./.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/MEX/138
24 March 1999
(99-1181)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  Spanish
NOTIFICATION OF URGENT MEASURES
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  MEXICO
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible:   Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development
3. Products covered (tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules deposited
with the WTO.  ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   Fruit
and vegetables
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:   Mexican (Emergency) Official
Standard N-031-FITO-1998 Establishing Internal Quarantine Against the MediterraneanFruitfly in the Campeche, Chiapas and Tabasco States (6 Pages)
5. Description of content:  This Mexican Emergency Official Standard is designed to establish
binding regulations and phytosanitary measures to contain and eradicate the Mediterranean
fruitfly, Ceratitis capitata (Wied).
The provisions of this Standard shall apply to:
(a) Areas where there are commercial or backyard orchards with fruitfly host
fruit;
(b) areas with ecological reserves, recreation parks and tourist zones;
(c) industries, packing plants, points of supply and sale handling fruitfly host
fruit;
(d) motor-freight vehicles, private passenger vehicles, airports, seaports, bus
and railway terminals;
(e) quarantine units;
(f) items being carried by persons crossing internal checkpoints such as
luggage, bags or packages containing fruitfly host fruit.
6. Objective and rationale:  Plant protection
7. Nature of the urgent problem(s):   Some 32 species of fruit tree are grown commercially in
the country, over an area larger than 1 million hectares with an annual harvest of over12 million tonnes and generating more than 400 fixed jobs.
The Mediterranean fruitfly is regarded as the most destructive pest in the world
fruit-growing industry as it attacks more than 200 host fruits and vegetables.  Countries
where this pest has not yet taken hold assign it the highest quarantine importance, as it
limits export possibilities.G/SPS/N/MEX/138
Page 2
7. Nature of the urgent problem(s):  (cont'd)
The Mediterranean fruitfly was eradicated from our county in 1982 after having
established itself there in 1979.  Guatemala is nevertheless still plagued by the pest which,
given the migration of coffee-industry workers and the facilities for crossing the border into
Mexican territory, can be easily introduced in infected fruits being carried by these personsand causes repeated and sporadic outbreaks in areas near the Guatemalan border.  These
outbreaks have been eradicated by means of the National Emergency Mechanism and
despite being geographically circumscribed, the risk of propagation to other areas still
persists, which is the reason for the publication of this Mexican Emergency Official
Standard.
8. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [ X ].
If an international standard, guideline or  recommendation exists, whenever possible,
identify deviations:           
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:   Official Journal of
the Federation, 19 January 1999 (Spanish)
10. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable):  On the day following
publication (20 January 1999), in force for six months after publication
11. Texts available from/and agency or authority designated to handle comments:
National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telefax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body: