. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/ARG/81 
20 October 2005 
 (05-4827) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures  Original:   Spanish 
  
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   ARGENTINA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible:  Secretaría de Políticas, Regulación y Relaciones Sanitarias , SPRRS,  
y Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Pesca y Alimentos, SAGPA (Secretariat of Health 
Policy, Regulation and Relations and Secretaria t of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and 
Food) 
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):  Packaging, utensils and equipment which come into contact with foodstuffs 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:   
 Trading partners 
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Envases y equipamientos 
en contacto con alimentos  (Packaging and equipment in cont act with foodstuffs) (84 pages, 
in Spanish). 
6. Description of content:   Draft Resolution amending Chap ter IV of the Argentine Food 
Code.  This draft Resolution applies to packag ing, utensils and equipment which come into 
contact with foodstuffs during production, pr ocessing, packaging, st orage, distribution, 
marketing and consumption.  It does not, how ever, cover materials which form a unit with 
and are consumed together with the food. 
 The Resolution provides in its general criteria that packaging, equipment, coverings 
and coatings, lids, caps, stoppers  and utensils which come into contact with foodstuffs must 
be made in compliance with  good manufacturing practices. It  sets out the principles 
governing the components to be used in material s which come into cont act with foodstuffs.  
It also establishes in which cases the use of returnable containers is authorized. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [ X ] food safety,  [   ] animal health,  [   ] plant protection,   
[   ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [   ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests  
8. International standard, gu ideline or recommendation:  
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission,  [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE),  [   ] International Plant Protection Convention,  [   ] None 
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:    G/SPS/N/ARG/81 
Page 2  
 
 9. Relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:   Draft Joint 
Resolution of the Secretariat of Health Policy,  Regulation and Relations  and the Secretariat 
of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food  (available in Spanish). 
10. Proposed date of adoption:   To be determined. 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   To be determined. 
12. Final date for comments:   11 November 2005 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [ X ] National notification 
authority, [  ] National enquiry point or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notification authority, [  ] National enquiry point 
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  
http://www.conal.gov. ar/CONAL/proyectos _resolucion.asp