. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/CRI/59 
1 February 2008 
 (08-0471) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  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):  All animals and products and by-products of animal origin requiring official 
tests and trials  
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:  Reglamento para 
Laboratorios Oferentes, de  Referencia y con Ensayo s Oficializados por SENASA 
(Regulation governing outside laboratories, re ference laboratories an d laboratories conducting 
official SENASA tests and trials) (9 pages, in Spanish).  
6. Description of content:  The provisions of the notified Regulation will form the regulatory 
framework for outside and reference laboratori es, whether public or private, domestic or 
foreign, which conduct official tests and trials in support of SENASA programmes, 
campaigns, and inspection, control and assessment system.  
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        
8. International standard, guideline or recommendation: 
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission,  [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention,  [ X ] 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:  Regulation governing 
outside laboratories, reference laboratories and laboratories condu cting official SENASA tests 
and trials.  Published for public consultation in Official Journal La Gaceta  No. 224 of 
22 November 2007.  The draft proposal is available in Spanish at: http://www.senasa.go.cr/documentosenconsulta.html
. 
10. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined.  G/SPS/N/CRI/59 
Page 2  
 
  11. Proposed date of entry into force:  Upon publication in the Official Journal.  
12. Final date for comments:  60 days as from the date of notification.  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [  X ] National notification 
authority, [    ] National enquiry point, or add ress, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:        
13. Texts available from:  [  X ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry 
point, or 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) 260-8300, ext. 2065 
Fax: +(506) 262-7831 
E-mail: notificaciones@protecnet.go.cr Web site: http://www.protecnet.go.cr