. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/W/226 
19 June 2008 
 (08-2912) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
 
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SPS COMM ITTEE AND CODEX, OIE AND IPPC 
 
Comments and proposal by Japan
 
 
 
 The following communication, received on 19 June 2008, is being circulated at the request of 
the delegation of Japan . 
 
 
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BACKGROUND 
 
1. The Second Review, which was concluded in  2005, recommended that the SPS Committee 
further clarify the relationship between the SPS Comm ittee and the Codex, OIE and IPPC with a view 
to facilitating the implementation of the SPS Agr eement while avoiding duplication of activities 
(G/SPS/36, para. 91).  Responding to the recommendation, the WTO Secretariat presented G/SPS/GEN/775 at the 39th SPS Committee in June 2007 and provided background information on various aspects of the relationship between the im plementation of the SPS Agreement and the work of 
the Codex, OIE and IPPC.  
PROPOSAL 
 
2. Japan would like to propose that the SPS Co mmittee organize a workshop on the standard-
setting procedures of the Codex, OIE and IPPC.  Since there are a number of cross-sectoral issues under consideration such as "regionalization" or "priva te standards", Japan is of the view that such a 
workshop is necessary in order to understand the st andard-setting procedures of the Codex, OIE and 
IPPC.  
3. Article 3.1 of the SPS Agreement obliges Member s to base their national requirements on 
international standards, guidelines and recommendations , where they exist.  Therefore, Members are 
encouraged to effectively particip ate in the work of the standard-setting bodies, particularly in the 
elaboration of international standards.  In this regard, Japan appreciates that the WTO Secretariat 
organized the workshop on "International Standard-S etting Organisations:  Process and Participation" 
in March 2001. 
4. Japan believes that the workshop was very successful and assisted developing country 
Members.  However, Japan would like to draw atten tion to the fact that there have been systemic 
improvements at each international standard- setting body since 2001 as outlined below:  G/SPS/W/226 
Page 2  
 
  (a) Codex   
- Establishment of the Codex Trust Fund in 2004, which has been contributing to 
increasing participation of developi ng countries in Codex meetings; 
- Introduction of a critical review in 2004 for ensuring that progress in the development 
of standards is consistent with the envisaged time frame;  and 
- Adoption of both the Guidelines on Physical Working Groups and the Guidelines on 
Electronic Working Group in 2005.  
(b) OIE 
- Establishment of the Working Group on An imal Production Food Safety to coordinate 
the food safety activities of the OIE in 2002; 
- Introduction of a two-year cycle for standard-setting processes in 2005;  and 
- Improvement of transparency in standa rd-setting processes, such as disseminating 
reports of General Sessions and Specia list Commissions via the OIE website.  
(c) IPPC 
1 
- Establishment of technical panels in specifi c areas to assist the work of the Standards 
Committee in 2004;  
- Introduction of the "fast track" standard- setting process in 2004, which was renamed 
as the "special" standard-setting process in 2008;  and 
- Holding of regional workshops on draft In ternational Standards for Phytosanitary 
Measures, in order to assist Member countries to have a clear understanding and to facilitate their national comments on the draft ISPMs. 
5. In the light of the situations mentioned above , Japan proposes that the Secretariat organize a 
workshop to understand the standard-setting procedur es of the Codex, OIE and IPPC in conjunction 
with a future meeting of the SPS Committee, in orde r to better assist developing country Members.  
 
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1 The International Plant Protection Convention (1997) was ratified in 2006.