WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/N/CRI/113 
28 October 2011 
 (11-5461) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Notifying Member:  COSTA RICA 
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible:  Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganad ería, Servicio Fitosanitario del 
Estado, SFE, y Ministerio de Ambiente, Energ ía y Telecomunicaciones, MINAET, Oficina 
Técnica de la Comisión Nacional para la Gestión de la Biodiversidad, CONAGEBIO  
(Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Stat e Phytosanitary Service;  Ministry of the 
Environment, Energy and Telecommunications;  Technical Office of the National Biodiversity Management Commission) 
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):  Living modified organisms (LMOs) 
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:  Reglamento del Capítulo III:  "Garantías de Seguridad 
Ambiental, relativas a organismos vivos m odificados" de la Ley de Biodiversidad Nº 7788  
(Regulations implementing Chapter III "Envi ronmental safety guarantees in respect of 
living modified organisms" of the Biodiversity Law No. 7788).  Language(s):  Spanish 
Number of pages:  11 
Text available at: http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2011/sps/CRI/11_3561_00_s.pdf  
6. Description of content:  The notified Executive Decree establishes coordination 
mechanisms and procedures for the bodies respons ible for environmental safety with regard 
to the use of living modified organisms presen t in Costa Rican national territory, as defined 
in Article 6 of the Political Constitution. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [ ] food safety, [X] animal health, [X] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or  disease, [X] protect territory from other 
damage from pests.  
8. Is there a relevant international stan dard?  If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] 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)  G/SPS/N/CRI/113 
Page 2  
 
  [ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)  
[X] None 
Does this proposed regulation conform to  the relevant international standard? 
 [ ] Yes [ ] No 
 If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:  
9. Other relevant documents and langua ge(s) in which these are available:  
- Convenio sobre Diversidad Biológica:  Ley No. 7416  (Convention on Biological 
Diversity:  Law No. 7416) of 30 June 1994; 
- Protocolo de Cartagena sobre Seguridad de la Biotecnología del Convenio sobre la 
Diversidad Biológica en la Ley No. 8537 (Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the 
Convention on Biological Diversity:  Law No. 8537) of 23 August 2006; 
- Ley de Protección Fitosanitaria  (Law on Phytosanitary Protection) No. 7664 of 
8 April 1997; 
- Ley de Biodiversidad  (Biodiversity Law) No. 7788 of 30 April 1998; 
- Ley General del Servicio Nacional de Salud Animal, SENASA  (General Law 
governing the National Animal Health Service) No. 8495 of 6 April 2006; 
- Decreto Ejecutivo (Executive Decree) No. 31514-MINAE of the Ministry of the 
Environment and Energy; 
- Executive Decree No. 33697-MINAE of the Ministry of the Environment and Energy; - Reglamento a la Ley de Biodiversidad  (Regulations implementing the Biodiversity 
Law), Executive Decree No. 34433 of 11 Ma rch 2008, published in Official Journal 
La Gaceta No. 68 of 8 April 2008; 
- Reglamento a la Ley de Protección Fitosanitaria  (Regulations implementing the 
Law on Phytosanitary Protection), Executive Decree No. 26921-MAG of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. 
(Texts available in Spanish) 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  Date of publication in the Official Journal 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) :  To be determined 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [ ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  Date of publication in the Official Journal 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Final date for comments:  [X] Sixty days  from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  27 December 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:   G/SPS/N/CRI/113 
 Page 3 
 
 
  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 Fitosanitario del Estado (SFE) Centro de Información y Notificación MSF Apartado Postal 10094-1000 San José, Costa Rica 
Tel.: +(506) 2549-3454 
Fax: +(506) 2549-3599 E-mail: notificaciones@sfe.go.cr