WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/487 
23 April 2004 
 (04-1832) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures  
 
 
  
UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATIONS 
Note by the Secretariat
1 
 
1. As indicated during the meeting of the SPS Committee in March 2004, the Secretariat has 
established a mechanism to circulate information on th e availability of unofficial translations of draft 
regulations notified by Members.  This mechanism aims to address a concern raised by Members regarding the difficulties they face in translati ng proposed regulations of other Members into a 
language in which they can work.   
2. While notifications to the WTO are available in  the three official languages, the actual texts 
of the proposed measures are not necessarily ava ilable in any language other than that (those) 
officially used in the notifying Member.  This ma y lead to delays and difficulties for other Members 
to comprehend and provide comments in time on prop osed measures.  At the same time, a number of 
Members prepare unofficial translations of other Members' proposed measures for their own use.  
These are often available for consu ltation on an Internet site.   
3. The new mechanism set up by the WTO Secretaria t aims to facilitate information-sharing by 
Members on the availability of such unofficial transl ations on the Internet.  This will be done via the 
circulation of a supplement (in the three official languages of the WTO) to the original notification 
submitted by a Member.  The format of the supplement is attached.  
4. Neither the Secretariat nor the Member providi ng the unofficial translation can be held 
responsible for the accuracy or quality of these translations. 
5. For further assistance in supplying informa tion under this new mechanism, Members may 
wish to contact Ms. Serra Ayral, Agriculture a nd Commodities Division, tel. 41 22 739 5465, e-mail. 
serra.ayral@wto.org. 
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                                      ./.            
                                                     
 
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/487 
Page 2 
 WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION  
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DU COMMERCE  
ORGANIZACIÓN MUNDIAL DEL COMERCIO  G/SPS/N/COUNTRY/#/Suppl.# 
12 March 2004 
 (04-0000) 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  
 
 
AVAILABILITY OF TRANSLATIONS 
 
Note by the Secretariat1 
 
Supplement  
  The Secretariat has been informed  that an unofficial translation into [langu age] [one of the WTO 
working languages] of the document referenced in this notification is available for consultation at: 
   http://www. ........... ............ ............ ........ 
__________________________________________________________________________________________ 
Comité des mesures sanitaires et phytosanitaires 
 
TRADUCTIONS DISPONIBLES 
 
Note du Secrétariat
1 
 
Supplément  
 
 Le Secrétariat a été informé qu'une traduction non officielle en [langue] [l'une des langues de travail de 
l'OMC] du document auquel renvoie la présente notif ication pouvait être consultée à l'adresse suivante: 
 
  http://www. ........ ............... ............. 
__________________________________________________________________________________________ 
Comité de Medidas Sanitarias y Fitosanitarias 
 
ACCESO A TRADUCCIONES 
 
Nota de la Secretaría1 
 
Suplemento  
  Se ha comunicado a la Secretaría que en la dirección: 
 
  http://www. ........... ............ ............ ........ 
 
se puede consultar una traducción no oficial al [idioma] [uno de los idiomas de trabajo de la OMC] del 
documento a que se hace referencia en la presente notificación. 
 
 
 
__________  
 
                                                      
1This document has been prepared under the Secretar iat's own responsibility and is without prejudice to 
the positions of Members or to their rights or obliga tions under the WTO./Le présent document a été établi par 
le Secrétariat sous sa propre responsab ilité et est sans préjudice des positions des Membres ni de leurs droits ou 
obligations dans le cadre de l'OMC./El presente documento ha sido elaborado bajo la responsabilidad de la 
Secretaría y sin perjuicio de las posiciones de los Miembros ni de sus derechos y obligaciones en el marco de la OMC.