RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/ACC/LAO/13/Rev.4 
29 March 2011 
 (11-1545) 
Working Party on the 
Accession of the Lao PDR Original:   English 
 
 
 
ACCESSION OF THE LAO PDR 
 
Action Plan on the Legislative Work an d Implementation of the WTO Agreement  
on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS)  
 
Revision  
  
 The following submission, dated 16 March 2011, is  being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). 
 
_______________ WT/ACC/LAO/13/Rev.4 
Page 2 
 
 
  Issues Actions Implementation 
Timeframe Technical Assistance 
Provided/Sought 
Regulation on Bottled Drinking Water, No. 585/MOH, dated 
12 May 2006 Adopted in 2006 TA including 
recommendations received 
from FAO and WHO. 
Regulation on Production, Exported-
Imported Safe Food, No. 586/MOH, 
dated 12 May 2006 Adopted in 2006 TA including 
recommendations received 
from FAO and WHO. 
National Policy on Food Safety, 
No. 028/PM dated 3 February 2009 Adopted in 2009 TA including 
recommendations received 
from FAO and WHO. 
 
TA received from Trade 
Development Facility (TDF) 
for publication, 
dissemination and training 
for all stakeholders. 
Regulation on Basic Principles in Application of Sanitary and 
Technical Measures in Food Safety 
Management in accordance with the 
SPS Agreement (formerly referred to 
as Decree on Implementation of 
Food Law) Adopted in 2009 Recommendations received 
from FAO and WHO. 
 
TA received from TDF for 
publication, dissemination 
and training for all 
stakeholders. 
Regulation on Labelling of  
Pre-Packaged Food  Adopted in 2009 TA received from WHO on 
drafting. 
Regulation on Food Inspection 
(formerly referred to as Regulation 
on Food Control System) Regulation being 
drafted by MOH 
and to be adopted 
by 2011 TA received from WHO and 
FAO in drafting regulation 
and to be requested from 
TDF and WHO for 
finalizing the regulation and 
guidelines as well as training 
for food inspector. 
Regulation on Food Additives Expect to be 
adopted in 
March 2011 TA to be requested from 
TDF, FAO and WHO for 
drafting and finalizing the 
regulation. 
Adopting Codex Alimentarius 
Standards for Lao PDR Expect to be 
adopted in 
March 2011 TA to be requested from 
TDF for translation, 
publication, training and 
implementation. 
National Association of Testing 
Authority (NATA)’s assessment on 
ISO 17025 accreditation for 
microbiology testing laboratory Started in 2009 
 
On-going TA received from UNIDO. 1.  Food Safety 
Improving food processing by 
introducing food hygiene practice, 
GMP GMP Guidelines 
developed and 
training provided 
in 2009-2010. TA provided by EC, FAO 
and WHO in 
November 2009 for training 
and developing guidelines.  
TA requested from Japan for 
GMP through APO project.  WT/ACC/LAO/13/Rev.4 
 Page 3 
 
 
  Issues Actions Implementation 
Timeframe Technical Assistance 
Provided/Sought 
Livestock Production and Veterinary Law No. 03/NA, dated 25 July 2008 
(formerly referred to as the 
Veterinary Law) Adopted in 2008 Recommendations received 
from FAO and EU. 
 
TA requested from FAO and 
TDF for publication, 
dissemination and training 
for all stakeholders. 
Law on Fisheries Adopted in 20 09 TA received fo r publication, 
dissemination and training 
for all stakeholders. 
TA received from TDF for 
translation. 
Ministerial Decision on Animal 
Slaughtering and Animal Product 
Inspection (formerly referred to as 
Decree on Meat Inspection) Adopted in 
March 2011 Recommendations received 
from EU. 
TA to be requested for 
publication, translation, and 
dissemination. 
The amendment of Decree on Inspection of Live Animals on 
Import and Transit To be adopted in 
December 2011 Recommendations received 
from EU and USAID. 
The amendment of Decree on Animal Epidemic Diseases To be adopted in 
December 2011 Recommendations received 
from EU and USAID. 
Decree on Livestock Production 
Management Decree is 
unnecessary as 
required provisions 
already included in 
Livestock 
Production and 
Veterinary Law N/A 
Decree on Animal Qu arantine Decree is 
unnecessary as 
required provisions 
already included in 
Livestock 
Production and 
Veterinary Law N/A 
Establishment of a diagnostic 
laboratory Design finished in 
2010 Implementation funding 
requested from the 
World Bank. 
Identification of animal disease free 
areas To begin in 
September 2011 
 TA to be requested. ADB 
and World Bank under 
process of designing 
programme to get 
accreditation from OIE. 
Regulation on Principles in the Application of SPS Measures in 
Plant and Animal Administration   To be adopted in 
December 2011 TA to be received from 
USAID. 2.  Animal Health 
Regulation on Criteria for Livestock 
Production and Veterinary Business  To be Adopted in 
December 2011 N/A WT/ACC/LAO/13/Rev.4 
Page 4 
 
 
  Issues Actions Implementation 
Timeframe Technical Assistance 
Provided/Sought 
Law on Plant Protection and Quarantine (formerly referred to as 
Law on Plant Protection and Plant 
Quarantine) Adopted in 2008 Recommendations received 
from FAO legal experts, 
practices of neighbouring 
countries. 
 
TA received from TDF for 
publication, dissemination, 
translation and training for 
all stakeholders. 
Decree on Implementing on Plant 
Protection and Quarantine [formerly 
referred to as Regulation on Plant 
Quarantine]  To be adopted by 
2011 TA requested from TDF for 
drafting the update. 
Regulation on Good Agriculture 
Product Adopted in 2010  
Regulation on Plant Inspection and 
Certification To be drafted by 
2011 TA requested from TDF for 
drafting the regulation. 
Establishment of a laboratory on 
plant diseases and pests Deferred No funding.  
Identification of pest and disease free 
areas To be completed in 
2012 TA to be requested. 3.  Plant Health 
Regulation on Pesticide Management Adopted in 2010 TA requested from TDF for 
translation and publication.  
Decree on Notification and Enquiry 
of Trade Related Information 
No. 363/PM (formerly referred to as 
Decree on the SPS and TBT 
Notification Centre and Enquiry 
Points) Adopted in 2010 TA received from EU on 
drafting and to be requested 
from USAID and ADB for 
implementation. 4.  Information      Procedures 
Establishment of SPS Enquiry Point 
under Decree on Notification and 
Enquiry of Trade Related 
Information No. 363/PM 
 
Decision on SPS Enquiry Point being 
prepared to strengthen coordination 
among notification unit, enquiry 
points and relevant authorities. 
 
Address of SPS Enquiry Point:  
Department of Planning, Ministry of 
Agriculture and Forestry  
PO Box 811, Vientiane Capital,  
Lao PDR 
Tel: 85621-415363 
Fax: 85621-412343 Operational upon 
Accession 
 
 
 
To be adopted in 
June 2011 
 
 TA requested from USAID 
and ADB for 
implementation. 
 
 
TA received from USAID 
and ADB.  WT/ACC/LAO/13/Rev.4 
 Page 5 
 
 
  Issues Actions Implementation 
Timeframe Technical Assistance 
Provided/Sought 
 Establishment of SPS and TBT 
Notification Unit under Decree on 
Notification and Enquiry of Trade 
Related Information No. 363/PM 
 
Decision on SPS and TBT 
Notification Unit, No 0471/MOIC, 
dated 09 March 2011 
 
Address of SPS and TBT 
Notification Unit: 
Foreign Trade Policy Department, 
Ministry of Industry and Commerce.  
P.O. Box 4107, Phonexay Road, 
Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR 
Tel:  85621-450065 
Fax: 85621-450066  
Website:  www.m-lao.com/ftpd   Operational upon 
Accession 
 
 
 
Adopted in 
March 2011 TA requested from USAID 
and ADB for 
implementation, e.g. 
establishment of database, 
training of relevant staff on 
the SPS and TBT 
Agreements including 
through exchange 
experiences and study visit. 
Note:  Lao PDR will ensure that its legal framework on food safety, animal and plant health is in compliance 
with the SPS Agreem ent by 31 December 2012.  Full implementation of the SPS Agreement is 
31 December 2014, taking into cons ideration of national capacity and th e provision of technical assistance 
mentioned above. 
 
 
__________