WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/CRI/110 
21 April 2011 
 (11-2099) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
 
 
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Notifying Member:  COSTA RICA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible:  Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganaderí a, Servicio Nacional de Salud 
Animal, SENASA  (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, National Animal Health Service)
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO;  ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  International Classification for Standards (ICS) code 67.040 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[X] All trading partners [ ] Specific regions or countries: 
5. Title of the notified document:  RTCR 449:  2010 Reglamento T écnico para el Etiquetado 
de Productos y Subproductos Acuícolas y Sil vestres Frescos, Congelados y Descongelados, 
de Venta a Granel o Pre-empacado en el Punto de Venta.  (Costa Rican Technical 
Regulation (RTCR) No. 449: 2010 Technical Re gulation on the labelling of fresh, frozen 
and defrosted fishery and aquaculture pr oducts and by-products sold in bulk or 
pre-packaged at the point of sale) Language(s):   Spanish Number of pages:   13 
Text available online at: 
http://www.senasa.go.cr/senasaweb/ documentosenconsultaOMC.html  
 Full text of notified document: 
http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2011/sps/CRI/11_1241_00_s.pdf
 
6. Description of content:  The aim of the notified Technical Regulation is to establish the 
basic requirements concerning the information to  be included on the labels of fresh, frozen 
and defrosted fishery and aquaculture pr oducts and by-products sold in bulk or 
pre-packaged at the point of sale.  The Regul ation also includes provisions on residues of 
veterinary drugs and chemical contaminants , food additives and permitted microbiological 
criteria and methods of analysis.  It app lies to both domestic and imported aquaculture 
products and by-products. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [X] food safety, [  ] animal health, [  ] plant protection, 
[X] protect humans from anima l/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect territory from other 
damage from pests.  G/SPS/N/CRI/110 
Page 2  
 
  8. Is there a relevant international stan dard?  If so, identify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex standard 
or related text)  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)  
[ ] None 
Does this proposed regulation conform to  the relevant international standard? 
 [X] Yes   [  ] No 
 If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:  
9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available: 
• Executive Decree of the Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Trade 
No. 30256-MEIC-S, Costa Rican Technical Regulation (RTCR) No. 135:2002:  
Etiquetado Nutricional de los Alimentos Preenvasados (Nutrition labelling of 
pre-packaged food) and amendments thereto, published in La Gaceta  (Official 
Journal) No. 71 of 15 April 2002; 
• Executive Decree No. 31595-S of 2 December 2003:  Reglamento de Notificación de 
Materias Primas, Registro Sanitario, Impor tación, Desalmacenaje y Vigilancia de 
Alimentos  (Regulation on the notification of raw materials and the sanitary 
registration, importation, customs clearan ce and monitoring of foodstuffs) and 
amendments thereto, published in Official Journal No. 16 of 23 January 2004; 
• Executive Decree of the Ministry of Ag riculture and Livestock No. 18696-MAG-S:  
Reglamento de Inspecciones Veterinarias  (Regulation governing veterinary 
inspections), published in Supplement No . 39 to Official Journal No. 239 of 
16 December 1988; 
• Executive Decree of the Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Trade 
No. 26012-MEIC of 15 April 1997, Costa Rican Technical Regulation (RTCR) No. 100:1997:  Etiquetado de los Alimentos Preenvasados  (Labelling of pre-packaged 
foods) and amendments thereto, published in  Official Journal No. 91 of 14 May 1997; 
• Executive Decree of the Ministry of Ag riculture and Livestock No. 34687-MAG:  
Reglamento de Límites Máximos Microbiol ógicos y de Residuos para los Productos y 
Subproductos de la Pesca y de Acuicu ltura Destinados al Consumo Humano.  
(Regulation establishing the maximum microbiological and residue limits for fishery 
and aquaculture products and by-products for human consumption), published in 
Official Journal No. 160 of 20 August 2008. 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  Upon publication in the Official Journal 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [X] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) : 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  G/SPS/N/CRI/110 
 Page 3 
 
 
  12. Final date for comments:  [X] Sixty days  from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  20 June 2011 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [X] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address 
(if available) of other body:  
13. Texts available from:  [X] National Notification Authority, [X] National Enquiry 
Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:  
Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería 
Servicio Nacional de Salud Animal (SENASA) Centro de Información y Notificación en  Medidas Sanitarias y Fitosanitarias 
Apartado Postal 10094-1000 San José, Costa Rica Tel.: +(506) 2549-3454 
Fax: +(506) 2549-3599 
E-mail: notificaciones@sfe.go.cr Website: http://www.senasa.go.cr/