WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/W/193 
30 May 2006 
 (06-2584) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
IMPLEMENTATION OF ARTICLE 6 OF  THE SPS AGREEMENT PROCEDURES 
FOR RECOGNITION OF PEST- OR DISEASE-FREE AREAS OR AREAS OF 
LOW PEST OR DISEASE PREVALENCE  
 
Communication from Egypt
 
 
 
I. INTRODUCTION  
1. Egypt understands the essentiality of setting time limits for the recognition process in order to 
ensure the suitability and effectiveness of pest  and disease control applied in pest- or disease-free 
areas or areas of low pest or disease prevalence.  The timing of administrative procedures for the 
recognition of those areas may vary  according to several variables.  They might constitute, in some 
instances, a hindering methodology rather than a facilitating one. 
2. The variation in the timing, requirements and procedures required by trading partners with 
regard to the recognition process makes the application of Article 6 inefficient from the perspective of 
an exporting country.1  
3. Also the lack of predictability in recognition of regionalized measures by trading partners 
makes it difficult to commit to the significant medium and long-term investments necessary to 
achieve pest- or disease-free status.2 
4. In order to maintain the flow of exports to the importing Member, the latter shall consider a 
transitional period to be given to the exporting Me mber for the purpose of meeting the requirements 
of the importing Member.  During such period, the exporting Member shall continue exporting to the importing Member under the previous  regulations until the exporting Me mber adapts its sanitary and 
phytosanitary structures to the new regulations applied by the importing Member without prejudice to the level of the sanitary and phytosanitary pr otection maintained by the importing Member.   
5. That said, and given the experience that Egypt faced with regard to the recognition of pest- or 
disease-free areas or areas of low pest or diseas e prevalence, Egypt suggests that the period 
corresponding to the procedures of the recognition pr ocess would take from two to five months.  The 
following proposal is being crafted on the b asis of the Secretariat background paper 
(G/SPS/GEN/640).   
                                                     
 
1 Argentina (G/SPS/GEN/606), New Zealand (G/SPS/W/151). 
2 Peru (G/SPS/GEN/607). 
 G/SPS/W/193 
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  II. THE PROPOSAL 
TYPICAL STEPS FOR ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES FOR RECOGNITION 
 A. E
XPORTING MEMBER REQUESTS ISSB  RECOGNITION  
6. An exporting Member should seek recognition of its status by the competent international 
organization.  Upon obtaining the status of pest- or  disease-free area or area of low prevalence, the 
exporting Member, along with the international or ganization, officially declares this status. 
B. EXPORTING MEMBER REQUESTS BILATERAL RECOGNITION  
7. Once achieved, the free status is communicated to relevant trading partners along with a 
formal request for recognition of this status , initiating the bilateral process of recognition.3  T h i s  
request for the recognition of a pest- or disease-free area or an area of low pest or disease prevalence 
may be accompanied by science-based and technical  information to support the exporting Member's 
objective demonstration of its sanitary or phytosan itary status, including reference to relevant 
international recognition of free status.  Alternativel y, the initial request could relate to requirements 
and procedure specific to the importing Member, and the technical information could be sent later. 
C. IMPORTING MEMBER CLARIFIES REQUIREMENTS  
8. At the request of the exporting Member, the im porting Member explains the requirements and 
procedures for recognition of sanitary or phytosanitary  status with respect to a given pest or disease, 
including any testing, sampling, a nd inspection that will be conducted at the point of entry after the 
goods in question have been recognized as a product of a plant pest or animal-disease-free areas or 
areas of low plant pest or animal disease preval ence.  The importing Member, upon receiving this 
information, may request answers to a specific que stionnaire.  In order to initiate the process of 
recognition of regionalization, the importing Member sh all take into account the plant pest or animal 
disease-free areas and areas of low plant pest or an imal disease prevalence as established by the 
exporting Member's competent national institution and in accordance with the guidelines of the 
international reference institutions. 
D. EXPORTING MEMBER PROVIDES DOCUMENTATION  
9. The exporting Member sends the technical file laid down by the importing Member, 
accompanied by an official declaration from the na tional regulatory body attesting that the ecosystem 
is a pest-or disease-free area or an  area of low pest or disease prevalence.  Alternatively, the exporting 
Member provides supporting information showing that  the procedures used to obtain recognition are 
based on an international standard, guideline or recommendation established by competent bodies 
under the SPS Agreement.  The exporting Member also  supplies any further information that could 
help the importing Member to reach its decision on recognition. 
10. The exporting Member shall provide the importing Member with sufficient information, 
accompanied by appropriate science-based and technical  information, to support the demonstration of 
its sanitary status and to establish compliance with the requirements.  Based on this information, the 
importing Member conduct a pest risk analysis (PRA) which will accordingly provide the exporting 
Member with science-based information in the case of conditioned acceptance, or request additional 
data or reject recognition.  The PRA should be co nsistent with guidelines and recommendations of the 
relevant international organization.   
                                                      
3 Chile (G/SPS/W/129). 
  G/SPS/W/193 
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  11. The importing Member, when considering a requ est for sanitary or phytosanitary recognition 
of an area, shall not impose demands in excess of tho se relating to the pest or disease in question, and 
shall analyze the science-based and technical info rmation provided by the exporting Member on its 
sanitary and phytosanitary measures with a view to determining whether those measures achieve the 
adequate level of protection agai nst the risk under consideration. 
12. The importing Member shall accelerate its pr ocedure for recognizing regionalization with 
respect to pests or diseases that  have been officially recognized in the exporting Member by an 
international scientific standardization orga nization recognized under the Agreement on the 
Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures 
E. IMPORTING MEMBER EVALUATES DOCUMENTATION /ADDITIONAL INFORMATION  
13. The importing Member provides feedback to the exporting Member regarding whether the 
documentation is in order.  In addition, the impor ting Member can provide information regarding the 
necessity of additional information, the necessity of  on-site auditing, and s uggestion of dates for the 
on-site auditing.  The importing Member may take  into consideration whether the recognition has 
been accorded previously by an international body or by another Me mber when scheduling a technical 
inspection visit within a maximum of one month . 
14. If the response from the importing Member is negative, the importing Member issues a 
decision rejecting the request and providing reasons  accompanied by scientific grounds.  This should 
allow the exporting Member to modify and adapt its system with a view to seeking recognition in the 
future. 
15. If the response from the importing Member is  positive, the importing Member indicates 
comments where they exist.   
F. EXPORTING MEMBER RESPONDS TO COMMENTS  
16. If the evaluation report contains comments, the exporting Member provides the relevant 
clarifications, additions or m odifications within one month. 
G. IMPORTING MEMBER EVALUATES DOCUMENTATION  
17. The importing Member provides feedback to the exporting Member regarding responses and 
indicates whether further clarification is necessary.  If further clarification is needed the process 
repeats steps F and G.  
H. IMPORTING MEMBER CONDUCTS ON - SITE EVALUATION  
18. If necessary, the importing Member carries out a vis it within 15 days in order to verify the 
information provided in support of the request for rec ognition of a pest- or disea se-free area or area of 
low prevalence.  This technical inspection could consider, inter alia , the administrative structure of 
the regulatory bodies and the programmes they implement with a view to prevention, control and eradication.  The strength and credibility of the ve terinary or phytosanitary infrastructure of the 
exporting region(s) would also be  part of this evaluation. 
19. The importing Member indicates comments relating to the inspection visit in an inspection 
report within 15 days. G/SPS/W/193 
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  I. E
XPORTING MEMBER RESPONDS TO INSPECTION REPORT  
20. If the report of the visit contains comments, the exporting Member provides the relevant 
clarifications, additions or m odifications within 15 days. 
J. IMPORTING MEMBER REJECTS OR AUTHORIZES  
21. Where its evaluation and verification of the information provided by the exporting Member 
leads to an unfavourable conclusion, the impor ting Member provides technical grounds for the 
decision, so that the exporting Member may modify  and adapt its system with a view to future 
recognition requests within one month. 
22. Where its evaluation and verification of the information provided by the exporting Member 
leads to a favourable conclusion, the importing Member launches its internal administrative 
procedures to eliminate the restrictions relating to the pest or disease associ ated with the recognition 
within one month or less, to facilitate trade from the exporting Member that requested recognition.  
The importing Member modifies existing regulations  or elaborates new ones to support official 
recognition of free status.  In addition, the importing Member may circulate the modified or new regulation for public comment.  The recognition of  free status by the importing Member would not 
preclude the importing Member from taking emergency actions if the status of the exporting Member 
changes. 
K. E
XPEDITED PROCESS  
23. An expedited process for recognition of sanitary  status could be applied in the following 
situations: 
(a) When there has been official recognition following verification by one of the SPS 
Agreement's international reference organizations; 
(b) When there has been an outbreak in a pr eviously recognized area which, once the 
problem was eliminated, was restored to its former status; 
(c) When the infrastructure and operation of the responsible veterinary or phytosanitary 
service of the exporting Member are suffic iently familiar to the importing Member 
owing to sanitary or phytosanitary rec ognition with respect to other pests or 
diseases, or to existing trade relations; 
(d) In the case of Periodical Recognition, once recognition has been made and the 
situation entails that there should be re cognition conducted on a periodical basis, 
except if any new circumstances evolve in the exporting country territory affecting the sanitary status in the area which may make it necessary to conduct further tests 
and examination.   
  
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