APHIS - PPD SPS CB

Egyptian Delegation Faculty Exchange : 

Egyptian Delegation Faculty Exchange SPS Capacity Building Eric Grant, PMP, PhD. APHIS Policy and Program Development Risk Analysis Systems

Overview of Presentation : 

Overview of Presentation What trends do we see in SPS regulation? What challenges do these trends present? How well do multilateral rules and institutions meet these challenges? What changes are WTO members proposing to address these challenges? What strategies are more likely to increase welfare enhancing trade?

World Trade Organization : 

World Trade Organization

GATT & WTOpast, present and future : 

GATT & WTOpast, present and future The World Trade Organization came into being in January 1, 1995. One of the youngest of the international organizations,. The WTO is the successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). GATT was established in 1947 in wake of the second world war. The WTO was created in the 1986-94 Uruguay Round of GATT Trade Negotiations. The WTO is the only international organization dealing with the global rules of trade between nations. Its main function is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, predictably and freely as possible.

WTO : 

WTO The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only international organization dealing with the global rules of trade between nations. Its main function is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, predictably and freely as possible.

WTO Agreement : 

WTO Agreement No member should be prevented from adopting or enforcing measures necessary to protect its human,animal,or plant or health. Measures do not constitute arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination between members where the same conditions prevail or become a disguised restriction on international trade

Article #5Assessment of Risk and Determination of the Appropriate Level of Sanitary or Phytosanitary Protection : 

Article #5Assessment of Risk and Determination of the Appropriate Level of Sanitary or Phytosanitary Protection Members shall ensure that Sanitary or Phytosanitary measures are based on an assessment of the risks to human, animal, or plant health, taking into account: Risk assessment techniques developed by relevant organization Available scientific evidence Relevant processing, production, inspection, sampling and testing methods Relevant ecological and environmental conditions Disease prevalence and disease-free areas

Article #9Technical Assistance : 

Article #9Technical Assistance Members agree to facilitate the provision of technical assistance to other members, especially developing country members, either bilaterally or through the appropriate international organizations. Assistance in the areas of processing technologies, research and infrastructure may take the form of advice, credits, donations and grants, including seeking technical expertise, training and equipment to allow such countries to adjust to necessary SPS measures.

World Trade Organization : 

World Trade Organization The World Trade Organization came into force in 1995. WTO is the successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) established in the wake of the Second World War(1947 Revised 1994) The WTO is the only international organization dealing with the global rules of trade between nations. Its main function is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, predictably and freely as possible.

WTO In BriefWhat It does : 

WTO In BriefWhat It does Administering trade agreements Acting as a forum for trade negotiations Settling trade disputes Reviewing national trade policies Assisting developing countries in trade policy issues, through technical assistance and training programmes Cooperating with other international organizations

The WTO Secretariat in Geneva responsibilities include: : 

The WTO Secretariat in Geneva responsibilities include: Administrative and technical support for WTO delegate bodies Technical support for developing countries, and especially the least-developed. Trade performance and trade policy analysis Resolution of trade disputes involving the interpretation by legal staff of WTO rules and precedents. Advice to governments considering membership.

AGREEMENT ON TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE : 

AGREEMENT ON TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE Provision pertaining to… product description labeling, packaging Quality description For consumer information fair practices in trade

Regulatory Harmonization : 

Regulatory Harmonization Many bilateral and regional agreements Free Trade Agreements Andean Community (Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia) Bahrain CAFTA (El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua) Chile Dominican Republic Free Trade Area of the Americas (CARICOM countries) Morocco NAFTA (Canada, Mexico, US) Panama South African Customs Union (Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland) Singapore Sri Lanka Thailand

Global Standard Setting organizations : 

Global Standard Setting organizations Organizacion Internacional des Epizooties (OIE) Experts on animal standards International Plant Protection Committee (IPPC) Experts on plant standards Codex Alimentarius Food ingredients and processing standards set by international committees

OIE -The World Animal Health Organization - Formerly International Office of Epizootics : 

OIE -The World Animal Health Organization - Formerly International Office of Epizootics Organized 1924-- 24 member countries Current Members 164 countries Independent of the United Nations Director General elected by the general assembly for 5 year term Work carried out by Staff in Paris, Specialist Commissions, Working Groups, Reference Labs, Panels of Experts, & General Assembly

OIE : 

OIE Also known as World Animal Health Organization Established in 1924 based in Paris, France Mission to prevent spread of contagious diseases in animals among countries Maintains worldwide animal diseases reporting system Recommends sanitary regulations, testing, quarantine and health certification procedures to encourage world trade As of 1998 they had 127 member countries

OIE - Mandate : 

OIE - Mandate Facilitate cooperation between governments to prevent spread of contagious animal diseases 1 - Maintain worldwide animal disease reporting 2 - Recommend sanitary regulations, testing, quarantine and health certification procedures 3 - Publishes: OIE Animal Health Code, & OIE Aquatic Animal Health Code Manual of Standards for Diagnostic Test and Vaccines World Animal Health Yearbook (Two volumes) Volume 1, Reports-Volume 2, tables Submitted by member countries

OIE : 

OIE Becoming more active in consumer protection, public health and animal welfare Zoonoses and diseases transmitted to humans through foods whether or not animals are affected Expanding the scientific standard setting to address safety in producing foods of animal origin and hazards in animal foods prior to processing

OIE : 

OIE Replace the current List A and List B diseases with a single list of reportable diseases

International Plant Protection Commission - 1952 : 

International Plant Protection Commission - 1952 Secretariat - based in Rome, Hq. Of UNFAO Secure common and effective action to prevent spread and introduction of pests and diseases in plants and plant products Central point for development and coordination of plant quarantine regulations

CODEX Alimentarius Commission : 

CODEX Alimentarius Commission Created in 1962 by FAO and WHO 163 member countries Encourages fair trade in food Promotes the health and economic interest of consumers through food standards codes of practice and other guidelines Member countries invited to embody Codex standards into national laws Member countries can review and provide comments during development of Codex standards through 3 types of committees General subject matter committees Commodity committees Regional Coordinating committees

Farm-to-table Approach : 

Farm-to-table Approach Continuum with risk factors that differ and have different priorities in each country Environmental Agricultural ecology Cultural Political Distribution Trade Communication to industry and the public

Global Trends in Food Safety Regulation : 

Global Trends in Food Safety Regulation Institutionalization Farm-to-table approach Hazard analysis critical control points (HACCP) Global standards setting and harmonization Risk analysis Transparency Independent watchdogs “Consumers first”

Declaration of Doha (Qatar) : 

Declaration of Doha (Qatar) World Health Organization, World Bank, FAO World Trade Organization and OIE signed a joint declaration at the WTO ministerial conference in Doha to get developing countries more involved in negotiations leading to the framing and adoption of international sanitary standards and assist developing countries in building capacity to enforce such standards Standards and Trade Development Facility established with WTO serving as Secretariat.

Participation of Developing Countries in Global Dialogue : 

Participation of Developing Countries in Global Dialogue Codex Trust Fund to support participation Problems Short-term participation Weak internal political support for delegates Lack of technical expertise Complex between-round negotiations Outside the “inside” Cost Poor networking/alliance-building skills Less private institution/NGO participation Culture/language problems – English, Spanish, French

Risk Analysis : 

Risk Analysis Risk Assessment Examine production-specific HACCP for clues Gather scientific data Hazard identification and characterization Exposure Sensitivity Determine probability of risk Risk Management Risk Communication

Trends in SPS regulation : 

Trends in SPS regulation Growing use of risk analysis A farm-to-table approach More stringent standards New and more extensive regulation in response to new hazards Increasing reliance on process standards

Commitments under the SPS Agreement : 

Commitments under the SPS Agreement Transparency Science-based measures Equivalence National sovereignty Harmonization Regionalization

Transparency achieved under SPS Agreement provides evidence of disruptions to trade from SPS regulations : 

Transparency achieved under SPS Agreement provides evidence of disruptions to trade from SPS regulations Transparency System of enquiry points established More than 3,000 notifications submitted Counter-notifications show use to diffuse tensions over routine and emergency measures

How well have the SPS Agreement and supporting institutions worked? : 

How well have the SPS Agreement and supporting institutions worked? Science Requirements Principle used in all four panel disputes Has diffused many conflicts, but cannot prevent conflicts from very stringent standards or differences in risk avoidance Equivalence Limited use of this provision US-EU Vet Agreement shows High transactions costs Tendency towards compliance, not equivalence Harmonization Notifications indicate little use of international standards Meta-standards for common approaches to risk management most useful Low participation of developing countries

In summary : 

In summary Transparency and science requirements under the SPS Agreement have averted, diffused and resolved a number of food safety-related disputes The SPS Agreement has been less successful in reducing transaction costs to trade through equivalence and harmonization

Questions : 

Questions