WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/GEN/412
21 July 2003
(03-3909)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  Spanish
COSTA RICA – INCLUSION IN THE LIST OF THIRD COUNTRIES IN THE
EUROPEAN MARKET FOR ORGANIC PLANT PRODUCTS
Communication from Costa Rica
1. Having satisfied a number of requirements and procedures laid down in Council Regulation
(EEC) No. 2092/91 on organic producti on, Costa Rica has been included in the list of third countries
established under Article 11 of that Regulation.
2. The approval granted covers plant products and their derivatives and the application for the
inclusion of products of animal origin will be made  in due course.  Ms Elizabeth Ramírez, Head of the
Office of Certification and Registration for Organic Farming of the State Phytosanitary Service, has
stated that although this news was received unofficially in February 2003, it was not published in the
Official Journal of the European Communities until 28 March 2003.
3. The favourable decision of the European Commission followed an on-the-spot evaluation in
Costa Rica, which showed that the domestic regulations were equivalent to those applying in theEuropean Union; furthermore, the existence of an official inspection system provided sufficient
guarantee regarding the certification of products which we export to the EU under the organic label.
4. Such recognition will enormously facilitate the trade in organic products between Costa Rica
and the EU, obviating the previous procedure based on import permits which required each individual
shipment to demonstrate observance of the standards set by the EU.  A further advantage is the great
economic benefit for farmers of reduced certification costs.
5. Costa Rica and Argentina are the only countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that have
received such recognition, because the legislation in force is actually implemented.
6. Countries such as Switzerland, Israel, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Australia and
New Zealand complete the current list of third countries (some of which have recently joined the
European Community).
7. The national authorities greatly welcome the opening up of such an important market for
organic products, a success which has been achieved thanks to the efforts made by all those involved
in organic farming.
8. However, maintaining the good name of our products and the recognition that the European
Union has granted us as a country is a great responsibility, and therefore we urge producers, exporters
and certification bodies to remain responsible and committed in their approach, because if it wasdifficult to achieve such a success, it will be no less so to maintain this privileged position.
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