. /. WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/L/969 
27 October 2011 
 (11-5398) 
  
  
 
REPORT (2011) ON THE ACTIV ITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON 
SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES 
 
 
1. The present report is being circulated by the Chairperson of the Committee on Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures on his own responsibility.  This report provides a summary of the activities 
and decisions of the Committee during 2011. 
2. The Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (the "SPS Committee") held three 
regular meetings in 2011:  30-31 March, 30 June-1 Ju ly, and 19-20 October.  At the end of the March 
meeting, Mr. Deny Kurnia (Indonesia) assumed th e chairmanship from Mr. Flavio Soares Damico 
(Brazil). 
3. At each meeting, Members provided information regarding changes in their SPS policies and 
situations.  The SPS Committee also considered a wi de range of specific trade concerns, including 
some related to individual notifications.  Eighteen  new specific trade concerns were raised during 
2011, many previously raised concerns were ag ain discussed.  The issues discussed included, inter 
alia, restrictions relating to avian influenza and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE);  maximum 
levels of pesticide residues in vari ous products;  restrictions regarding food and animal feed additives;  
as well as some pest-specific concerns. 
4. The SPS Committee examined the operation of the transparency provisions of the SPS 
Agreement, noting that an increasing number of Members are submitting SPS notifications, and the 
number of notifications is showing an upward tr end.  A new SPS Notification Submission System 
(NSS) became operational during 2011, permitting Members to submit SPS notifications on-line.  
This system should improve the quality of the notifications, and streamline their distribution. 
5. At each of the Committee's meetings, Members,  Observer Organizations and the Secretariat 
provided information on their respective SPS-re lated technical assistance activities, and the 
Secretariat kept the Committee informed of the work of the Standards and Trade Development 
Facility (STDF). 
6. The issue of special and differential treatment  was on the agenda of each meeting of the 
Committee. 
7. The SPS Committee continued to address some issu es arising from the Second Review of the 
Operation and Implementation of the SPS Agreement, in particular the use of ad hoc consultations 
under Article 12.2 of the SPS Agreement.  Issues arising from the Third Review were also examined 
by the Committee, in particular proposals to en hance the working relationship between the SPS 
Committee and the Codex, IPPC and OIE.  In Oct ober, the Committee agreed  to request the three 
relevant standard-setting bodies to consider joint work on cross-cutting issues.
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  8. The effects of SPS-related private standards on trade continued to be discussed at informal 
meetings with a view to establishing how to deal wi th this matter.  In March, the Committee agreed to 
take up five actions that were furt her discussed in subsequent meetings.
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9. The SPS Committee maintained its close working relationship with Codex, the IPPC, and the 
OIE and received regular updates on their activities.   Other observer organizations also provided 
information on their activities, including technical assistance activities. 
10. In light of the growing number of requests, the Committee decided to review its criteria and 
procedure for granting observer status.  The Committee agreed to grant observer status, on an ad hoc, 
meeting-by-meeting basis, to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Community of Sahel Saharan States (CEN-SAD), the Southern African Development Community 
(SADC), the West African Economic and Mone tary Union (WAEMU), and the Agency for 
International Trade Informati on and Co-operation (AITIC). 
11. The SPS Committee agreed to ho ld regular meetings on 28-29 March, 11-12 July and 
17-18 October 2012.  
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