. /.   WORLD  TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/ARG/102 
21 December 2006 
 (06-6126) 
Committee on Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures  Original:   Spanish 
 
 
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   ARGENTINA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible:  Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria  - SENASA 
(National Agriculture and Food Quality and 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):  Live land snails ( Helix aspersa and Otala lactea ) 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:   
 Trading partners  
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Condiciones Sanitarias y 
Modelo de Certificado Veterinario  Internacional para la autoriz ación de la importación de 
caracoles de tierra vivos a la República Argentina  (Health Requirements and Model 
International Veterinary Certificate for Aut horizing the Importation of Live Land Snails 
into the Argentine Republic) (8 pages, in Spanish). 
6. Description of content:   The draft document contains m odels of the application form for 
importing live land snails ( Solicitud de importación de Caracoles de Tierra Vivos ) and the 
international veterinary certificate author izing the importation of live land snails ( Helix 
aspersa and Otala lactea ) into the Argentine Republic ( Certificado veterinario internacional 
para la autorización de la importación de caracoles de tierra vivos (Helix aspersa y Otala 
lactea) a la República Argentina ). 
 Amongst other requirements, the establis hment in which the live land snails are 
farmed must ensure that fencing surrounds the premises so as to prevent animals (including 
rodents) from entering and that waste water is not  used to water plants on which the snails 
feed.  Moreover, no unexplained deaths must have occurred in the six months prior to the 
exportation of the live land snails to Argentina. 
 The live land snails must have been fed on meal and salts of vegetable or mineral 
origin (except for oyster shell) and not have i ngested toxic or hazardous substances from food 
and/or through handling.  They must be  fit for human consumption and undergo an 
organoleptic examination in which samples show that they meet the criteria established for 
that purpose.   
7. Objective and rationale:  [ X ] food safety, [ X ] animal health, [   ] plant protection,   
[ X ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [   ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests  G/SPS/N/ARG/102 
Page 2  
 
  8. International standard, guideline or recommendation:  
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [ X ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention, [   ] None 
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:   
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Once adopted, the 
resolution will be published in the Boletín Oficial  (Official Journal). 
10. Proposed date of adoption:   To be determined 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   To be determined 
12. Final date for comments:   60 days after the date of notification. 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National notification 
authority, [ X ] National enquiry point or  address, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:  
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notification authority, [   ] National enquiry point 
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: