WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  RESTRICTED 
WT/ACC/LAO/13/Rev.6 
15 June 2012 
 (12-3198) 
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 4 June 2012, is being circulated at the request of the Delegation of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). 
 
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  WT/ACC/LAO/13/Rev.6 
Page 2 Issues Actions Implementation Timeframe Technical Assistance Provided/Sought 
1.  Food Safety Regulation on Bottled Drinking Water, 
No. 585/MoH, dated 12 May 2006 Adopted in May 2006 TA received from FAO and WHO. 
Regulation on Production,  Exported-Imported Safe 
Food, No. 586/MoH, dated 12 May 2006 Adopted in May 2006 TA received from FAO and WHO. 
National Policy on Food Safety, No. 028/PM, dated 
3 February 2009 Adopted in February 2009 TA 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, No. 518/MoH, dated 18 March 2009  Adopted in March 2009 TA received from FAO and WHO on 
drafting.  TA received from TDF for publication, dissemination and training for all stakeholders. 
Regulation on Labelling of Pre-Packaged Food, 
No. 519/MoH, dated 18 March 2009  Adopted in March 2009 TA r eceived from WHO on drafting. 
Decision on Food Inspection No. 297/MOH dated 
24 February 2012  Adopted in February 2012 TA received from TDF, FAO legal expert 
has been employed for finalizing the 
regulation. 
Regulation on Food Additives Adopted under Ministerial 
Decision on Adopting Codex Alimentarius Standards as Priorities, No. 605/MoH, dated 27 April 2011 TA to be requested from TDF for 
translation, publication, training and implementation. 
Ministerial Decision on Adopting Codex Alimentarius Standards, No. 605/MoH, dated 27 
April 2011 Adopted in April 2011 TA 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 
 TA received from UNIDO.  
   WT/ACC/LAO/13/Rev.6
 Page 3Issues Actions Implementation Timeframe Technical Assistance Provided/Sought 
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.6 
Page 4 Issues Actions Implementation Timeframe Technical Assistance Provided/Sought 
2.  Animal Health Law on Livestock Production and Veterinary, 
No. 03/NA, dated 25 July 2008  Adopted in July 2008 Recommendations received from FAO 
and EU.  TA received from FAO and TDF for publication, dissemination and training for 
all stakeholders. 
Law on Fisheries, No. 03/NA, dated 9 July 2009 Adopted in July 2009 TA received from TDF for publication, 
dissemination and training for all 
stakeholders. 
Ministerial Decision on Animal Slaughtering and Animal Product Inspection, No. 0870/MAF, dated 18 March 2011  Adopted in March 2011 Recommendations received from EU. 
Decree on the Control of the Movement of Animal, 
Animal Product and Related Item No. 230/GoL, dated 4 June 2012 (formerly referred to as amendment of Decree on Livestock and Livestock 
Products Movement Control)  Adopted in June 2012 TA received from FAO, TDF and USAID. 
Decree on Animal Disease Control and Prevention 
No. 228/GoL, dated 31 May 2012 (formerly referred to as amendment of Decree on Animal Epidemic 
Diseases) Adopted in May 2012 TA received from FAO, TDF and USAID 
Establishment of a diagnostic labor atory Completed in December 2011 
BSL.3 system is being installed.  Equipment moved in from the old laboratory. Implementation funding requested from 
the World Bank. 
Identification of animal disease free areas 
 
Regulation on Establishment of Animal Disease Free Area or Compartmentalization  The principles were included in 
Decree on Animal Disease 
Control and Prevention No. 228/GoL, dated 31 May 2012 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, No. 0039/MAF, dated 11 January 2012  Adopted in January 2012 TA received from USAID.   
   WT/ACC/LAO/13/Rev.6
 Page 5Issues Actions Implementation Timeframe Technical Assistance Provided/Sought 
Regulation on Criteria for Livestock Production and 
Veterinary Business  Incorporated in the Decree on the 
Control of the Movement of Animals, Animal Product and Related Item No. 230/GoL, dated 4 June 2012 and Decree on 
Animal Disease Control and 
Prevention No. 228/GoL, dated 31 May 2012  
3.  Plant Health Law on Plant Protection and Quarantine, No 06/NA, 
dated 9 December 2008  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 Implementation of the Law on Plant Protection No. 229/GoL, dated 31 May 2012  Adopted in May 2012 TA received from FAO, TDF and USAID 
Regulation on Good Agriculture Practices Adopted in 2010  
Guideline on Inspection and Certification 
Procedures for Plants, Plan Products and Related Articles (formerly refers to as the Regulation on Plant Inspection and Certification). Incorporated in Decree on 
Implementation of the Law on Plant Protection No. 229/GoL, dated 31 May 2012 TA received from FAO and TDF 
Establishment of a laboratory on plant diseases and 
pests Deferred No funding.  
Identification of pest and disease free areas Basic principles have been 
incorporated in the Decree on 
Implementation of the Law on 
Plant Protection No. 229/GoL, dated 31 May 2012  
Ministerial Decision of on Control of Pesticides in 
Lao PDR, No. 2860/MAF of 11 June 2010 (formerly referred to as the Regulation on Pesticide Management) Adopted in 2010 TA requested from TDF for translation 
and publication.  
4.  Information Procedures Decree on Notification and Enquiry of Trade 
Related Information, No. 363/PM, dated 19 August 2010 (formerly referred to as Decree on the SPS and 
TBT Notification Centre and Enquiry Points) Adopted in August 2010 TA r eceived from EU on drafting and 
received from USAID and ADB for implementation.  
  WT/ACC/LAO/13/Rev.6 
Page 6 Issues Actions Implementation Timeframe Technical Assistance Provided/Sought 
Establishment of SPS Enquiry Point under Decree 
on Notification and Enquiry of Trade Related Information No. 363/PM  Decision on SPS Enquiry Point, No. 1502/MAF, 
dated 23 June 2011 was adopted 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 
Email: enquiries@laossps.gov.la   
(To be operational upon accession) Operational upon Accession 
   Adopted in June 2011 
 
   Responsible staff has been 
assigned; Webpage has been 
developed under Trade Portal website;  TA received from USAID and ADB for 
implementation.   TA received from USAID.  
 
   Training and study visit for responsible 
staff have been requested from USAID 
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 9 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.laoftpd.com   Operational upon Accession 
   Adopted in March 2011 
 
 Responsible staff has been assigned; Training and study visit for responsible staff have been 
requested from USAID 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. 
 
  
   WT/ACC/LAO/13/Rev.6
 Page 7 
Plan of activities for 2012: 
1) Develop operational manuals for the SPS Enquiry Point and Notification Unit (with ADB support); 
2) Organize dissemination workshops and produce publications on ac tivities and function of the SPS Enquiry Point and Notification Unit (with ADB and 
USAID support);  
3) Provide trainings and study visits for staff responsible for the SPS Enquiry Point and Notification Unit (with USAID support); 
4) Launching event for the operation of the SPS Enquiry Point and Notification Unit (with TDF support); and  
5) Adopt all necessary legislation to ensure the full compliance w ith the SPS Agreement by December 2012 (with TDF and USAID suppo rt). 
 
Plan of activities and technical assistance needed for 2013: 
1) Organize dissemination workshops and produ ce publications on newly ad opted SPS legislation and the SPS Agreement for relevant s takeholders 
including business sector, local government authorities and relevant competent authorities; 
2) Set up the risk assessment systems for public health and agri culture sectors including seeking f unding support for necessary eq uipment; 
3) Provide relevant trainings and stud y visits on risk assessment staff; 
4) Establish the National SPS Committee;  
5) Assign the national representatives to par ticipate in the WTO SPS committee meetings; 
6) Organize an annual national revi ew on the implementation of ne wly adopted SPS legislation; 
 
Plan of activities and technical assistance needed for 2014: 
1) Communicate to address the outstanding issues identified by the annual national review; 
2) Organize dissemination workshops and consultation meetings, if necessary; 
3) Participate in the WTO SPS committee meeti ngs and other relevant WTO meetings; 
4) Organize an annual national review on the im plementation of the SPS legislation; and 
5) Exchange experiences on SPS matters with other Members. 
 
 
  
Note:  Lao PDR will ensure that its legal framework on food safety,  animal and plant health is in compliance with the SPS Agree ment by 31 December 2012.  
Full implementation of the SPS Agreement is 31 December 2014, taki ng into consideration of national capacity and the provision of technical assistance 
mentioned above. 
 
 
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