RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/W/228 
1 August 2008 
 (08-3669) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures  
  
 
PROPOSED PROCESS FOR THE THIRD REVIEW OF THE OPERATION AND 
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AGREEMENT ON THE APPLICATION  
OF SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES 
 
Note by the Secretariat
1 
 
 
At the Fourth Session of the Ministerial Conf erence, Ministers instructed the Committee to 
review the operation and implementation of the SPS Agreement at least once every four years, pursuant to the provisions of Article 12.7 of the Agreement.
2  The Second Review was concluded by 
the Committee in June 2005 (G/SPS/36).  In order to facilitate an efficient review process, the 
Secretariat, in consultation with the Chairpers on, is proposing that the Committee agree to the 
following procedure.  The Committee will be invited to agree on this procedure at its meeting of 8-
9 October 2008. 
 
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1. The Review will initially be conducted throug h open-ended informal meetings of the 
Committee.  The informal meetings will normally be scheduled back-to-b ack with the regular 
meetings of the Committee.  If necessary, further informal and special meetings of the Committee 
may be scheduled. 
2. Members will be invited to identify issues for di scussion as part of the Review.  On the basis 
of the issues identified, the Chairperson will propose which issues will be consid ered at each informal 
meeting of the Committee.  For each meeting, Members will be invited to submit  papers on the issues 
proposed for consideration at least 15 days in advance of the meeting.   
3. An item relating to the Review will be included in the agenda of each regular meeting of the 
Committee during the Review period, at which the Chairperson will present orally a brief factual 
report on the informal Review process.  Upon co mpletion of the informal process, the Chairperson 
will submit a summary report to the Committee iden tifying issues discussed and conclusions reached.  
On the basis of this report, the SPS Committee will c onsider what further action may be appropriate.  
4. The Review process will be conducted on the basi s of the following calendar, recognizing that 
some of the dates may need to be modified in light of other activities and resource constraints. 
                                                      
1 This document has been prepared under the Secret ariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the positions of Members or to their rights or obligations under the WTO. 
2 Implementation-Related Issues and Concerns, Decision of 14 November 2001, WT/MIN(01)/17, 
paragraph 3.4. G/SPS/W/228 
Page 2  
 
  Informal and formal meetings of 7-9 October 2008 
• Adoption by the Committee of the procedure for the Third Review 
• Initial identification by Members of issues they wish to be considered during the Review 
31 October 2008 
• Circulation by Secretariat of background document 
28 November 2008 
• Submission by Members of any written comments on the background paper prepared by 
the Secretariat and/or requests for background  information on additional specific issues 
• Identification by Members of any other issu es they wish to be considered during the 
Review 
9 February 2009  
• Submission by Members of papers on the issues proposed for consideration 
• Identification by Members of any further issues for consideration during the Review 
13 February 2009   
• Proposal by Chairperson of the order in whic h issues will be considered at the informal 
meeting, in light of the proposals and submissions received 
• Circulation by Secretariat of updated background document 
Informal meeting of 23 or 24 February 2009 
• Initial discussions on issues identified 
27 March 2009  
• Submission by Members, in writing, of any further papers on issues proposed for 
consideration 
24 April 2009 
• Circulation by Secretariat of first draft report on the Third Review 
Informal meeting of 22 or 23 June 2009  
• Discussion of first draft of report 
• Identification of issues for fu rther work by the Committee  G/SPS/W/228 
 Page 3 
 
 
  25 July 2009  
• Submission of written comments by Members on the draft report of the Review 
25 September2009  
• Circulation by Secretariat of revised draft report on the Review 
Informal meeting of 12 or 13 October 2009  
• Consideration and, if possible, finalization of the report on the Review 
Formal meeting of 14-15 October 2009 
• Adoption of the report on the Third Review 
 
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