WORLD TRADE G/L/170
20June1997
ORGANIZATION(97-2540)
RULES OFPROCEDURE FOR MEETINGS OF
THE COMMITTEE ONSANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES
Approved bytheCouncil forTrade inGoods on11June1997
Atitsmeeting of19-20 March 1997, theCommittee agreed thattheRules ofProcedure for
meetingsoftheGeneralCouncil(WT/L/161)shallapplymutatismutandisformeetingsoftheCommittee
onSanitary andPhytosanitary Measures except asotherwise provided intheWorking Procedures
(G/SPS/1) asestablished orassubsequently amended bytheCommittee onSanitary andPhytosanitary
Measures andexcept asprovided below:
(i) Rule5ofChapter II(Agenda) isnotapplicable.
(ii) Rule6ofChapter II(Agenda) shallbemodified toreadasfollows:
Thefirstitemofbusinessateachmeetingshallbetheconsiderationandapproval
oftheagenda. Representatives ortheChairperson maysuggest amendments tothe
proposed agenda, oradditions totheagenda under "Other Business". Representatives
shall provide theChairperson ortheSecretariat, andtheother Members directly
concerned, whenever possible, advance notice ofitems intended toberaised under
"Other Business".
(iii) Rules 12,13and14ofChapter V(Officers) shallbemodified toreadasfollows:
Rule12
TheCommittee onSanitary andPhytosanitary Measures shall elect a
Chairperson1from among therepresentatives ofMembers. Theelection shalltake
place atthefirstmeeting oftheyearandshalltakeeffect attheendofthemeeting.
TheChairperson shallholdoffice untiltheendofthefirstmeeting ofthefollowing
year.
1TheCommitteeonSanitaryandPhytosanitaryMeasuresshallapplytherelevantguidelinescontained
inthe"Guidelines forAppointment ofOfficers toWTO Bodies" (WT/L/31 dated 7February 1995).
./.G/L/170
Page2
Rule13
IftheChairperson isabsent fromanymeeting orpartthereof, theCommittee
onSanitary andPhytosanitary Measures shallappoint aninterim Chairperson forthat
meeting orthatpartofthemeeting.
Rule14
IftheChairperson cannolonger perform thefunctions oftheoffice, the
CommitteeonSanitaryandPhytosanitaryMeasuresshallappointaninterimChairperson
toperform those functions pending theelection ofanewChairperson.
(iv) Rule16ofChapter VI(Conduct ofBusiness) isnotapplicable.
(v) Rule24ofChapter VI(Conduct ofBusiness) shallbemodified toreadasfollows:
Inorder toexpedite theconduct ofbusiness, theChairperson mayinvite
representatives thatwishtoexpress theirsupport foragiven proposal toshow their
hands; thus, onlyrepresentatives withdissenting views orwishing tomake explicit
points orproposals would actually beinvited tomake astatement. Thisprocedure
shallonlybeapplied inorder toavoid undue repetition ofpoints already made, and
willnotpreclude anyrepresentative whosowishes from taking thefloor.
(vi) Rule33ofChapter VII(Decision-Making) shallbemodified toreadasfollows:
Inaccordance withArticle 12:1oftheAgreement ontheApplication ofSanitary
andPhytosanitary Measures, theCommittee shallreach itsdecisions byconsensus.
(vii) Rule34ofChapter VII(Decision-Making) isnotapplicable.
(viii) Rule36ofChapter IX(Records) shallbereplaced bythefollowing:
Records oftheCommittee onSanitary andPhytosanitary Measures meetings
shall taketheform ofasummary report tobeprepared bytheSecretariat. Any
delegation may, attheirrequest, verify those portions ofthedraftreport containing
theirstatements prior totheissuance oftheSecretariat summary report inaccordance
withthecustomary GATT practice. Delegations thatwishtoavailthemselves ofthis
verification procedure should soindicate totheSecretariat within 10daysoftheclose
ofthemeeting concerned.