. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/L/897 
14 October 2009 
 (09-5014) 
  
  
 
REPORT (2009) ON THE ACTIV ITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON 
SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES 
 
 
1. The present report is being circulated by the Chairperson of the Committee on Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures on her own responsibility.  This report provides a summary of the activities 
and decisions of the Committee as of 1 October 2009. 
2. The Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (the "SPS Committee") has held two 
regular meetings in 2009:  25-26 February and 23-24 June.  A third regular m eeting is scheduled for 
28-29 October.
1  At the June meeting, Ms Miriam Chaves of Argentina was appointed Chairperson for 
the 2009-2010 period. 
3. The Committee has been undertaking the Third Review of the Operation and Implementation 
of the SPS Agreement at its informal and regula r meetings during 2009.  In accordance with the 
procedures for the Third Review (G/SPS/W/228), and on the basis of information provided by 
Members, the Committee will consider a draft re port for adoption at its meeting in October 
(G/SPS/W/237/Rev.1).  In addition, as agreed by  the Committee in its Second Review (G/SPS/36), 
the Committee has been considering proposals to f acilitate the use of ad hoc consultations and 
negotiations to resolve trade problems.  At its meeting in October, the Committee will be invited to consider a proposal based on a previous joint proposal from Argentina and the United States 
(G/SPS/W/243).  Also as agreed in the Second Re view, the Committee will address the issue of the 
relationship between the SPS Committee and the Codex, OIE and IPPC at a workshop to be held on 
26 October 2009. 
4. In accordance with the transp arency provisions of the SPS Agreement, 733 notifications 
(including addenda, corrigenda, re visions, supplements and agreem ents on equivalence) were 
submitted in the period 1 January to 30 Sept ember 2009, bringing the total number of SPS 
notifications submitted since the entry into for ce of the Agreement to 10,570 by October 2009. 
5. At each of the Committee's meetings, Members,  Observer Organizations and the Secretariat 
provided information on their respective SPS-re lated technical assistance activities, and the 
Secretariat kept the Committee informed of the work of the Standards and Trade Development 
Facility (STDF).  The STDF is organizing a workshop on the use of economic analysis in SPS-decision making that will be held on 30 October 2009. 
6. The issue of special and differential treatme nt was considered at each meeting of the 
Committee.  The Committee continued to consider proposals to revise the procedure to enhance the 
transparency of special and differential treatment
2, but has not yet reached a decision in this regard. 
                                                      
1 The report of the February meeting is contained in G/SPS/R/54 and that of the June meeting in 
G/SPS/R/55 . 
2 The procedure is contained in  G/SPS/33, and the proposed modi fications in G/SPS/W/224 and 
revisions. G/L/897 
Page 2  
 
  7. The SPS Committee considered a wide range of  specific trade concerns, including some 
related to individual notifications.  The issues discussed included, inter alia , trade measures imposed 
in response to the Influenza A/H1N1 virus, rest rictions relating to avian influenza and bovine 
spongiform encephalopathy (BSE);  concerns with ma ximum levels of pesticide residues in various 
products,  and restrictions related to plant health protection.  To date during 2009, seven new specific 
trade concerns were raised, 18 previously raised  concerns were again discussed, and three were 
reported to have been resolved. 
8. The Committee also continued to discuss the ef fects of commercial and private SPS standards 
on trade, and the appropriate role of the SPS Co mmittee.  Members provided examples of specific 
products whose access into certain markets was affected by private standards.  These examples were 
summarized in a descriptive report that was cons idered by the Committee at its June meeting 
(G/SPS/GEN/932).  As agreed by the Committee, the Secretariat will prepare a report describing 
possible actions identified by Members that coul d be taken by the Committee and/or Members to 
address concerns regarding the effects of private SP S standards, for consideration at the October 2009 
meeting. 
9. The Eleventh Annual Report on the Procedure to Monitor the Process of International 
Harmonization was adopted by the Committee on an ad referendum basis follo wing its June meeting.
3  
A number of Members raised concerns regarding the potential effects on trade of a draft North American Plant Protection Organiza tion standard on Asian Gypsy moth. 
10. The Committee will conduct the tr ansitional review under Paragr aph 18 of the Protocol of 
Accession of the People's Republic of China at its October 2009 meeting. 
11. The Committee agreed to invite those organiza tions which had been granted observer status 
on an ad hoc, meeting-by-meeting basis to particip ate in each of its meetings during 2009.  The 
Committee was unable to reach any decision with rega rd to pending requests for observer status from 
the Office International de la Vigne et du Vin (OIV), from the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC), from the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD), and from the Gulf Cooperation Council 
Standardisation Organization (GSO). 
12. The SPS Committee maintained its  close working relationship with the IPPC, the OIE and 
Codex and received regular updates on their activities.   Other observer organizations also provided 
information on their activities, including technical assistance activities. 
13. The Committee agreed to the follo wing tentative calendar for its regular meetings in 2010:  
17-18 March, 30 June – 1 July and 20-21 October. 
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3 G/SPS/51.