. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/EEC/198
1 May 2003
(03-2326)
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 Directorate-General  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):  Live fish (including their eggs and gametes) for farming or for immediate
human consumption or further processi ng before human consumption (CN 0301,
ICS 65.150).  It does not concern tropical ornamental fish kept permanently in aquariums
(CN 3001.10).
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:
Member States of the European Communities (EC) and third countries authorized to export
the products concerned to the EC (ie. Albania, Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile,China, Colombia, Congo, Croatia, FYROM, I ndonesia, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Malaysia
(Peninsular, Western Malaysia only), New Zealand, Russian Federation, Singapore, South
Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, United States of America.
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   Draft Commission
Decision laying down the animal health conditions and certification requirements for
imports of live fish, their eggs and gametes intended for farming, and live fish ofaquaculture origin and products thereof intended for immediate human consumption or for
further processing before human consump tion (SANCO/10145/2002 Rev.9) (available in
all Community languages, 24 pages).
6. Description of content:  This draft proposal facilitates trade by creating harmonized import
rules and model certificates to ensure that exporting countries apply conditions for disease
control, sampling plans and diagnostic methods that are at least equivalent to Community
standards.  In cases where sampling and tes ting methods are not laid down in the Community
legislation, these should be in accordance with those laid down in the International Office of
Epizooties (OIE) Diagnostic Manual for Aquatic Animal Diseases.
When adopted, a transitional period of time w ould be provided for the implementation of
these new import certification requirements.
7. Objective and rationale:  [    ] food safety, [ X ] animal health, [   ] plant protection,
[   ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease,  [   ]  protect territory from other
damage from pestsG/SPS/N/EEC/198
Page 2
8. International standard, gu ideline or recommendation:
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [ X ] Office International des Epizooties,
[   ] International Plant Prot ection Convention, [   ] None
If an international standard , guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:  To the extent this is possible the measures
proposed hereby are in conformity w ith the Office of Epizooties (OIE) " International
Aquatic Animal Health Code ".
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  European
Commission Document SANCO/ 10145/2002 Rev.9, available in all Community languages.
When adopted it will be published in the Official Journal available at:
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/oj/index.html
10. Proposed date of adoption:   15 September 2003
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   1 April 2004
12. Final date for comments:  Sixty (60) days after the date of notification
Agency or authority designated to handle co mments:  [ X ] EC notification authority,
[   ] 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: