WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/CRI/70 
22 December 2008 
 (08-6292) 
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 Ganadería, Servicio Nacional de Salud 
Animal  - SENASA (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, National Animal Health 
Service) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO;  ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  ICS code 67.100 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[ X ] All trading partners, or 
[   ] Specific regions or countries: 
5. Title of the notified document:  Reglamento Técnico RTCR 422:2008 Quesos no 
madurados, incluidos los quesos frescos  (Costa Rican Technical Regulation (RTCR) 
No. 422:2008:  Unripened cheese, including  fresh cheese).  Text available at: 
http://www.senasa.go.cr/documentosenconsultaOMC.html  
http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2008/sps/CRI/08_3993_00_s.pdf  
Language:  Spanish  Number of pages:  15 
6. Description of content:  The notified text establish es the characteristics of and 
requirements for unripened cheese, including fr esh cheese.  The Technical Regulations for 
individual varieties of unripened cheese may c ontain provisions more specific than those in 
the notified Regulation.  If so, the more specific provisions are to be applied. 
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 No.)  G/SPS/N/CRI/70 
Page 2  
 
  8. Is there a relevant international standard ?  If so, identify the standard:  (cont'd) 
[ X ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to  the relevant international standard? 
[  ] Yes  [ X ] 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: 
• Executive Decree No. 22268-MEIC, Costa Rican Standard (NCR) No. 148:1993:  
Metrología :  Contenido Neto de Productos Preempacados (Metrology:  Net 
Contents of Pre-Packaged Products) a nd amendments thereto, published in 
La Gaceta  (Official Journal) No. 132 of 13 July 1993; 
• Executive Decree No. 26012-MEIC, Costa Rican Technical Regulation (RTCR) 
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 No. 29660-MEIC,  Metrología, Unidades Legales de Medida  
(Metrology, Legal Units of Measurement), pu blished in Official Journal No. 151 of 
8 August 2001; 
• Executive Decree No. 33288-MEIC-MAG-S, Costa Rican Technical Regulation 
(RTCR) No. 395-2006:  Para el uso de Términos Lecheros  (Use of Dairy Terms), 
published in Official Journa l No. 164 of 28 August 2006; 
• Executive Decree No. 33812-MEIC-MAG-S, Costa Rican Technical Regulation 
(RTCR) No. 401:2007:  Leche Cruda y Leche Higienizada  (Raw Milk and 
Processed Milk) and amendments thereto, pu blished in Official Journal No. 112 of 
12 June 2007. 
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 (dd/mm/yy) :  [  ] Six months from date of publication, 
and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  To be determined. 
[  ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Final date for comments:  [ X ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  20 February 2009 
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:    G/SPS/N/CRI/70 
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  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 
Web site:  www.senasa.go.cr