WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  RESTRICTED 
WT/ACC/LAO/13/Rev.5 
23 January 2012 
 (12-0427) 
Working Party on the 
Accession of the Lao PDR Original:   English 
 
 
 
ACCESSION OF THE LAO PDR 
 
Action Plan on the Legislative Work an d Implementation of the WTO Agreement 
on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) 
 
Revision 
  The following submission, dated 13 January 2012, is being circulated at the request of the Delegation of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). 
 
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  WT/ACC/LAO/13/Rev.5 
Page 2 Issues Actions Implementation Timeframe Technical Assistance Provided/Sought 
1.  Food Safety Regulation on Bottled Drinking Water, No. 585/MoH, dated 
12 May 2006 Adopted in May 2006 TA including recommendations received from 
FAO and WHO. 
Regulation on Production, Exported-Imported Safe Food, No. 586/MoH, dated 12 May 2006 Adopted in May 2006 TA including recommendations received from 
FAO and WHO. 
National Policy on Food Safety, No. 028/PM, dated 
3 February 2009 Adopted in February 2009 TA including recommendations received from 
FAO and WHO. 
 TA received from Trade Development Facility (TDF) for publication, dissemination and training for all stakeholders. 
Regulation on Basic Principles in Application of Sanitary and Technical Measures in Food Safety Management in accordance with the SPS Agreement, No. 518/MoH, dated 18 March 2009  Adopted in March 2009 Recommendations received from FAO and 
WHO.  TA received from TDF for publication, 
dissemination and training for all stakeholders. 
Regulation on Labelling of Pre-Packaged Food, 
No. 519/MoH, dated 18 March 2009  Adopted in March 2009 TA received from WHO on drafting. 
Regulation on Food Inspection (formerly referred to as 
Regulation on Food Control System) Regulation being drafted by MOH and 
to be adopted by March 2012 TA received from TDF, FAO legal expert has 
been employed for finalizing the regulation. 
Regulation on Food Additives Adopted under Ministerial Decision on 
Adopting Codex Alimentarius Standards as Priorities, No. 605/MoH, dated 27 April 2011 TA to be requested from TDF for translation, 
publication, training and implementation. 
Ministerial Decision on Adopting Codex Alimentarius 
Standards, No. 605/MoH, dated 27 April 2011 Adopted in April 2011 TA to be requested from TDF for translation, 
publication, training and implementation.  
National Association of Testing Authority (NATA)'s 
assessment on ISO 17025 accreditation for microbiology testing laboratory Started in 2009 
 Ongoing TA received from UNIDO. 
Improving food processing by introducing food hygiene 
practice, GMP GMP Guidelines developed and 
training provided in 2009-2010. TA provided by EC, FAO and WHO in 
November 2009 for training and developing 
guidelines.    TA requested from Japan for GMP through APO project.  
   WT/ACC/LAO/13/Rev.5
 Page 3Issues Actions Implementation Timeframe Technical Assistance Provided/Sought 
2.  Animal Health Law on Livestock Production and Veterinary, No. 03/NA, 
dated 25 July 2008  Adopted in July 2008 Recommendations received from FAO and EU. 
 TA received from FAO and TDF for publication, dissemination and training for all stakeholders. 
Law on Fisheries, No. 03/NA, dated 9 July 2009 Adopted in July 2009 TA received from TDF for publication, 
dissemination and training for all stakeholders. 
Ministerial Decision on Animal Slaughtering and Animal Product Inspection, No. 0870/MAF, dated 18 March 2011  Adopted in March 2011 Recommendations received from EU. 
Amendment of Decree on Livestock and Livestock Products 
Movement Control  The draft is reviewing by MoJ and to 
be sent to GoL by March 2012 Recommendations received from EU and 
USAID. 
The amendment of Decree on Animal Epidemic Diseases To be adopted by March 2012 Recommendations received from EU and 
USAID. 
Establishment of a diagnostic laboratory Completed in December 2011 
BSL.3 system is being installed.  Equipment moved in from the old laboratory. Implementation funding requested from the 
World Bank. 
Identification of animal disease free areas  Regulation on Establishment of Animal Disease Free Area or Compartmentalization  The draft has been prepared in 
November 2011  ADB and World Bank under process of 
designing programme to get accreditation from OIE, and the inputs from international expert for the draft is to begin in April 2012. 
Regulation on Principles in the Application of SPS Measures in Plant and Animal Administration, No. 0039/MAF, dated 11 January 2012  Adopted in January 2012 TA received from USAID.  
Regulation on Criteria for Livestock Production and 
Veterinary Business  To be drafted by June 2012 and to be 
adopted by October 2012 TA received from TDF, FAO legal expert has 
been employed.  
3.  Plant Health Law on Plant Protection and Quarantine, No 06/NA, dated 
9 December 2008  Adopted in 2008 Recommendations received from FAO legal 
experts, practices of neighbouring countries. TA received from TDF for publication, dissemination, translation and training for all 
stakeholders. 
Decree on Implementing on Plant Protection and Quarantine 
(formerly referred to as Regulation on Plant Quarantine)  To be adopted by March 2012 TA received from TDF for dissemination. 
Regulation on Good Agriculture Product Adopted in 2010  
Guideline on Inspection and Certification Procedures for 
Plants, Plan Products and Relate d Articles (formerly refers to 
as the Regulation on Plant Inspection and Certification). To be started June 2012  TA received from TDF, FAO legal expert has 
been employed. 
Establishment of a laboratory on plant diseases and pests Deferred No funding.  
Identification of pest and disease free areas Deferred No funding. 
Ministerial Decision of on Control of Pesticides in Lao PDR, No. 2860/MAF of 11 June 2010 (formerly referred to as the Regulation on Pesticide Management) Adopted in 2010 TA requested from TDF for translation and 
publication.   
  WT/ACC/LAO/13/Rev.5 
Page 4 Issues Actions Implementation Timeframe Technical Assistance Provided/Sought 
4.  Information Procedures Decree on Notification and Enquiry of Trade Related 
Information, No. 363/PM, dated 19 August 2010 (formerly referred to as Decree on the SPS and TBT Notification Centre and Enquiry Points) Adopted in August 2010 TA received from EU on drafting and received 
from USAID and ADB for implementation. 
Establishment of SPS Enquiry Point under Decree on Notification and Enquiry of Trade Related Information No. 363/PM  Decision on SPS Enquiry Point, No. 1502/MAF, dated 23 June 2011 was adopted to strengthen coordination among 
notification unit, enquiry points and relevant authorities. 
 Address of SPS Enquiry Point:  Department of Planning, Ministry of Agriculture and 
Forestry  PO Box 811, Vientiane Capital,  
Lao PDR 
Tel: 85621-415363 Fax: 85621-412343 Email: enquiries@laossps.gov.la   (To be operational upon accession) Operational upon Accession 
   Adopted in June 2011 TA received from USAID and ADB for 
implementation.   TA received from USAID. 
Establishment of SPS and TBT Notification Unit under Decree on Notification and Enquiry of Trade Related Information No. 363/PM  Decision on SPS and TBT Notification Unit No 0471/MOIC, dated 9 March 2011  Address of SPS and TBT Notification Unit: Foreign Trade Policy Department, Ministry of Industry and Commerce.  P.O. Box 4107, Phonexay Road, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR Tel:  85621-450065 
Fax: 85621-450066  
Website:  www.laoftpd.com   Operational upon Accession 
   Adopted in March 2011 TA requested from USAID and ADB for 
implementation, e.g. establishment of database, training of relevant staff on the SPS and TBT Agreements including through exchange experiences and study visit. 
Note:  Lao PDR will ensure that its legal framework on food safety, animal and plant health is in compliance with the SPS Agree ment by 31 December 2012.  Full implementation of the 
SPS Agreement is 31 December 2014, taking into consideration of national capacity and the provision of technical assistance men tioned above. 
 
 
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