WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/295/Add.29/Rev.1 
11 September 2007 
 
 (07-3782) 
Committee on Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
 
 
 
QUESTIONNAIRE ON TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE 
 
Submission by Costa Rica  
 
Revision  
  
  G/SPS/GEN/295/Add.29/Rev.1 
Page 2 Technical assistance requirements : 
 Information Training Infrastructure 
(hard and/or soft) Specific concerns Other 
Rights, 
obligations and 
practical operation of the 
SPS Agreement - Application of the 
SPS Agreement in 
international trade 
(information resulting from the work of the 
SPS Committee) 
- Work of international 
reference organizations (Codex, IPPC and OIE) in relation to the 
SPS Agreement 
- Dispute settlement cases 
relating to sanitary and phytosanitary measures 
 Training in areas covered 
by the SPS Agreement and 
in its implementation, for 
example: 
- Equivalence, new 
proposals with regard to Article 6 of the 
SPS Agreement 
(regionalization) 
- Harmonization 
- Annex C to the 
SPS Agreement 
- Dispute settlement 
procedures 
- Outcome of the 
SPS Agreement review process 
Such training would be 
designed for officials of the 
SFE, SENASA and other 
public-sector bodies as well as for agricultural producers
- Training geared 
towards the effective 
participation of 
officials in multilateral, regional and bilateral 
negotiations and other 
specialized SPS fora 
- Training and 
awareness-raising for public-sector officials 
and executives of agri-
food enterprises in sanitary and 
phytosanitary Soft
: 
- Advice with regard to the 
revision of national legislation and the harmonization thereof with international standards 
and guidelines 
- Evaluation of the degree of 
compliance with the requirements in the various 
markets 
- Effective system for 
disseminating notifications of sanitary and phytosanitary information to the various 
users (National Enquiry Point) 
Hard
: 
- Establishment of a database 
for the notification and user information system 
 
 - Access to the market 
for organic products for 
Japan (recognition of 
third countries) 
- Human resources 
training in trade negotiations on 
SPS measures 
- Strengthening of the 
country's capacity to comply with and verify sanitary and 
phytosanitary rules and 
standards 
- Efficient articulation of 
the public and private sectors in order to 
enhance 
competitiveness 
through the proper 
application of sanitary and phytosanitary 
measures 
 - Organic farming 
- Revision/ 
adjustment of Costa Rican 
regulations and 
requirements to be met by the 
country so as to 
foster global trade 
   G/SPS/GEN/295/Add.29/Rev.1
 Page 3Technical assistance requirements : 
 Information Training Infrastructure 
(hard and/or soft) Specific concerns Other 
regulations and the 
importance of 
compliance 
- Training in new trends 
with regard to public-sector SPS 
regulations and private-
sector SPS standards 
Food safety - Risk analysis and 
determination of the appropriate level of protection 
- Residues of veterinary 
drugs, pesticides and other 
heavy metals 
- Codex Alimentarius food 
safety standards 
- Inspection, control and 
certification systems and procedures with regard to 
food safety from farm to 
table, such as traceability, Good Manufacturing 
Practices (GMP), and 
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) 
 Training in: 
- Risk analysis and 
determination of the 
appropriate level of 
protection, geared towards the scientific 
community, producers 
and government officials 
- Education and training 
in risk analysis for technical and professional staff 
- Development of 
inspection, sampling 
and investigation 
procedures 
- Good agricultural 
practices for producers 
- Systems for the 
accreditation and certification of safe 
products 
- Expert advice on 
chemical analyses applicable to the safety of food of animal or 
plant origin - Strengthening of programmes 
dealing with residues of veterinary drugs and pesticides in plants, water and 
substrata 
- Capacity building for food 
inspection services and strengthening of laboratories 
- Development of information 
technology and data analysis 
systems for food products, 
establishments and domestic and international regulations 
- Advice on implementing new 
laboratory methods and 
improving laboratory practices 
and quality assurance systems 
- Database of information on 
the national programme on pesticide residues in plants - Strengthening of 
national food safety policies and strategies by:  (i) modernizing 
infrastructure, (ii) 
updating food legislation, and (iii) 
assessing management 
and organizational 
requirements for 
developing modern and effective food control 
programmes - Establishment of 
consumer communication and participation 
programmes to 
improve food safety 
- Regulatory 
framework for the 
production, 
processing and 
marketing of fresh 
food, fruit and vegetables 
- Establishment of 
an inter-
laboratory 
network  
  G/SPS/GEN/295/Add.29/Rev.1 
Page 4 Technical assistance requirements : 
 Information Training Infrastructure 
(hard and/or soft) Specific concerns Other 
- Expert advice on 
radioimmunoassay 
(RIAs) 
- Expert advice on 
screening and confirmation methods 
- Expert advice on 
microbiological analyses applicable to 
the safety of food of 
animal and plant origin 
- Training in sampling 
and collection techniques and residue 
reduction strategies for 
officials of the national programme on 
pesticide residues in 
plants 
- Consumer training 
programmes 
Animal health General understanding of the 
SPS Agreement itself and in relation to international animal 
health and safety regulations Training in: 
- Standardization and 
harmonization of animal health and veterinary public health 
regulations 
- Risk analysis, 
transparency, dispute settlement procedures, equivalency and 
regionalization 
- Animal health quality 
assurance at all levels, in particular in laboratories - Extension of the 
Epidemiological Information System (SIVE) 
- Modernization of the 
infrastructure of food safety 
laboratories dealing with 
animal products and by-products 
- Implementation of quality 
standards in compliance with 
INTE/ ISO/IEC 17020:2000, 
INTE/ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO 9001 
 
 - Facilitating the 
implementation of traceability, zoning and 
compartmentalization - Development of 
epidemiological surveillance 
projects 
- Simulations of 
avian diseases, foot-and-mouth disease and 
classical swine 
fever 
- Training 
programmes in livestock 
movement control 
   G/SPS/GEN/295/Add.29/Rev.1
 Page 5Technical assistance requirements : 
 Information Training Infrastructure 
(hard and/or soft) Specific concerns Other 
- Good manufacturing 
practices for veterinary 
drugs 
- Establishment of a 
pharmacovigilance system 
- Establishment of 
training programmes for law enforcement 
and judicial authorities 
on the use of sanitary inspections to control 
disease and the 
smuggling of animals and products of animal 
origin 
- Training in geographic 
information systems 
- Training in veterinary 
service administration and management - Microbiological and 
toxicological laboratory 
equipment 
- Incinerators at border posts 
- Design, implementation and 
training in the use of software 
for launching the aquaculture 
disease diagnostic system for live fish (histopathology) 
Plant health - Quality management 
systems for procedures relating to surveillance, 
export, inspection and 
exempt areas 
- Inspection systems for entry 
points and phytosanitary treatments 
- Pest surveillance systems for 
crops for domestic 
consumption and export 
- Biosafety 
- Risk analysis 
 Training in: 
- In-service training on 
surveillance systems, phytosanitary certification and 
inspection at entry 
points in countries trading with Costa Rica
- Inspection systems, 
phytosanitary 
treatments, surveillance 
of crops for domestic consumption and 
export 
- Training of technical Soft: 
- Development and 
implementation of quality management systems 
- Evaluation and improvement 
of the general and specific procedures for surveillance 
systems 
- Evaluation and restructuring 
of inspection and control systems 
- Identification of treatments 
and application methods     
  G/SPS/GEN/295/Add.29/Rev.1 
Page 6 Technical assistance requirements : 
 Information Training Infrastructure 
(hard and/or soft) Specific concerns Other 
experts in pest 
identification at points 
of entry 
- Development of 
national biosafety strategies 
- Training of officials in 
pest risk analysis - Information system for pest 
surveillance and monitoring 
Hard: 
- Development of an electronic 
pest surveillance and control system 
Contact details Servicio Nacional de Información (National Enquiry Point) 
Centro de Información y Notificación  en Medidas Sanitarias y Fitosanitarias (San itary and Phytosanitary Measure Information and  Notification Centre) 
Servicio de Protección Fitosanitaria del Es tado y Servicio Nacional de Salud Animal  (State Plant Protection Service and Nationa l Animal Health Service) 
Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería Apartado Postal 10094-1000 
San José, Costa Rica 
Tel.: +(506) 260-8300 (ext. 2090) Fax: +(506) 260-8301 
E-mail: notificaciones@protecnet.go.cr
  G/SPS/GEN/295/Add.29/Rev.1 
 Page 7 
 
 
  ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 
 
(Such information could include, inter alia , a more detailed description of the technical assistance 
required, any relevant background information on th e reasons for the request, the possibility of 
using a regional approach to the provision of the requested assistance and the scope for a 
coordinated approach among relevant  international organizations.) 
 
 
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