WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/CRI/72 
13 February 2009 
 (09-0752) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   Spanish 
  
NOTIFICATION  
 
1. Notifying Member:  COSTA RICA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved: 
2. Agency responsible:  Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería, Servicio Fitosanitario del 
Estado (SFE)  (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, State Phytosanitary 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):  International Classification for Standards (ICS) Code 65.100 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[ X ] All trading partners, or [   ] Specific regions or countries: 
5. Title of the notified document:  Reglamento Técnico RTCR 427:2009, Reglamento 
Técnico de Límites Máximos de Residuos de Plaguicidas en Vegetales  (Costa Rican 
Technical Regulation (RTCR) No. 427:2009 on Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for 
pesticides in plants). 
Text available online at: 
http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2009/sps/CRI/09_0546_00_s.pdf  
or 
http://www.protecnet.go.cr/centro_inform acion/Notificaciones%20en%20consulta.html  
Language:  Spanish  Number of pages:  6  
6. Description of content:  The notified Technical Regulation establishes the Maximum 
Residue Limits (MRLs) authorized at national level for pesticides and their metabolites in the various plant crops for human and animal consumption. 
7. Objective and rationale:  [   ] food safety, [   ] animal health, [   ] plant protection, 
[ X ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [   ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.  
8. Is there a relevant international stan dard?  If so, identify the standard:  
[ X ] 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 N°)  
[   ] None G/SPS/N/CRI/72 
Page 2  
 
  8. Is there a relevant international standard ?  If so, identify the standard:  (cont'd) 
Does this proposed regulation conform to  the relevant international standard? 
 [ X ] Yes [   ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how a nd why it deviates from the international 
standard: 
9. Other relevant documents and langua ge(s) in which these are available:  
• Executive Decree ( Decreto Ejecutivo ) No. 27683 MAG-MEIC-S, Laboratorio para 
el análisis de residuos de sustancias química s y biológicas de uso en la agricultura 
para consumo humano y animal (Laboratory for the analysis of residues of chemical 
and biological substances used in agricultu re for human and animal consumption), 
published on 19 May 1998.  
• Executive Decree No. 27056 MAG-MEIC, Toma de muestras para análisis de 
residuos de sustancias químicas y afines de uso agrícola en los cultivos de vegetales  
(Sampling for analysis of residues of chemicals and related substances used in 
agriculture for plant crops), published on 5 January 1998. 
• WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  
("SPS Agreement"), which entered into force on 1 January 1995. 
• Ley General de Protección Fitosanitario  (General Law on plant protection) 
No. 7674, published on 8 April 1997. 
• Regulation ( Reglamento ) No. 33495-MAG-S-MINAE-MEIC, Registro, Uso y 
Control de Plaguicidas Sintéticos Form ulados, Ingrediente Activo Grado Técnico, 
Coadyuvantes y Sustancias  Afines de Uso Agrícola  (Registration, use and control of 
synthetic formulated pesticides, technical -grade active ingredients, co-formulants 
and related substances for agricultura l use), published on 10 January 2007. 
• Codex Alimentarius Standard on Pesticide Residues in Food  
http://www.codexalimentarius.net/mrls/pestdes/jsp/pest_q-s.jsp  of 9 April 2008. 
Consulted on 11 August 2008. 
• MRL Standard of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); 
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/food/viewtols.htm . 2005 CFR-Title 20, Vol. 23. 
Consulted on 11 August 2008. 
• Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 of the Europ ean Parliament and of the Council of 
23 February 2005 on Maximum residue levels of pestic ides in or on food and feed of 
plant and animal origin , in force at the time of import. 
http://europa.eu/scadplus/leg/es/lvb/l21289.htm .  Consulted on 11 August 2008. 
• www.codexalimentarius.net .  Consulted on 11 August 2008. 
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) :  Upon publication in the Official Journal, 
La Gaceta  
Propose date of publication ( dd/mm/yy) : 
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  [   ] Six months from date of publication , and/or  
(dd/mm/yy) :  To be determined 
[   ] Trade facilitating measure   G/SPS/N/CRI/72 
 Page 3 
 
 
  12. Final date for comments: [ X ] Sixty days  from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or ( dd/mm/yy ):  14 April 2009 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [ X ] National Notification 
Authority, [   ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National Notification Authority, [ X ] National Enquiry 
Point.  Address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  
Servicio Fitosanitario del Estado (SFE) 
Centro de Información y Notificación en  Medidas Sanitarias y Fitosanitarias 
Apartado Postal 70-3006 Barreal de Heredia, Costa Rica 
Tel.: +(506) 22 60 83 00, ext. 2065 
Fax: +(506) 22 62 78 31 E-mail: notificaciones@protecnet.go.cr Website: www.protecnet.go.cr