. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/W/203 
20 June 2006 
 
 (06-3009) 
Committee on Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
 
 
 
SECOND REVIEW OF THE OPERATIO N AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 
AGREEMENT ON THE APPLICATION OF SANITARY 
AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES 
 
Harmonization, Relations with Intern ational Organizations (OIE, IPPC,  
Codex Alimentarius), Monitori ng of International Standards  
 
Communication from Chile 
  
 The following communication, received on 13 June 2006, is being circulated at the request of 
the delegation of Chile.  
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1. The international standards adopted by the three sister organizations are important, as is the 
responsibility of the WTO's SPS Committee to monito r their application by Members.  Moreover, 
neither the IPPC nor the OIE have a mechanism to m onitor application of standards in their respective 
spheres of competence and the Codex is abolishing  a follow-up procedure that in practice has not 
been used. 
2. Since the creation of the WTO, the SPS Agreement's scientific reference organizations have 
adopted an increasingly large number of internatio nal standards.  Countries have been given more 
assistance, both at meetings of the SPS Committee and of the three sister organizations, particularly 
developing countries.  Participation in the regul atory process is growing and the successful adoption 
of a new international standard is the result of major efforts by parties. 
3. The above shows the importance attached by countries to the adoption of international 
standards.  Nevertheless, the degree to which these are used is not sufficiently clear, particularly in the 
case of import requirements. 
4. Requirements in some countries are even stricter  than those in the international standards, 
which is allowed by the SPS Agreement provided that there is scientific justification.  The latter, 
however, is not always a matter of the appropriate leve l of protection in the country or distinct special 
circumstances but relates to general aspects.  Why, instead of taking exceptional measures, do 
countries not try to change the existing standard in the competent organization? 
5. The notification system in the WTO's SPS Agreement provides that measures which differ 
from international standards should be  notified.  In practice, however, when a notification indicates an 
exception, no explanation is given;  or many measur es are notified with an indication that they do not 
represent an exception. G/SPS/W/203 
Page 2  
 
  6. The operation of the aforementioned notificati on system, although not perfect, has improved, 
mainly as regards its use by Members.  It is propo sed that countries notify all changes to their import 
requirements, whether or not they represent a depa rture from international standards, and use the 
relevant part of the notification form to provide mo re details when there is a departure or there is no 
international standard, but also to indicate which international standard is  being adopted in cases 
where the measure notified does not diff er from the international standard. 
7. The Secretariat could review and transmit the information to the Codex, the IPPC and the OIE 
for revision and together they could coordinate e fforts to ascertain the level of use and departures 
from international standards. 
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