. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/W/260 
17 June 2011 
 (11-3001) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  
  
 
PROCEDURE TO MONITOR THE PROCESS 
OF INTERNATIONAL HARMONIZATION  
 
Draft Thirteenth Annual Report
1 
 
 
A. INTRODUCTION  
1. At its meeting of 15-16 October 1997, the SPS Committee adopted a provisional procedure to 
monitor the process of international harmonization a nd the use of international standards, guidelines 
or recommendations, as provided for in Articles 3. 5 and 12.4 of the SPS Agreement.  The Committee 
extended the provisional monitoring procedure in 1999, 2001, and 2003, and adopted a revision of the 
procedure in October 2004.2  On 28 June 2006, the Committee agreed to extend the provisional 
procedure indefinitely, and to review its operation as an integral part of the periodic review of the 
operation and implementation of the Agreement under Article 12.7.3  This procedure was reviewed as 
part of the Third Review of the Agreem ent adopted by the Committee in March 2010.4  The next such 
review is to be completed in 2013,  and every four years subsequently. 
2. The Committee has previously adopted twelve annual reports on the monitoring procedure.5  
These reports summarize several standards-related is sues that the Committee has considered and the 
responses received from the relevant  standard-setting organizations. 
B. NEW ISSUES  
3. Since the adoption of the Twelfth Annual Report in October 2010, no new issue has been 
raised under this procedure.  
C. PREVIOUS ISSUES  
4. Since the adoption of the Twelfth Annual Report, there was further discussion on one issue 
previously raised under this procedure.  This issue is  with regard to the lack of adoption by the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission of standards relating to ractopamine.  
Concerns on the lack of adoption of Codex standards relating to ractopamine 
5. Brazil first raised the issue of the lack of a doption of an MRL for ractopamine by Codex at 
the meeting of the Committee of 28-29 October 2009.  Brazil reported that extensive discussions on 
this matter had occurred during the prev ious two Codex sessions and at the 18th session of the Codex 
                                                      
1 This document has been prepared under the Secret ariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the position of Members or to their rights or obligations under the WTO. 
2 G/SPS/14, G/SPS/17, G/SP S/25 and G/SPS/11/Rev.1. 
3 G/SPS/40. 
4 G/SPS/53. 
5 These were circulated as G/SPS/13, G/ SPS/16, G/SPS/18, G/SPS/2 1, G/SPS/28, G/SPS/31, 
G/SPS/37, G/SPS/42, G/ SPS/45, G/SPS/49, G/ SPS/51 and G/SPS/54. G/SPS/W/260 
Page 2  
 
  Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods.  Adoption of the MRLs had been 
recommended in 2007 by the Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods.  At the October 
2009 meeting, the European Union, China and Norway  stressed that it had been agreed in the Codex 
that JECFA would evaluate the latest data submitt ed by China before the Codex Commission session 
in July 2010.  
6. This issue was again raised at the SPS Co mmittee meeting in June 2010, where Canada, 
Brazil, South Africa and the United States expressed strong support that the eight MRLs for ractopamine be adopted at the July 2010 meeting of the Codex Alimentarius Commission.  China and 
the European Union reiterated their previous concerns  that it was too early to prejudge the outcome of 
that discussion.  The representative of Chile indicated that this type of situation made clear the need 
for a procedure to voice a concern when a Codex st andard was held at Step 8 for several years.  
7. At the meeting of the Committee of 30-31 Ma rch 2011, Brazil noted that the continuing 
failure of Codex to adopt MRLs for ractopamine raised  the issue of the lack of respect of scientific 
principles by Codex.  In 2008, Codex had decided to hold the proposals of MRLs for ractopamine at Step 8, and invited members to send further data to  be analysed.  To overco me the deadlock on the 
approval of ractopamine MRLs at the 33
rd Session of the Commission in 2010, a "Friends of the 
Chair" group was established to discuss possible solutions focussing on JECFA risk management.  
There was no scientific justification for the delays in adoption of the standards.  
8. Australia, Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia , Costa Rica, Mexico, New Zealand and the 
United States agreed with Brazil on the need for the immediate adoption of a Codex standard for 
ractopamine in order to ensure the protection of cons umers, the promotion of international trade, food 
safety, and the maintenance of the role of the Codex Alimentarius as an international reference 
organization in the area of food safety.  
9. The Codex representative stated that the matter of ractopamine MRLs would be examined 
again at the next Commission, and hopefully members would be able to reach a consensus. 
10. The European Union stated that JECFA  had provided Codex with a risk assessment 
however, discussions in Codex focused on risk-managemen t.  Norway and Switzerland agreed that 
while science was indeed a key element, risk mana gers also had to consider other factors that 
impacted on consumers' health.  The European Uni on, as part of the "Friends of the Chair", had 
actively searched for a solution acceptable to all parties and looked forward to making progress in 
advance of the July 2011 Codex Commission. 
D. RESPONSES RECEIVED FROM THE RELEVANT STANDARD -SETTING ORGANIZATIONS  
11. No further information has been provided by the relevant standard-setting organizations 
regarding other issues previously raised.  
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