RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/SPS/W/7
19April 1995
ORGANIZATION(95-0971)
Original: English Committee onSanitary andPhytosanitary Measures
AUSTRALIA 'SREGULATORY FRAMEWORK AND PROCEDURES
FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND ADOPTION
OFSANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES
Submission byAustralia attheMeeting of29-30 March 1995
Introduction
1. Themajor categories ofsanitary/phytosanitary measures applied within Australia are:
- quarantine controls onthemovement ofpeople andgoods intoAustralia, which have
theobjective ofexcluding orlimiting thespread ofpests ordiseases;
- foodstandards andfoodcontrol procedures, which havetheobjective ofprotecting
human health.
Quarantine
Legislation
2. Theprincipal legislation isthefederal government 'sQuarantine Act1908andtheregulations
andproclamations made under thisAct. Totheextent thatthislegislation deals withtheprotection
ofanimal andplanthealth itisadministered bytheAustralian Quarantine andInspection Service (AQIS)
within theagriculture/resources portfolio; totheextent itdeals withprotection ofhuman health,
administration ishandled within thehealth portfolio ofgovernment.
3. State andterritory (provincial) governments share theconstitutional responsibility tomake
quarantinelegislation.Statelawgenerallyregulatesinter-Statemovementofgoodstotheextentnecessary
foragricultural quarantine purposes.
Formulation ofmeasures
4. Quarantine conditions areformulated according toastandard procedure. Forthemorecomplex
agricultural quarantine issues, theprocedure involves thefollowing steps:
- receipt ofanaccess request from anindividual, company orgovernment;
- preliminary assessment andcategorization according towhether newquarantine access
conditions needtobespecified;G/SPS/W/7
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- biological andbio-economic1riskassessment using advice asappropriate fromrelevant
research institutes andother bodies;
. theassessment deals withrisks tonative floraandfauna aswellasrisksto
commercial species ofplants andanimals;
- publication ofadiscussion paper ontheproposed decision ontheapplication, inviting
comments within astated period (from 30upto90days);
. theproposed decision isdrafted having regard torelevant international
standards, guidelines andrecommendations;
- consideration ofresponses tothediscussion paper;
- publication ofaposition paper advising ofthedecision oftheDirector ofQuarantine;
- preparation andadoption ofthelegalinstrument (quarantine proclamation) togiveeffect
tothenewrules;
- public notifications bymeans ofthe(AQIS) "Bulletin" andmedia release asappropriate.
5. Most applications forquarantine access aredealt withunder theprovisions ofpre-existing
legislation.
Implementation
6. Responsibility fortheadministration ofquarantine rules isshared between thenational and
provincialauthorities.AgriculturalquarantinerequirementsarelargelyadministeredbyStategovernment
services onbehalf ofthefederal governments, although thisfunction willshortly betransferred from
several States totheCommonwealth Government. Human health quarantine inrelation tointernational
passenger movement isadministered similarly.
Food Standards
Legislation
7. Byagreement between thefederal andprovincial governments foodstandards areformulated
bytheNational FoodAuthority under theNational FoodAuthority Act1991andadopted bytheNational
Food Standards Council, whose members aretherelevant Ministers oftheCommonwealth, Stateand
territory governments.
Formulation ofstandards
8. Proposed foodstandards areformulated according toaprocedure which issetoutindetail
inthelegislation establishing theNational Food Authority. Inbroad terms thisprocedure issimilar
tothatwhich isusedfortheformulation ofquarantine standards. Theformulation ofastandard (or
variation toastandard) maybeinitiated either byapplication totheAuthority, orbytheAuthority
onitsownresponsibility.
9. Theprocess forformulating standards includes provision forpublic comment tobeobtained
bothontheapplication andondraft standards. TheAuthority mayconvene public hearings as
appropriate.
1Thebio-economic riskassessment takes intoaccount factors suchasthepotential damage interms oflost
production orsales/exports intheevent oftheentry, establishment andspread ofapestordisease andthepotential
costofcontrol/eradication programmes. Theriskassessment doesnottakeintoaccount thepotential economic
impactuponAustralianindustryofcompetitionfromimportedproducts;nordoesitconsiderthepotentialeconomic
advantages toAustralia ofallowing import of,forexample, newgenetic material.G/SPS/W/7
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10. TheAuthoritydraftsstandardsonthebasisofriskassessmentappropriatetothespecificproposal
orapplication orinaccordance withpreviously determined policy. International standards, guidelines
andrecommendations arereferred towherever relevant.
Implementation
11. Food standards areadopted andimplemented under provincial legislation. Enforcement of
standards inrespect ofdomestically produced foodistheresponsibility ofprovincial administrations.
12. Administration ofdomestic foodstandards inrespect ofimported foods istheresponsibility
oftheAustralian Quarantine andInspection Service under theprovisions oftheImported Foods Control
Act,under policy guidance oftheNational Food Authority.