. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/CHE/27
21 December 2001
(01-6441)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  SWITZERLAND
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible:  Federal Office for Public Health, Berne
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, whereapplicable).  Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or
practicable:  Foodstuffs containing less than 20% meat from the bovine, ovine and caprine
species
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Draft Modifications to Ordinance
of 1 March 1995 on Import, Transit and Exportation of Foodstuffs and Commodities
(2 pages)
5. Description of content:  Requirement that importers guarantee with an animal and public
health certificate for each consignment that products containing less than 20% of meat from
the bovine, ovine and caprine species do neither contain specific risk material as defined in
annex XI chapter A of regulation (E C) 999/2001 (OJ Nr. L 147 of 31 May 2001), nor
mechanically recovered meat obtained from th e bones of the head or vertebral column of
animals of the bovine, ovine, and caprine species.
The same requirement already exists for products consisting of more than 20% meat from the
bovine, ovine and caprine species.
6. Objective and rationale: [  X ] food safety,  [     ] animal health,  [     ] plant protection,
[    ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [     ] protect territory from
other damage from pests           
7. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [     ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:  The measure is in line with the
recommendations by the OIE.
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:
- Ordinance of 1 March 1995 on Import, Tran sit and Exportation of Foodstuffs and
Commodities (German/French/Italian : RS 817.41)
http://www.admin.ch/ch/f/rs/c817_41.html
- Food Law of 9 October 1992 (Ger man/French/Italian: RS 817.0)
http://www.admin.ch/ch/f/rs/c817_0.htmlG/SPS/N/CHE/27
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9. Proposed date of adoption:  March 2002
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  1 April 2002
11. Final date for comments:  15 February 2002
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [  X ] National notification
authority, [     ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:           
12. Texts available from: [     ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry point
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:           