Sanitary and phytosanitary measures
Problem: How do you ensure that your country’s consumers are being supplied with food that is safe to eat — “safe” by the standards you consider appropriate? And at the same time, how can you ensure that strict health and safety regulations are not being used as an excuse for protecting domestic producers?
An agreement on how governments can apply food safety and animal and plant health measures (sanitary and phytosanitary or SPS measures) sets out the basic rules in the WTO.
> SPS Notification Submission System
National Notification Authorities can now use the SPS Notification Submission System (SPS NSS) to fill out and submit SPS notifications online.
>
SPS Information
Management System
a
database of WTO information on SPS
(Notifications, concerns raised, other documents, enquiry points, etc)
SEE ALSO
>
Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF)
> Agriculture
> Technical
barriers to trade
Whose international standards?
Which are the relevant standard-setting organizations for the SPS Agreement? An annex to the agreement names:
> the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission: for food
> World Organization for Animal Health
> the FAO’s Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention: for plant health.
SPS news back to top
Includes unofficial and less technical summaries of SPS Committee meetings
- 24-25 October 2016: Thematic SPS Workshop on Pesticide Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs)
> See also Work on SPS in the WTO, below
Introduction back to top
- Current issues in SPS
Explanations of current issues and links to follow latest developments -
Introduction to WTO rules on sanitary and phytosanitary measures
Links to part of the standards and safety section of the WTO guide “Understanding the WTO”
(Click your browser’s “back” button to return to this page.) -
“Understanding the SPS Agreement” (text only)
A more technical introduction -
SPS E-Learning Course : WTO E-Campus
The mandate back to top
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Browse or download the text of the SPS Agreement from the legal texts gateway
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WTO Agreements series: SPS — booklet containing the text of the SPS Agreement and an explanation designed to help the user understand the text.
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Compilation of all major decisions and documents on the SPS Agreement’s implementation
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Find decisions of WTO bodies concerning the SPS Agreement in the Analytical Index — Guide to WTO Law and Practice
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Review of the operation and implementation of the Agreement of the application of sanitary and phytosanitary measures. Committee Report of the Third Review adopted in 2010.
The Doha mandate: SPS in the 2001 ministerial decision on implementation
Work on SPS in the WTO, and official documents back to top
Work on this subject is handled by the SPS Committee, which reports to the Goods Council. The work is officially recorded in the committee’s annual reports to the General Council and in summary reports (equivalent to minutes) of the committee’s meetings. The current chair is .
Subscribe here to receive all unrestricted SPS documents by e-mail, usually twice a week, normally only in the original language (English, French or Spanish).
Members’ transparency toolkit back to top
Notification formats, handbooks, links to members’ SPS websites and other aids for members’ transparency work in SPS.
Events, workshops and training back to top
Find information on planned and recently held activities.
Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) back to top
A joint initiative of the World Trade Organization, World Health Organization, World Bank, World Organization for Animal Health and Food and Agriculture Organization for enhancing developing countries’ capacity to meet SPS standards. Work includes sharing information on technical cooperation, and finance for projects.
External links back to top
Find links to relevant standard setting bodies, observer organizations, etc.
> Sanitary and phytosanitary measures: Ensuring safe trading without unnecessary restrictions
> 4th Review — Replies to the Questionnaire on Transparency
> Specific Trade Concerns 1995-2015 report
> Agreement on a new mediation procedure to solve SPS-related issues
> TF vs SPS: Find out more about the relationship between the TF and SPS Agreements in this brief informal note prepared by the WTO Secretariat
More information on the TF web page
> Dates of meetings of the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures for 2017
> SPS Technical Assistance Activities for 2016 (and addendum)
> Final Report: STDF Mid-Term Review
The SPS NSS allows for more accurate and complete notifications, and a substantial reduction in the time required for the WTO to process and circulate them. The system has been available to Members since 1 June 2011 upon request.
Interested Members are requested to send an e-mail to the Secretariat (spscommittee@wto.org) so that their National Notification Authorities can receive login names and access passwords.
As of 19 October 2016, 71 Members have requested and been given access to the system, and 40 of these have officially submitted notifications via the SPS NSS.