G/SPS/N/EU/380  
 
1 April 2020  
(20-2609) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  EUROPEAN UNION  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  European Commission, Health and Food Safety 
Directorate -General  
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):  Horizontal measure  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading pa rtners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/466 
of 31 March on temporary measures to contain risks to human, animal and plant 
health  and animal welfare during certain serious disruptions of Member States' control 
systems  due to Coronavirus disease (COVID -19) (Text with EEA relevance) . 
Language(s):  English, French, Spanish . Number of pages:  4 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/SPS/EEC/20_2299_00_e.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/SPS/EEC/20_2299_00_f.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/SPS/EEC/20_2299_00_s.pdf  
6. Description of content:  Temporary flexibility option for control authorities to use 
inter alia remote communication and electronically submitted documents for checks, in 
view of the situation linked to COVID -19. 
7. Objective and rationale: [X]  food safety, [X]  animal  health, [X]  plant protection, 
[X] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.   
8. Is there a relevant international standard? 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 number) :  
[X] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[ ] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   G/SPS/N/EU/380  
 
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  9. Other relevant documents and lan guage(s) in which these are available:  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 30 March 2020  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 31 March 2020  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : 1 April 2020  
[X] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [  ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : Not applicable.  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] National Notification 
Authority, [  ] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address 
(if available) of other body:   
European Commission  
DG Health and Food Safety, Unit D2 -Multilateral International Relations  
Rue Froissart 101  
B-1049 Brussels  
Tel: +(322) 29 54263  
Fax: +(322) 29 98090  
E-mail: sps@ec.europa.eu   
13. Text(s) available from: [  ] National Notification Authority, [  ] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
European Commission  
DG Health and Food Safety, Unit D2 -Multilateral International Relations  
Rue Froissart 101  
B-1049 Brussels  
Tel: +(322) 29 54263  
Fax: +(322) 29 98090  
E-mail: sps@ec.europa.eu