. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/EEC/188
6 February 2003
(03-0792)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
If applicable, name of local government involved:
2. Agency responsible:   Commission of the European Communities. Health & Consumer
Protection General Directorate, Directorate E - Food safety: plant health, animal health and
welfare, international questions.
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where
applicable):  Plants and plant products.
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:
Member States of the European Community (EC) and third countries exporting the
products concerned to the EC.
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   Council Directive
2002/89/EC of 28 November 2002 amending Directive 2000/29/EC on protective measures
against the introduction into the Community of organisms harmful to plants or plant
products and against their spread within the Community (16 pages, published in all ECofficial languages).
6. Description of content:
The overall aim of the EC plant health legislation is to ensure protection against harmful
organisms that affect plants or plant products.  The benefits of the amended Directive
notified hereby, with a view of international trade facilitation is to strengthen import
clearance procedures and to set enhanced conditions for co-operation between customs
authorities and official phytosanitary bodies  in Member States.  It also ensures better
information for importers and the establishment of a harmonised system of fees  charged for
carrying out import checks.  In addition, building on experience, new scientific evidenceand international instruments, several provisions are completed and updated to technical
progress.  In particular, the provisions concerning:
• format for the phytosanitary certificates to be used by Member States under the
International Plant Protection Convention,
• role of the single authority of each Member State for co-ordination and contact in
plant health matters,
• procedures for the adoption of derogation decisions or of emergency measures and
plant health checks organised by the Commission.
The amended Directive also adjusts regulatory provisions to clarify procedures for the
Commission to exercise the implementing powers that have been conferred on it.  Finally,
in accordance with obligations under the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and
Phytosanitary Measures, the amended Directive specifies procedures for recognising the
equivalence of phytosanitary measures of other parties to that Agreement.G/SPS/N/EEC/188
Page 2
[Note: This text is notified as a matter of information and to  facilitate trade in order to
allow time for adaptation to exporting countries before the EC Member States apply the
provisions necessary to comply with Directive 2002/89/EC. See under paragraph 11].
7. Objective and rationale:  [    ] food safety, [   ] animal health, [ X ] plant protection,
[   ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease,  [   ]  protect territory from other
damage from pests
8. International standard, gu ideline or recommendation:
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] Office International des Epizooties,
[ X ] International Plant Prot ection Convention, [ X ] None
If an international standard , guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Council Directive
2002/89/EC of 28 November 2002 amending Directive 2000/29/EC on protective measures
against the introduction into the Community of organisms harmful to plants or plantproducts and against their spread within the Community.  Available in all community
languages.  Published in the Official Journal of the European Communities L 355,
30/12/2002, pp. 45-60, available at:  http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/index.html .
10. Proposed date of adoption:   Adopted on 28 November 2002
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   Entered into force on 30 December 2002. Member
States shall apply the provisions necessar y to comply with Directive 2002/89/EC from
1 January 2005.
12. Final date for comments:  Not applicable
Agency or authority designated to handle co mments:  [   ] EC notification authority,
[ X ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available)
of other body:
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National notification authority,  [ X ] EC enquiry point, or
address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
Or (EN/FR/ES) at:
Http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/dat/2002/l_355/l_35520021230en00450060.pdf
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/fr/dat/2002/l_355/l_35520021230fr00450060.pdf
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/es/dat/2002/l_355/l_35520021230es00450060.pdf