. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/N/CRI/115 
16 November 2011  
 
(11-5903) 
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 Ganadería, Servicio Fitosanitario del 
Estado (SFE)  (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, State Phytosanitary Service) 
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):  All products of plant origin 
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:  Decreto Ejecutivo Nº 36801-MAG, Reglamento de la 
Estructura Organizativa del Servi cio Fitosanitario del Estado (Executive Decree 
No. 36801-MAG:  Regulations governing the organizational structure of the State 
Phytosanitary Service) Language(s):  Spanish Number of pages:  46 
Text available at: http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2011/sps/CRI/11_3898_00_s.pdf  
6. Description of content:  The notified Regulations establish the organizational structure of 
the State Phytosanitary Service (SFE) in orde r to ensure the proper exercise of the duties 
and responsibilities specified in the Phytosanitary Protection Law (Law No. 7664), international agreemen ts and related laws. 
The new structure provides for the regionali zation of SFE functions, with responsibilities 
and obligations being assigned to  each Regional Operating Unit.  These Units will play an 
advisory role in relation to the services pr ovided by the SFE to all Costa Rican users in 
order to ensure the efficient use of ava ilable resources and will represent the SFE at 
regional level. 
The Regulations also create the Department of  Rules and Regulations, which is responsible 
for implementing and administering the regulatory framework of the SFE to ensure that it 
fulfils the requirements set out in domestic re gulations and complies with the provisions of 
international conventions and treaties on sanitary  and phytosanitary matters, in accordance 
with Law No. 7664, the Phytosanitary Protection Law. 
The notified Decree repeals Executive D ecree No. 32994-MAG of 4 April 2006, 
"Regulations governing the organizational stru cture of the State Phytosanitary Service", 
notified in document G/SPS/N/CRI/46. G/SPS/N/CRI/115 
Page 2  
 
  7. Objective and rationale:  [X] food safety , [ ] animal health, [X] plant protection, 
[X] 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)  
[ ] 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 language(s) in which these are available:  Ley de 
Protección Fitosanitaria Nº 7664 del 8 de abril de 1997  (Phytosanitary Protection Law 
No. 7664 of 8 April 1997) (available in Spanish).  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  14 October 2011 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) :  14 October 2011 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [ ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  Upon publication in Official Journal La Gaceta  No. 198 of Friday 
14 October 2011 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Final date for comments:  [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification 
and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  Not applicable 
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:  
13. Texts available from:  [X] National Notifi cation 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