WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/W/210 
14 June 2007 
 (07-2513) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures   
  
 
PROPOSED PROGRAMME FOR WORKSHOP ON TRANSPARENCY 
 
Note by the Secretariat
1 
 
 
1. The SPS Committee will hold a special workshop on transparency provisions on 
15 October 2007.  This will be the third such special Committee meeting on transparency since 1995. 
2. Members have underlined the need to lay th e necessary groundwork in advance of this 
workshop with a view to making it a results-o riented and problem-solving workshop.   
3. Discussions and inputs under the Second Review of the Operation and Implementation of the 
SPS Agreement, as well as under the transparency agenda item of the SPS Committee, have already 
underlined a number of issues of relevance for the workshop.  In addition, 58 Members have replied 
to a detailed questionnaire on the operation of thei r Enquiry Points and Notification Authorities.  A 
Secretariat Note summarizing the results and high lighting some of the main issues raised was 
circulated on 21 February 2007 (G/SPS/GEN/751).2  The SPS Committee had some preliminary 
discussions on this Note during its February/March meeting. 
4. In response to a request by Members and in light of the issues that have been raised thus far, 
the Secretariat has prepared a draft programme for the transparency workshop to be held on 
15 October 2007.  Members are invited to comment  on this draft programme during the informal 
meeting of the SPS Committee on transparency which will be held on 26 June starting at 10.00 a.m. 
                                                      
1 This document has been prepared under the Secret ariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the positions of Members or to their rights or obligations under the WTO. 
2 A revision to this document, incorporating replies submitted after the original deadline, will be issued 
shortly as G/SPS/GEN/751/Rev.1 G/SPS/W/210 
Page 2  
 
  TRANSPARENCY WORKSHOP 
 
PROPOSED PROGRAMME 
 
Monday, 15 October 2007 
 
 
09.30 – 09.45   Opening remarks by the Chair  09.45 – 10.15   General introduction – WTO Secretariat 
     
   Including: 
- overview of transparency provisions in the SPS Agreement as well as of relevant Committee Decisions/Ministerial Decisions 
   - statistical analysis of SPS notifications 
   - indication of existing reference materials/tools  
10.15 – 10.45  Demonstration of SPS Informa tion Management System – WTO Secretariat 
 10.45 – 11.15  Coffee break 
 
 11.15 - 13.00 What it takes to be transpar ent and to benefit from a transparent system 
Break-out session with four groups 
 
  Discussion to be based on an indicative lis t of questions to be prepared by 
the Secretariat in light of Committee discussions / results of Transparency 
Questionnaire. Topics to cover could include: 
    
   1) What it takes to be transparent 
    
- possible notification of new or  changed measures conforming to 
international standards 
- provision of HS codes in notifications 
   - availability of full texts of proposed regulations / translations    - provision of comment period in notifications    - provision of  interval between publication and entry into force of measures    - submission of Revisions / Addenda 
   - inter-agency coordination and oversight of notification process 
    2) What it takes to benefit from a transparent system        - access to full texts/transla tions of proposed regulations 
   - management and assessment of  incoming notifications 
   - circulation of  notifications of interest to relevant stakeholders 
- public and private sector coordination and consultation 
   - contacts with other Members / relevant Embassies 
- interagency coordination and oversight  of comments on not ifications of 
concern;  
  - awareness of tools and options through the SPS Agreement / Committee 
decisions / Secretariat 
 
13.00 – 14.30  Lunch break      G/SPS/W/210 
 Page 3 
 
 
  14.30 – 15.00 Presentation by a delegation on aw areness raising and/or on how to benefit 
from outgoing as well as incoming notifications  
 15.00 – 16.20 Reporting on break-out sessions by rapporteurs followed by general 
discussion  
 
16.20 – 16.40  Coffee break  16.40 – 18.00 Identifying concrete actions  to enhance the use and usefulness of 
transparency provisions 
  Break–out session with four groups 
 
  Possible actions could be groupe d under the following headings: 
    1) What could be do ne at the Committee level? 
 
   2) What could the Secretariat do?     3) What could be done at the national level?     4) What could be  done at the bilateral/plurilateral level? 
 
   5) What could be done at the regional level?     6) What could the relevant standard-setting agencies do? 
     
Tuesday, 16 October 2007 
 
10.00 - 11.30 Reporting on break-out sessi ons by rapporteurs followed by general 
discussion and wrap-up 
 
 
 (Two additional one-hour sessions will be organized during the course of the week of 15 October for 
demonstrating the SPS Information Management System.)  
 
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