. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/AUS/185 
4 August 2005 
 (05-3503) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION  
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   AUSTRALIA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved: 
2. Agency responsible:   Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Processed foods. 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: All 
countries supplying food to Aust ralia, as well as  domestically produced foods sold in 
Australia.  
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   Draft Assessment for 
Application A553   – Food derived from Glyphosate-tolerant Cotton Line MON 88913 (53 
pages, in English). 
6. Description of content:  FSANZ has received an Application to amend Standard 1.5.2 – 
Food Produced using Gene Technology in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code 
(the Code) to approve the use of food pr oducts derived from genetically modified 
glyphosate-tolerant cotton line MON 88913.  Herb icide tolerance is conferred by the CP4 
epsps gene. 
Cotton line MON 88913 has been developed fo r cultivation in the United States and 
Australia, therefore, if approved, food derive d from this cotton could enter the market in 
Australia via imported products. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [ X ] food safety, [   ] animal health, [   ] plant protection, 
[   ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease,  [   ]  protect territory from other 
damage from pests 
Foods produced using gene technology are re quired to undergo a pre-market assessment of 
their safety, to ensure that they are as safe as their conventional counterparts. 
All applications to change the Code must be assessed in the context of the following 
objectives:  (a) the protection of public health and safety; (b) the provision of adequate information relating to food to enable consum ers to make informed choices; and (c) the 
prevention of misleading or deceptive conduct.    
8. International standard, guideline or recommendation:  
[ X ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention, [   ] None  
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:    G/SPS/N/AUS/185 
Page 2  
 
 9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Australia New 
Zealand Food Standards Code  (English) 
10. Proposed date of adoption:  Notification to Government anticipated early 2006 with 
adoption (gazettal) to follow, pending Government consideration. 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   Date of Gazettal pending Government consideration. 
12. Final date for comments:  3 October 2005  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [ X ] National notification 
authority, [   ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if 
available) of other body:    
Food Standards Aust ralia New Zealand 
PO Box 7186 
Canberra BC  ACT  2610 
Australia Fax: + 61 2 6271 2278 
E-mail:  slo@foodstandards.gov.au
 
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notification authority, [   ] National enquiry point, 
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  Documents are 
available from the Food Standards Australia New Ze aland website: 
www.foodstandards.gov.au/standardsdevelopment .   
Copies are also available from: 
 
The Australian SPS Notification Point GPO Box 858 CANBERRA  ACT  2601 
AUSTRALIA 
Fax: +61 2 6272 3678    
Email: sps.contact@daff.gov.au