WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/676 
31 March 2006 
 (06-1484) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SPS AGREEMENT 
 
Information for the Workshop on 31 March 2006
 
 
Communication from Bangladesh  
  
 The following communication, received on 30 Marc h 2006, is being circulated at the request 
of the Delegation of Bangladesh. 
 
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  1. In preparation for the Workshop on the Implem entation of the SPS Agreement, participants 
were invited to provide information relating to th eir experiences in relation to the issues to be 
discussed. 
Question 1:  How regularly do representatives of  your country participate in meetings of the 
SPS Committee?  
 2. Representatives from Bangladesh regularly participate in SPS meeting. 
Question 2:  Who usually participates from your country (Capital-based experts or, Geneva-
based trade representative)?  
 
3. Usually officials from Ministry of Commerce (M OC) or official from the Permanent Mission 
of Bangladesh in Geneva participate in the meeting.  
4. Bilateral and multilateral issues relating to trad e are directly co-coordinated by MOC and SPS 
issues are being implemented by diffe rent development Ministries, such as the Ministry of Fisheries 
and Livestock (MOFL), Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), Ministry of Environment and Forest (MOEF), Ministry of Industry (MOI), etc.  De pending on the issues, representative from different 
Ministries can participate in the meeting.  Sin ce shrimp is the second largest export products of 
Bangladesh and sanitary issues are directly rela ted to MOFL, officials from MOFL have been 
nominated by MOC to participate in this meeting. 
Question 3:  What information do you receive regarding meetings of the SPS Committee and 
how do you receive this information?  
 
5. MOC receives information through the mission in Geneva regarding meetings of the SPS 
Committee.  Other Ministries relating to SPS issues receive the information from MOC.  Besides, 
information is received through local seminars a nd meetings organized by different Ministries and 
organization, by email, the WTO webs ite, publications and newsletters, etc. G/SPS/GEN/676 
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  Question 4:  Does your country have a SPS national committee? 
 
 
6. There is a "National Advisory Committee" sin ce 2002, in relation with WTO issues, headed 
by the Minister for Commerce.  The Secretary of MOC, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, MOFL, MOA, 
MOEF and MOI, Chairman of National Board of  Revenue and Bangladesh Tariff Commission, Vice-
Chairman of the Export Promotion Bureau, and al l stakeholders (who are directly related to SPS 
issues) from different Ministries are the members of this committee.  The Director General of the 
WTO Cell, MOC, is the Member-Secretary of this committee. 
7. To assist the "National Advisory Committee", there are five "Working Groups" working on 
WTO agreements and rules.  There is an Action Pl an and Strategy and all working groups are working 
with this Action Plan and Strategy.  "Working Group -3" is directly working with the SPS Agreement, 
Agreement on Agriculture and TRIPS (Agriculture re lated) and headed by the Joint Secretary of 
MOA. 
Question 5:  How do your exporters find out about your trading partners new SPS 
requirements?  
 
8. The exporters learn about the trading partne r's new SPS requirements through MOC and other 
relevant Ministries mentioned earlier.  Through internet  or participating in local seminars and training 
programs, the exporters also find out about requireme nts.  Moreover, exporters are always aware of 
their trading partner's requirements through internet or direct correspondence. 
Question 6:  What national mechanisms can be created to ensure that stakeholders in your 
country are informed in a timely manner of new SPS requirements, so that the SPS 
requirements of the trading partners can be eval uated and so that the relevant stakeholders can 
be taken into account when responding to SPS notifications?  
 
9. Implementing Agencies under MOFL (Departm ent of Fisheries and Department of 
Livestock), MOA, MOEF and MOI are responsible for ensuring the implementation of SPS measures 
in the field of agriculture sector s and agriculture sub-sectors (fisheries and livestock);  plant and 
environmental issues;  food safety and quality.  Mo st implementing agencies have their own technical 
and extension wings.  
10. The technical wings are working with a scheduled program up to field level to create 
awareness of the stakeholders.  Technical wings ar e responsible to give technical support and to 
arrange seminasr, symposiums, workshops and tr aining programs on SPS measures.  They have a 
strong monitoring and verification team.  They have worked on this throughout the year and by this 
time a remarkable development already has been achieved on these issues.   
11. The extension wings are working in the Distri cts and Upazila levels.  There are Taskforce 
Committees in all Districts and Upazila for implemen tation of sanitary and phytosanitary measures.  
Through a monitoring plan, members of the "Task force Committee" visit in the field to see the 
condition of implementation.  For proper planning, m onitoring and supervision of all works under the 
technicals and extension wing, there is also a "N ational Taskforce Committee" in the relevant 
Ministries. 
12. Moreover the Public Health Engineering Depa rtment launched "Sanitation Program".  Under 
these programs all the stakeholders will be under compulsory sanitation programs by 2010.  This 
program is a great contribution for development of this sector and people are now aware of the 
SPS requirements.  G/SPS/GEN/676 
 Page 3 
 
 
  13. In Bangladesh, there has alread y been a remarkable change on SPS measures in the field of 
food safety and quality, following the introduction and implementation of HACCP.  Now Bangladesh is producing very hygienic and safe food for the local and international consumers.  
Question 7:  How can members identify the relevant domestic stakeholders and promote 
effective interaction among those stakeh olders that can be sustained over years?  
 
14. In every region, there is a registered associati on of domestic stakeholders.  If any one wants to 
identify any member of the stakeholders, it is possible to identify them  through the executive 
committee of the association.  Interaction incr eased through discussion, training and seminar and 
personal contact with field level officials. 
Question 8:  How can information about SPS requirem ents be transmitted to groups outside of 
capital?  
 
15. It is transmitted outside capital through local administrations, training of public and private 
sector officials, sensitization and awareness cam paign programs, seminars and symposiums. 
Question 9:  Has there been any national pla nning on how to implement the SPS Agreement in 
your country if so was this planning developed using a particular methodology?  
 
16. The Government of Bangladesh has taken sever al steps for implementation of SPS measures, 
which are: 
(a) Up-grading of existing rules and regulation on SPS measures. For example, existing 
regulations have been updated.  Fish Insp ection and Quality Control (FIQC) Rules, 
1997 were amended in purview of EC directives.  Traceability regulation, Country of 
Origin of Levelling (COOL), Eco-levelling, and all other recent directives have been 
incorporated in the regulation.  New regul ations on Hatchery, Fish Feed are being 
formulated. 
(b) Up-grading of existing laboratory facilities; 
(c) Formulation of laboratory accreditation board; 
(d) Formation of high power supervis ory audit and verification team; 
(e) Development of methodology of traceability of  agriculture and aquaculture products;  
and 
(f) Risk assessment is under process of examination. 
 
17. Under MOC, the "National Advisory Committee"  and five "Working Groups" are working to 
implement the SPS Agreement.  Each Ministry which is responsible for SPS issues is involved in those working groups.  Besides, each Ministry has an  individual strategy on specific issues for the 
implementation of SPS measures. 
Question 10:  How does your country i ndent it technical assistance needs?
 
 
18. Considering the existing facilities and shortfall, the country identifies the field of technical 
assistance needed. G/SPS/GEN/676 
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  Question 11:  What has been yours country's exp erience in both the request and supply of SPS 
related technical assistance?  
 
19. There is an on going project funded by EU-UNIDO on "Strengthening of Fish Inspection and 
Quality Control Service in Bangladesh".  The follo wing are the important aspects which are going to 
be implemented by the project:  
(a) Existing Laboratory to be modernized to ensu re appropriate testing facility of Fish and 
Fishery Products; 
(b) Quality assurance by up-dating existing monitoring systems; 
(c) Development of value-added products; 
(d) Human Resource Development through compliance of HACCP, training, women 
development, study tour, consultative mee ting, visit, monitoring and evaluation; 
(e) Management Development;  and 
(f) Research and investigation. 
 
20. Bangladesh requested the Europ ean Communities to provide more technical and financial 
assistance, mainly in the fisher ies and livestock sectors.  The European Communities is going to 
arrange a training program for techni cal personnel in France and Indonesia. 
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