WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/SPS/GEN/1086 
30 May 2011 
 (11-2695) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  
  
 
MONITORING THE USE OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS 
 
Background Note
1 
 
 
1. At the October 2010 informal meeting of the SPS Committee, Members had agreed to 
prioritize three issues for consideration under th e work of the Committee arising from the Third 
Review:  (i) the cooperation between the SPS Committ ee and the Three Sisters;  (ii) improving the 
procedure for monitoring the use of international sta ndards;  and (iii) contro l, inspection and approval 
procedures (Article 8 and Annex C). 
2. On the second prioritized issue, at the March 2011 meeting the Chairman requested that the 
Secretariat prepare a background document for th e Committee's discussion on monitoring the use of 
international standards that contained relevant information that could be harvested from Specific 
Trade Concerns (STC), notifications and other documents submitted by Members. 
3. The data for this report has been obtained th rough the SPS Information Management System 
(SPS IMS) from the information provided by Members. 
Notifications 
 
4. On 30 May 2008, the Committee adopted revised  recommended procedures for transparency 
(G/SPS/7/Rev.3).  The new procedures, among other aspects, encourage the notification of measures 
conforming to international standards, and were e xpected to make Members more conscientious about 
providing information on their use or non-use of intern ationl standards in their notifications.  The new 
transparency procedures, including the use of the new notification formats, took effect on December 2008. 
Regular notifications 
 
5. From January 2009 through March 2011, a total of 1,861 regular notifications were submitted 
to the WTO.  The existence of a relevant interna tional standard was indicated in 40 per cent of these 
notifications. 
                                                      
 1 This document has been prepared under the Secret ariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the positions of Members or to their rights or obligations under the WTO. G/SPS/GEN/1086 
Page 2  
 
  Regular Notifications (January 2009 - March 2011) 
 
2009 2010 3/2011 Total 
Notifications   668 981 212 1,861 
Relevant international 
standard, guideline or 
recommendation Codex 142 204 42 388 
OIE 76 52 20 148 
IPPC 79 79 41 199 
 
6. Of the notifications that referred to an intern ational standard, more than half (53 per cent) 
related to a Codex standard or guideline, while 27 a nd 20 per cent of the notifications related to IPPC 
and OIE standards, guidelines or recommendations, respectively. 
 
Relevant International Standard in Regular Notifications 
 
 
7. Of the 40 per cent of notifications where a releva nt international standard was identified, the 
notifying Member claimed that the measure was in conformity with the relevant standard in 65 per 
cent of the cases;  17 per cent of the notifications indi cated that the relevant international standard was 
not applicable to the measure being notified and 18 per cent indicated that the notified measure did 
not to conform to the relevant standard.   G/SPS/GEN/1086 
 Page 3 
 
 
  Conformity to a Relevant International Standard in Regular Notifications  
 
8. For the period under consideration, the major ity of notifications indicating non-conformity 
related to a Codex standard or gui deline (87 per cent).  The remaining 10 and 3 per cent related to OIE 
and IPPC standards, guidelines and recommendations, respectively. 
 
Regular Notifications not Conforming to  a Relevant International Standard  
 
 
 
9. Given the limited amount of information availabl e to date, it is not possible to determine any 
trend regarding the number of measures notified that  do not conform with a relevant international 
standard.  The table below shows an increase from 2008 to 2009 in measures notified as not conforming to a relevant standard , however this may be due to an increase in the use of the new 
notification format. 
 
 G/SPS/GEN/1086 
Page 4  
 
  Regular Notifications not Conforming to  a Relevant International Standard  
 
 
 
10. For the period under consideration, 66 per cent of the measures identified as not conforming 
to a relevant international standa rd were notified by developing c ountry Members, 33 per cent were 
notified by developed country Members and 1 per cent by a least-developed country Member. 
 
 
Members Submitting Regular Notifications of Measures not Conforming to a Relevant 
International Standard 
 
 
  G/SPS/GEN/1086 
 Page 5 
 
 
  Emergency notifications 
 
11. From January 2009 through March 2011, a tota l of 399 emergency notifications were 
submitted to the WTO.  The existence of a relevant international standard was indicated in 89 per cent 
of these notifications.  
 
Emergency Notifications (January 2009 - March 2011) 
 
2009 2010 3/2011 Total 
Notifications   76 83 41 399 
Relevant international 
standard, guideline or recommendation  Codex 2 1 1 19 
OIE 46 59 34 258 
IPPC 16 15 3 56 
 
12. Of the emergency notifications identifying a rele vant international standard, close to 80 per 
cent identified an OIE standard or guideline, while 19 and 2 per cent of the no tifications related to 
IPPC and Codex standards, guidelines or recommendations, respectively. 
 
Relevant International Standard s in Emergency Notifications 
 
13. Of the 89 per cent of emergency notifications where a relevant international standard was 
identified, 68 per cent stated that the notified measu re was in conformity with the standard, 16 per 
cent stated that the relevant international standard  was not applicable to the measure being notified 
and 16 per cent indicated that the notified measure did not conform to the relevant standard.  
 G/SPS/GEN/1086 
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  Conformity to a Relevant International Standard in Emergency Notifications 
 
14. For the period under consideration, the major ity of emergency notifications indicating non-
conformity related to an OIE standard or guide line (86 per cent).  The remaining 14 per cent were 
equally shared between notifications related to Codex and IPPC standards, guidelines or 
recommendations. 
 
Emergency Notifications not Conforming to a Relevant International Standard  
  G/SPS/GEN/1086 
 Page 7 
 
 
  15. The graph below shows that the vast majority  of emergency notifications of measures not 
conforming to a relevant international standard we re produced in 2009.  In 2011, as of the end of 
March, no Member had notified an  emergency measure to the WTO with the indication that the 
measure did not conform to a rele vant international standard.  
 
Emergency Notifications not Conforming to a Relevant International Standard 
 
 
 
16. For the period under consideration, 95 per cent of the emergency measures identifed as not 
conforming to a relevant interna tional standard were notified by developing country Members, the 
remaining 5 per cent were notified by developed country Members.  No least-developed country 
Member notified an emergency measure as not conf orming to a relevant international standard. 
Members Submitting Emergency Notifications of Measures not Conforming to a Relevant 
International Standard 
 
 G/SPS/GEN/1086 
Page 8  
 
  Specific Trade Concerns (STCs) 
 
17. From January 2006 through December 2010, 77 STCs were raised.  The keyword 
"international standard/harmonization" was assigned to 17 STCs
2, of which 59 per cent concerned 
measures covering animal health, 29 per cent c oncerned measures covering food safety and the 
remaining 12 per cent concerned measures covering plant health. 
 
Trade concerns by Subject  
 
18. Three major characteristics can be drawn from the STC's related to an international standard.  
In a large majority of the cases (82 per cent), the Member(s) raising the specific trade concern claimed 
that the measure of concern did not comply with th e relevant international standard.  Also, in more 
than half of the STCs (52 per cent), the Member(s) ra ising the concern maintained that the measure of 
concern lacked a scientific basis and/or was not b ased on an appropriate risk assessment.  Finally, 
23 per cent of the STCs related to delays in, or th e failure to, recognize disease- or pest-free areas. 
Documents submitted by Members 
 
19. From January 2008 through Ma rch 2011, 168 documents were  submitted by Members to the 
WTO.  The documents submitted concerned matters rele vant to the implementation of the Agreement.  
Out of the total number of documents submitted, 27 per cent related to issues concerning international 
standards, while 10 per cent related to the provision of  technical assistance and 7 per cent related to 
private standards.  The remaining 56 pe r cent related to other issues (e.g. ad hoc  consultations, 
certification systems, phytosanitary import authorizations). 
20. Of the 27 per cent of submissions relating to  international standards, 68 per cent made 
reference to OIE, 27 per cent made reference to I PPC and 5 per cent to Code x standards, guidelines or 
recommendations, respectively. 
 
                                                      
2 The Secretariat assigns to each STC a subject keywor d(s) that helps identify the nature of the STC.  G/SPS/GEN/1086 
 Page 9 
 
 
  
 
21. Members' submissions relating to OIE standa rds reported, among others, FMD, BSE and 
avian influenza status, including outbreaks and th e implementation and development of eradication 
and control measures.  Various s ubmissions made note of the lack of compliance by other Members 
with OIE standards. 
22. Members' submissions relating to Codex st andards reported the standardization and 
harmonization of their procedures to meet Codex standa rds, and the inclusion in national legislation of 
recognition of Codex as the reference body concerning food safety. 
23. Members' submissions relating to IPPC reporte d pest-free status, including outbreaks and the 
implementation and development of eradication and control measures.  The submissions also include 
the request for a delay in the implementation of a regional standard until it has been recognized by the 
IPPC. 
 
 
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