the sps agreement
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The SPS Agreement. Reaffirming countries’ right to protect Health. Why an SPS Agreement?. Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture Article XX (b) Why wasn’t the TBT Agreement sufficient?. What is an SPS measure? To protect from. Human or animal life Human life. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
SPS Workshop Taipei, 5-6/12/2001
The SPS AgreementThe SPS Agreement
Reaffirming countries’ right to protect Health
SPS Workshop Taipei, 5-6/12/2001
Why an SPS Agreement?Why an SPS Agreement?
• Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture
• Article XX (b)
• Why wasn’t the TBT Agreement sufficient?
SPS Workshop Taipei, 5-6/12/2001
What is an SPS measure?What is an SPS measure? To protect To protect from from
• Human or animal life
• Human life
• Risks food additives, contaminants, toxins or disease-causing organisms in foods, beverages/foodstuffs
• diseases carried by animals, plants or products thereof
SPS Workshop Taipei, 5-6/12/2001
What is an SPS Agreement?What is an SPS Agreement? to protectto protect from from
• Animal life, including fish and wild fauna
• to protect plant life, including forests and wild flora
• The entry, establishment or spread of pests, diseases, disease-carrying or disease-causing organisms
SPS Workshop Taipei, 5-6/12/2001
What is an SPS measure?What is an SPS measure? to protect to protect fromfrom
• A country • Damage within the territory from entry, establishment or spread of pests
SPS Workshop Taipei, 5-6/12/2001
SPS measures: laws, decrees, regulations… SPS measures: laws, decrees, regulations… including:including:
• End product criteria• processes and production methods• testing, inspection, certification approval
procedures, etc.• quarantine treatments• animal transport• packaging and labelling requirements directly
related to food safety
SPS Workshop Taipei, 5-6/12/2001
Other measures...Other measures...
• Environment protection
• Consumer interests other than health related
• Animal welfare
• Are not covered by the SPS Agreement...
• …but partly by the TBT Agreement
SPS Workshop Taipei, 5-6/12/2001
SPS rights and obligations SPS rights and obligations
• Right to restrain trade to protect health
• Measures based on scientific principles
• Non-discriminatory
• No disguised restrictions
• Conformity presumptionArti
cle 2
SPS Workshop Taipei, 5-6/12/2001
International HarmonizationInternational Harmonization
Article 3
• Encouraging the use ofinternational standards
• Food safety: Codex• Animal Health: OIE
• Plant protection: IPPC
• Conformity Presumption(...not unchalangeable)
• Right to be more stringent, but...
• Scientific justification or Risk Assessment
SPS Workshop Taipei, 5-6/12/2001
Risk AssessmentRisk Assessment
• Scientific methodology
• Economic factors (animals/plants)loss production or sales;costs eradication; cost-effectivenessalternative approaches
• Risk assessment
• Scientific evidence• Production methods• Inspection methods, etc.
Article 5
SPS Workshop Taipei, 5-6/12/2001
Appropriate level of protectionAppropriate level of protection
• Right to precaution(& emergency measures…?)
• Constraining measures: right explanation
Article 5
• Consistency application ALOP Objective!
SPS Workshop Taipei, 5-6/12/2001
PrecautionPrecaution
• Right:
• Provisional measure
• Insufficient scientific evidence
• Obligation:
• Seek additional information
• Review measure accordingly within reasonable period of time
Article 5.7
SPS Workshop Taipei, 5-6/12/2001
PrecautionPrecaution
• Appellate Body (Hormones):– PP not written in SPS as ground for justifying
measures otherwise inconsistent– PP finds reflection in 5.7 of SPS– No need to assume 5.7 exhausts relevance of PP– Panel to bear in mind that governments act from
perspectives of prudence & precaution– PP does not override provisions of 5.1 & 5.2 of SPS
SPS Workshop Taipei, 5-6/12/2001
SPS - Risk “management”SPS - Risk “management”
• Appropriate measure
• Minimize negative trade effects
• Not more trade-restrictive than required
• Technical and economic feasibility
Article 5
SPS Workshop Taipei, 5-6/12/2001
EquivalenceEquivalence
Article
4• Acceptance of equivalent measures
• Exporter to demonstrate
• Access to importer
• Bilateral and multilateral agreements
SPS Workshop Taipei, 5-6/12/2001
““Veterinary Agreement”Veterinary Agreement”EU/New ZealandEU/New Zealand
• Signed December 1996. Applies to live animals, cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry, and animal products; fish and fish products.
• Based on the SPS Agreement principles, recognizes equivalency of SPS measures and adaptation to regional conditions.
SPS Workshop Taipei, 5-6/12/2001
““Veterinary Agreement”Veterinary Agreement”EU/New ZealandEU/New Zealand
• Facilitated other export/import practices, including certification, inspection, auditing, frontier checks, etc.(Ex. Heat-treated milk and FMD)
• Includes provisions for expeditious consultation (in any case within 14 days) regarding serious concerns about risk to public or animal health.
SPS Workshop Taipei, 5-6/12/2001
SPS - RegionalizationSPS - Regionalization
Adaptation of measures to risk profile
Pest- or disease-free areas
FMD;… BSE
Exporter: burden of proof(…reasonable access)Article 6
SPS Workshop Taipei, 5-6/12/2001
Technical assistanceTechnical assistance
• Reinforcement services
• Establishment regulatory bodies
• Advice, credits, donations, grants
Bilateral “Three sisters”ITC
FAOWHO
SPS Workshop Taipei, 5-6/12/2001
Special and differential treatmentSpecial and differential treatment
• Take into account special needs of LDC
• Phased introduction of new SPS measures
• Specified, time-limited exceptions upon request
• Facilitate active participation LDC in IOs
• Delayed application
Article 10
Article 14
SPS Workshop Taipei, 5-6/12/2001
Control, Inspection &Control, Inspection & Approval Procedures Approval Procedures
• Non-discriminatory
• Without undue delay
• If national system approval additives/tolerances: encouragement
• harmonization
Annex C
SPS Workshop Taipei, 5-6/12/2001
TranspTransparencyarency
•Publication
•Enquiry Points
WWW.WTO.ORG
•Notifications
SPS Workshop Taipei, 5-6/12/2001
SPS CommitteeSPS Committee
• Administration of the Agreement
• Forum for general consultation
• Facilitate ad hoc consultations
• Decisions by consensus
It is there to serve you... use it!
SPS Workshop Taipei, 5-6/12/2001
SPS CommitteeSPS Committee
• How do meetings work?– missions / experts from capital
• Observers– Non-Members
– “three sisters” + others, incl. Regional orgs.
• Typical Agenda– main items
SPS Workshop Taipei, 5-6/12/2001
SPS CommitteeSPS Committee
• Implementation of the Agreement
• Information from Members
• Trade concerns
• Discussion of Notifications
• Monitoring
• Developing Countries
• Technical Assistance Agenda
SPS Workshop Taipei, 5-6/12/2001
Some Specific Trade ConcernsSome Specific Trade Concerns
•EC Aflatoxins; Cholera; Dioxins…
•BSE (EC, Switzerland, US...)
•Thai milled rice
•Australia Tropical Fruits
•US - Imports of citrus fruits
SPS Workshop Taipei, 5-6/12/2001
Doha and the SPS AgreementDoha and the SPS Agreement
• Ministerial declaration: no SPS renegotiations requested
• Negotiations on relationship between WTO rules and trade obligations in MEAs
• Instruct Cttee. Trade & Environment to give attention to
– (i) effect environmental measures on market access
– (iii) labelling requirements for environmental purposes
• But not add or diminish rights and obligations under SPS nor alter balance rights/obligations take account needs DCs & LDCs
• Implementation decisions
SPS Workshop Taipei, 5-6/12/2001
What next?What next?
• New issues, i.e.biotechnology• Clarification of application of existing WTO rules
– in negotiations (Doha mute…)– in committees– through dispute settlement– (through a working group)
• Is more needed?– specific agreement or inclusion in others– risks of re-opening agreements
SPS Workshop Taipei, 5-6/12/2001
““Keys” for successKeys” for success
• National coordination– with Codex, OIE, IPPC experts– with different national agencies
• Participation Committee
• Use of information material– Internet
• Use of transparency provisions
WTO “focal point”?