Page 38 - Trade and Food Standards

In TBT STC discussions over the past five years, members have made much more frequent reference to Codex standards or guidelines (see Figure 3). Between 2007 and 2016, the share of STCs in which Codex standards were mentioned increased from 4 percent to 23 percent. In absolute terms, Codex standards were discussed in the context of two STCs raised in 2007, while in 2016, they came up in relation to 21 STCs.
The nature of the Codex standards relevant to the SPS and TBT Agreements are different. For example, general standards dealing with issues such as labelling or health claims may be more subject to varying interpretation in implementation than a specific pesticide MRL, which lays down a numerical safety threshold.
Taking a closer look at the new STCs raised over the past five years in which Codex standards were referenced, around 60 percent concern TBT issues (labelling, quality and others), while the rest relate to food safety (see Figure 4).
Drivers of trade concerns
As noted above, when Codex standards are mentioned in STC discussions in the SPS Committee, it is often with regard to the lack of a Codex standard for a particular product or food safety concern. In some cases, Codex can respond by swiftly developing a standard; in other cases, this may be more difficult or require more time.
Figure 3: Codex standards referenced in TBT specific trade concerns raised from 2012 to 2016 *
Figure 3: Codex standards referenced in TBT specific trade concerns raised from 2012 to 2016
Source: WTO Secretariat
26 Trade and food standards
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