. /.RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/W/114
19 February 2002
(02-0835)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
PROPOSED FORMAT FOR THE NOTIFICATION OF
AGREEMENTS OF EQUIVALENCE
Note by the Secretariat
1. In its Decision on Equivalence (G/SPS/19, paragr aph 11), the Committee agreed that it would
revise its recommended notification procedures to provide for the notification of the conclusion of
agreements between Members which recognize the equivalence of sanitary and phytosanitary
measures.  The attached proposed format for the notification of agreements of equivalence is based on
the format used for the notification of agreements on issues related to technical regulations, standards
or conformity assessment procedures under Article 10.7 of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to
Trade.
2. Article 4 of the Agreement states that "Members shall accept the sanitary or phytosanitary
measures of other Members as equivalent, even if these measures differ from their own or from those
used by other Members trading in the same product, if the exporting Member objectivelydemonstrates to the importing Member that its measures achieve the importing Member's appropriate
level of sanitary or phytosanitary protection.".  Paragraph 2 of Article 4 further provides that
"Members shall, upon request, enter into consultations with the aim of achieving bilateral and
multilateral agreements on recognition of the equivalence of specified sanitary or phytosanitary
measures.".
3. There is no indication in the text of the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary or
Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) itself as to the form that such agreements on therecognition of equivalence should take.  In its Decision on Equivalence (paragraph 1), the Committee
observed that:
"Equivalence can be accepted for a specific measure or measures related to a certain
product or categories of products, or on a systems-wide basis.  Members shall, when
so requested, seek to accept the equivalence of a measure related to a certain productor category of products. … Members may further, where necessary and appropriate,
seek more comprehensive and broad-ranging agreements on equivalence.  The
acceptance of the equivalence of a measure related to a single product may not
require the development of a systems-wide equivalence agreement.".
4. With the objective of increased transparency, it is suggested that Members should notify as an
equivalence agreement any formal agreement between  the competent authorities which has the effect
of accepting for purposes of import access the sanitary or phytosanitary measures as applied by the
exporting Member to any particular product, category of product or on a systems-wide basis.  This
could, for example, include a protocol of acceptance of a specific treatment technique for a plant
product or category of plant products, or of established slaughterhouse procedures for particular meatproducts.G/SPS/W/114
Page 2
NOTIFICATION OF AGREEMENT RECOGNIZING THE EQUIVALENCE
OF SANITARY OR PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES
In accordance with the Decision on Equivalence (G/SPS/19), a Member which has agreed to
recognize the equivalence of sanitary or phytosanitary measures of another Member or Members shall
notify other Members through the Secretariat of the products to be covered by the agreement and
include a brief description of the agreement.  The following notification of an equivalence agreement
has been received.
1. Member notifying:
2. Title of the bilateral or plurilateral Agreement:
3. Parties to the Agreement:
4. Date of entry into force of the Agreement:
5. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading):
6. Brief description of the Agreement, including description of measures recognized as 
equivalent:
7. Further information available from:
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