RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/SPS/W/58
6May1996
ORGANIZATION(96-1756)
Committee onSanitary andPhytosanitary Measures
MONITORING THE USEOFINTERNATIONAL STANDARDS,
GUIDELINES ORRECOMMENDATIONS
Request forInformation bytheSecretariat
1. TheCommittee hasthetaskofdeveloping aprocedure tomonitor theprocess ofinternational
harmonization andtheuseofinternational standards, guidelines andrecommendations (Article 12:4).
Forthispurpose, theCommittee istoestablish, inconjunction with therelevant international
organizations, alistofinternational standards, guidelines andrecommendations which itdetermines
tohaveamajor tradeimpact. Oneapproach forthedevelopment ofamonitoring procedure hasrecently
beensuggested forconsideration bytheCommittee (G/SPS/W/51).
2. Tofacilitate theidentification ofthose international standards, guidelines andrecommendations
which might beconsidered tohaveamajor tradeimpact, theSecretariat hasbeenasked tosolicit certain
information from Members. Such information would berelevant tothetaskbefore theCommittee
iftheapproach proposed inG/SPS/W/51 isadopted orifanalternative approach iseventually used.
3. Members areasked tosubmit totheSecretariat anindicative listofthoseinternational standards,
guidelines andrecommendations which theyconsider tobeofmajor importance totheirtrade (both
import andexport). Indetermining tradeimportance, Members should consider, asappropriate, such
factors as:
-- thevolume andvalue oftrade affected;
-- therelative importance ofthistrade fortheireconomy (asanimport orexport);
-- theextent towhich theuseoftheinternational standard, guideline orrecommendation
would facilitate trade flows, ortheextent towhich itsnon-use hinders trade;
-- theextent towhich variations intheapplication oftheinternational standard, guideline
orrecommendation, asopposed tothelevel ofthestandard ortheguideline or
recommendation itself, giveriseto(potential) trade difficulties.
Members arealsoasked toidentify particular instances orproducts forwhich theybelieve theabsence
ofaninternational standard, guideline orrecommendation hasamajor impact ontheirtrade, taking
intoaccount, interalia,thefactors suggested above.
4. Inidentifying theinternational standards, guidelines orrecommendations ofmajor importance
totheirtrade, Members arerequested tobeasspecific aspossible. Theinformation regarding existing
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international standards, guidelines andrecommendations which hasbeenprovided bytherelevant
international organizations could behelpful inthisregard (seeG/SPS/W/18 andRev.1, G/SPS/W/21
andG/SPS/W/23). Forexample, identification ofMaximum Residue Levels (MRLs) established by
Codex should indicate thename ofthepesticide, theCodex Code Number andtheproduct(s) forwhich
thisstandard isofmajor trade importance.
Example: (031) Diquat inoronwheat 2mg/kg.
When aCodex guideline orcodeofhygienic practice isindicated, thefullname oftheguideline/code
should beprovided aswellasidentification ofanyparticular section considered most relevant.
Example: Recommended Code ofHygienic Practice forPoultry
Processing,(CAC/RCP14),Section4.3onHygienicOperating
Requirements
Inasimilar fashion, references toOIErecommendations orguidelines should identify theChapter and,
ifapplicable, theArticle(s) (International Animal Health Code orInternational Aquatic Animal Health
Code) ortheChapter reference No.and,ifapplicable, theparagraph(s) (Manual ofStandards for
Diagnostic Tests andVaccines orDiagnostic Manual forAquatic Animal Diseases), andtherelevant
species where there ismore thanonepossible host.
Example: International Animal Health Code Chapter 3.1.8 withregard
toScrewworm indomestic orwildanimals
Example: TheManual ofStandards forDiagnostic Techniques with
regard toBrucellosis insheep, goats orswine (B23, 24,52)
5. Although thereisnospecific limitonthenumber ofstandards, guidelines orrecommendations
which Members mayidentify, itshould bekeptinmindthatthetaskbefore theCommittee istoestablish
alistofthose which haveamajor trade impact. Members areasked toprovide theirindicative lists
ofstandards, guidelines andrecommendations totheSecretariat (Mrs. G.Stanton) before 20May1996.
Theresulting compilation ofidentified standards, guidelines andrecommendations is,atthisstage,
forindicative purposes onlyandwithout prejudice toanydecisions theCommittee mayeventually reach
withregard tothemonitoring procedure.