At a meeting of the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures held on 3-5 November, members discussed
a paper on new opportunities and emerging challenges in international trade in food,
animals and plants submitted to support the proposed SPS Declaration for the WTO’s
12th Ministerial Conference (MC12). Under the new chairmanship of Juteau Déadjufo Toussé of Cameroon, the Committee agreed on a schedule for thematic
work in 2022 and discussed a proposal to develop a work programme
on the global transition towards sustainable agri-food
systems.
The 30
co-sponsors of the proposed MC12
SPS Declaration on "Responding to Modern SPS Challenges"
provided further insights into the Declaration, highlighting the neutral way in
which elements were presented in the document. They also clarified the proposed
process for the implementation of a work programme. Noting
the wide agreement on the importance of sustainability, as well as some of the concerns
raised by members, co-sponsors intend to confirm the broad support for the initiative
in the 22-23 November General Council meeting, with a view to achieving consensus
on the Declaration being a deliverable at MC12.
Members
also discussed a related background
document on "New Opportunities and Emerging Challenges in International
Trade in Food, Animals and Plants" to highlight the relevance of the Declaration
and advance the discussions in the Committee. This paper outlines scientific evidence
and global trends regarding some of the critical topics listed in the SPS Declaration:
population growth and distribution; changing climatic conditions and associated
stresses on food production; shifting pressures due to pests and diseases; and innovation
in tools and technologies.
The Committee
agreed to hold a thematic session in March 2022 on trade facilitative approaches
to pesticide maximum residue levels (MRLs), including substances not approved for
use in an import market. This topic was proposed by Australia,
Colombia, Paraguay and the United States (G/SPS/GEN/1947).
In June
2022, the Committee will hold a thematic session on the use of virtual audits and
verification systems in regulatory frameworks, following a submission by Australia
(G/SPS/GEN/1949/Rev.1). Also in June, the Committee
will hold a one-day workshop on transparency, where members will be able to learn
about a new platform integrating SPS and technical barriers to trade (TBT) online
tools. Finally, in November 2022 the Committee will hold a thematic session on international
standards and best practices in pest risk identification, assessment and management,
as proposed by the European Union (G/SPS/GEN/1951/Rev.1).
A thematic session on the
procedure to monitor the process of international harmonization was
held on 2 November at the proposal of New Zealand. Following an overview of the
relevant provisions of the SPS Agreement on international harmonization, the international
standard-setting bodies (ISSBs), the Central American Organismo
Internacional Regional de Sanidad
Agropecuaria (OIRSA) and several members presented their
initiatives on the monitoring and the use of international standards.
Under
the Committee's information-sharing agenda item, the European Union, Norway and
Switzerland intervened in support of the Global
Transition towards Sustainable Food Systems initiative, proposing
that the WTO, including the SPS Committee, should play a major role in supporting
sustainability objectives in relation to trade in agricultural and fishery products.
They
referred to the United
Nations Food Systems Summit of 23-24 September 2021, confirming that
sustainable food systems were critical for delivering on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Members
were invited to help shape a work programme to address
issues regarding the transition to sustainable food systems in relation to international
trade. The starting
point of the discussion would be the identification of a list of policy objectives
that could be legitimately pursued, considering the need to mainstream sustainability
aspects in all relevant fora. The SPS Committee, as well as other relevant committees,
could report on key findings to the WTO's 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13), including
recommendations, they said.
Several
members agreed that sustainability needed to be a priority for their work, highlighting
the importance of building sustainable food systems. Some questioned the SPS Committee's
mandate to discuss all aspects of sustainable food systems, while others emphasized
that in their view, the proposed MC12 Declaration was the best way to launch this
work.
Japan
updated the Committee on the food safety situation following the Fukushima nuclear
power station accident 10 years ago. The United States presented the results of
its Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) traceability challenge, which
encourages organizations from all disciplines to present food traceability solutions
that are affordable, create shared-value, and can be scaled to encourage widespread
adoption. The European Union reported on increased official controls and emergency
measures governing the entry into its territory of certain food and feed of non-animal
origin from certain third countries.
Concerning
regionalization, Ukraine informed the Committee of its self-declaration on freedom
from avian influenza. The United States shared information on the established of
African swine fever protection zones. Canada and the United States presented their
technical assistance programmes, while Belize informed
the Committee of its participation in a technical assistance programme by OIRSA.
Members
addressed 44 specific trade concerns (STCs), seven of which were raised for the
first time. Four STCs (one new and three previously raised) were removed from the
agenda of the meeting prior to its adoption, following progress made in bilateral
consultations. Discussions addressed a variety of topics, including restrictions
and approval procedures for imports of animal and plant products, pesticide policies
and MRLs.
Most
of the new STCs raised related to undue delays in approval procedures. Among the
previously raised concerns, the majority referred to food safety (17) and procedural
concerns (17). Members also discussed actions related to COVID-19 that affect trade.
Mexico and Panama reported on the resolution of a concern on the authorization of
federal inspection type establishments following the temporary authorization of
a list of meat establishments.
Both
new and previously raised issues can be found in the password protected eAgenda system for members, which allows
them to submit agenda items, statements and STCs online. Further information can
also be found in the publicly available SPS Information Management System
The WTO
Secretariat provided an update on SPS COVID-19 related documents. Of the 427 notifications
received by the WTO, 27 per cent were received under the SPS Agreement. This corresponds
to 112 notifications and other communications related to COVID-19 submitted by 30
members. Approximately 59 per cent of these documents were submitted in the first
six months of the pandemic - between February and July 2020 – while the remaining
41 per cent were submitted in the following 11 months. More information is available
in the WTO's COVID 19 and world trade
web page.
At a
side
event in the margins of the SPS Committee meeting, the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) launched
a practical guide to support the use of good regulatory practices (GRPs). Using
GRPs improves the quality and effectiveness of SPS measures so that they are fit
for purpose, a win-win for governments and traders, especially when resources are
limited. The benefits include improved compliance with the WTO SPS Agreement and
greater alignment with international standards, as well as a reduced regulatory
burden and increased trust in SPS regulatory processes.
The STDF
Guide includes step-by-step guidance on GRPs, examples of their
use, and links to resources.
The Committee
agreed to extend the mandate of the Working Group on Approval Procedures for another
year, following the conclusion on 1 November of its third round of work. The working
group was created in November 2020 as a result of the Fifth Review of the Operation
and Implementation of the SPS Agreement. Twenty-five members and one observer organization,
the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD), are part of this working group.