. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/NZL/2
16 July 2001
(01-3503)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   NEW ZEALAND
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:   Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF)
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   Dr Dave Nendick,
MAF Biosecurity Authority, PO Box 2526, Wellington, New Zealand.
Tel: +64 4 474 4200.  Fax: +64 4 474 4257.  E-mail: nendickd@maf.govt.nz
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [    ], other:           
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   Sweet corn ( zea mays )
seeds for sowing
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Protocol on
GM Contamination in Sweet Corn Seed Imports (6 pages in English)
6. Description of content:   Proposed measures to prevent the accidental importation of
genetically modified sweet corn seed into New Zealand.
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
The Biosecurity Act 1993 prohibits the importation, development, field-testing or release of
a new organism that has not been approved under the Hazardous Substances and
New Organisms Act 1996 (HSNO).  To date, ge netically modified organisms, including
sweet corn seeds, have not been approved for release into New Zealand.  The proposed
measures aim to ensure that genetically modified sweet corn seeds, that are not approved
under the HSNO Act, are not accidentally released into New Zealand’s environmentthrough imports of contaminated conventional sweet corn seed.
Upon adoption, the protocol will remain in force for approximately one year.  By this time,
New Zealand intends to have developed a new protocol to replace this one.
8. Relevant documents:   Protocol on GM Contamination in Sweet Corn Seed Imports
(6 pages in English)
9. Proposed date of adoption:  1 August 2001
Proposed date of entry into force: -
10. Final date for comments:   27 July 2001G/TBT/N/NZL/2
Page 2
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [     ] or address, telephone and fax
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:
Mr Keawe Woodmore,
MAF Biosecurity Authority,
PO Box 2526,Wellington,
New Zealand.
Tel: +64 4 474 4226
Fax: +64 4 470 2730
Email: sps@maf.govt.nz