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE, ITS SALTS, OPTICAL 
ISOMERS AND SALTS OF ITS OPTICAL ISOMERS . 
Article 2 — All natural or legal persons working in any of the ways defined in Article 8 of Law 
No 26.045 may on ly perform operations of internal or external trade in the substances listed in 
Article 1 of this Resolution once they have received, from the National Register of Chemical 
Precursors, certification of the relevant entry in Subcategory IFA. 
Article 3 — For the purposes of obtaining the Certificate of Registration in Subcategory IFA from  
the National Register of Chemical Precursors , parties working with the substances included in 
Article 1 of this Resolution must submit the corresponding authorisations, qual ifications and 
certifications referred to in ANMAT Order No 5260/08 to the National Register of Chemical 
Precursors . 
Article 4 — Operators working with the substances included in Article 1 of this Resolution that are 
not under the jurisdiction and direct s upervision of ANMAT, must submit to the National Register 
of Chemical Precursors all of the documentary requirements laid down in ANMAT Order No 
5260/08.  
Article 5 — Laboratories licensed to manufacture medicines containing the substances LYSERGIC 
ACID, RY E ERGOT, 3,4 -METHYLENEDIOXY -PHENYL -2-PROPANONE, 1 -PHENYL -2-
PROPANONE, EPHEDRINE, ITS SALTS, OPTICAL ISOMERS AND SALTS OF ITS 
OPTICAL ISOMERS, PSEUDOEPHEDRINE, ITS SALTS, OPTICAL ISOMERS AND SALTS 
OF ITS OPTICAL ISOMERS, ERGOTAMINE, ITS SALTS, ERGOMETRINE ( ERGONOVINE), 
ITS SALTS, PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE, ITS SALTS, OPTICAL ISOMERS AND SALTS OF 
ITS OPTICAL ISOMERS , will be the only ones authorised to apply for the corresponding import 
certificate for the said substances from the NATIONAL PRESIDENCY SECRETARIAT OF  
PLANNING FOR THE PREVENTION OF DRUG ADDICTION AND THE FIGHT AGAINST 
DRUG TRAFFICKING , and this may only be granted following performance of the checks 
referred to in Law No 26.045 and Decree No 1095/96 amended by No 1161/00,  once prior import 
authorisatio n has been obtained, whether as a raw material and/or laboratory reagent, from the Department of Psychotropic Substances and Narcotic Drugs of the National Medicines Institute of 
the National Medicines, Food and Medical Technology Administration (ANMAT), a nd after the 
duly certified copy of the valid medicinal preparation certificate issued by the cited National 
Administration has been submitted to the National Register of Chemical Precursors . 
Article 6 — In order to obtain the Certificate of Registration b y the  National Register of Chemical 
Precursors  in Subcategory IFA, or to apply to import the substances listed in Article 1 of this 
Resolution, operators must also inform the National Register of Chemical Precursors, in a sworn 
statement, of the destinati on of the substance, the list of clients with whom it will be traded, the stock 
of the substance in question and the address at which it is being stored, and all of the reports referred 
to in Article 7(1) of Law No 26.045 must be submitted as and when requ ired by law.  
Art. 7  — An exemption from the requirement to present the duly certified copy of the valid 
certificate for the medicinal preparation, issued by the National Medicines, Food and Medical 
Technology Administration (ANMAT) in accordance with Artic le 5 of this Resolution, is made for 
parties importing the substances listed in Article 1 of this Resolution in quantities strictly intended 
for the performance of analyses and medical and scientific research, including those that take place 
under the supe rvision and scrutiny of the implementing authority, and are able to properly 
demonstrate these circumstances . 
Article 8 — Parties with stock of the substances included in Article 1 of this Resolution may only 
sell them to laboratories licensed to manufactu re currently registered medicines that include them in 
their composition and that are duly accredited. The National Register of Chemical Precursors must 
be informed beforehand of all of the operations that will be carried out.  
Article 9.  – The highest auth ority in the National Register of Chemical Precursors is hereby 
empowered to authorise and reject applications for external trade in the substances  LYSERGIC 
ACID, RYE ERGOT, 3,4 -METHYLENEDIOXY -PHENYL -2-PROPANONE , -2-PHENYL -2-
PROPANONE, EPHEDRINE, ITS SALT S, OPTICAL ISOMERS AND SALTS OF ITS 
OPTICAL ISOMERS, PSEUDOEPHEDRINE, ITS SALTS, OPTICAL ISOMERS AND SALTS 
OF ITS OPTICAL ISOMERS, ERGOTAMINE, ITS SALTS, ERGOMETRINE 
(ERGONOVINE), ITS SALTS, PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE, ITS SALTS, OPTICAL 
ISOMERS AND SALTS OF ITS OPTICAL ISOMERS . 
Art. 10.  — To be recorded, communicated, published, given to the National Directorate for the 
Official Register and archived . — Jose R. Granero.