WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/CRI/86 
23 September 2009 
 (09-4448) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
  
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Notifying Member:  COSTA RICA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible:  Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganaderí a, Servicio Nacional de Salud 
Animal , SENASA (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, National Animal Health 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):  Butter (International Classification fo r Standards (ICS) code 67.100.20) 
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:  RTCR 434:2009:  Mantequilla  (Costa Rican Technical 
Regulation (RTCR) No. 434:2009:  Butter) 
Text available online at:  http://www.senasa.go.cr/docum entosenconsultaOMC.html  
 Full text of notified document:   http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2009/sps/CRI/09_3296_00_s.pdf
 
Language:  Spanish Number of pages:  14 
6. Description of content:  The notified Technical Regulation applies to butter intended for 
direct consumption or further processing.  It does not apply to blends of butter and 
vegetable fat. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [ X] food safety, [ ] animal health, [ ] plant protection, 
[X] protect humans from animal/plant pest or  disease, [ ] 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 G/SPS/N/CRI/86 
Page 2  
 
   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:  
• Decreto Ejecutivo  (Executive Decree) of the Ministry of the Economy, Industry 
and Trade No. 22268-MEIC, Costa Rican Standard (NCR) No. 148:1993:  
Metrología:  Contenido Neto  de Productos Preempacados (Metrology:  Net 
contents of pre-packaged goods) and amendments thereto, published in La Gaceta  
(Official Journal) No. 132 of 13 July 1993; 
• Executive Decree of the Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Trade 
No. 23355-MEIC, Costa Rican Standard (NCR) No. 26:1994:  Metrología, Sistema 
Internacional de Unidades, SI (Metrology:  International system of units) and 
amendments thereto, published in Official Journal No. 114 of 15 June 1994; 
• Executive Decree of the Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Trade 
No. 26012-MEIC, Costa Rican Technical Regulation (RTCR) No. 100:1997:  Etiquetado de los Alimentos Preenvasados (Labelling of pre-packaged foods) and 
amendments thereto, published in Official Journal No. 91 of 14 May 1997; 
• Executive Decree of the Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Trade 
No. 30256-MEIC-S, Costa Rican Technical Regulation (RTCR) No. 135:2002:  
Etiquetado Nutricional de los Alimentos Preenvasados (Nutrition labelling of 
pre-packaged food) and amendments theret o, published in Official Journal No. 71 
of 15 April 2002; 
• Executive Decree No. 31595-S:  Reglamento de Notificación de Materias Primas, 
Registro Sanitario, Importación, Desalmacenaje y Vigilancia de Alimentos 
(Regulations on the notification of raw materials and the sanitary registration, 
importation, customs clearance and monitoring of foodstuffs) and amendments 
thereto, published in Official Journal No. 16 of 23 January 2004; 
• Executive Decree of the Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Trade and Ministry 
of Agriculture and Livestock No. 332 88-MEIC-MAG-S, Costa Rican Technical 
Regulation (RTCR) No. 395-2006:  Para el Uso de Términos Lecheros  (Use of 
dairy terms) and amendments thereto, pub lished in Official Journal No. 164 of 
28 August 2006; 
• Executive Decree of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Ministry of the Economy, 
Industry and Trade No. 33371-COMEX-MEIC, Resolution No. 168-2006 (Council of Ministers for Economic Integration (COMIECO) XLIX), Central American 
Technical Regulation (RTCA) No. 01.01.11:06:  Cantidad de Producto en 
Preempacados  (Quantity of product in pre-packages) and amendments thereto, 
published in Official Journal No. 194 of 10 October 2006; 
• Executive Decree of the Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Trade and Ministry 
of Agriculture and Livestock No. 338 12-MEIC-MAG-S, Costa Rican Technical 
Regulation (RTCR) No. 401-2006:  Leche Cruda y Leche Higienizada (Raw milk 
and processed milk) and amendments thereto,  published in Official Journal No. 112 
of 12 June 2007.  G/SPS/N/CRI/86 
 Page 3 
 
 
  10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  Upon publication in the Official Journal. 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) :  
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [ X] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) : 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure 
12. Final date for comments:  [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification 
and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  60 days as from the date of publication in the Official Journal 
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 Notification Authority, [ X] National Enquiry 
Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:  
Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería 
Servicio Nacional de Salud Animal (SENASA) 
Centro de Información y Notificación en  Medidas Sanitarias y Fitosanitarias 
Apartado Postal 70-3006 Barreal de Heredia, Costa Rica Tel.: +506 22 60 83 00, Ext. 2065 
Fax: +506 22 62 78 31 
E-mail: notificaciones@protecnet.go.cr Website: http://www.senasa.go.cr