Page 41 - Trade and Food Standards

SPS and TBT enquiry points
Every WTO member is required to
have TBT and SPS
Enquiry Points, which are responsible for providing information and responding to requests from other members and handling
comments received on notifications. They often also play a leading role in activities related to national coordination for implementation
of the TBT and SPS transparency provisions.
receives more than 3 500 SPS and TBT notifications. Three publicly available online tools help stakeholders find notifications relevant to their trade: the SPS Information Management System (IMS) (www.spsims.wto.org), the TBT IMS (www.tbtims.wto.org) and ePing SPS/TBT Notification Alert System (www.epingalert.org). The SPS and TBT IMS are search platforms that locate SPS and TBT notifications by parameters such as product, notifying member and objective. ePing is an online-alert system allowing users to receive daily or weekly email alerts about SPS and TBT notifications covering products and markets of interest to them. ePing also includes an Enquiry Point management tool that facilitates information-sharing and discussions at the domestic and international levels. Stakeholders can track, comment on and/or adapt to new regulatory conditions, avoiding trade disruption or addressing potential trade problems at an early stage.
Participation in the SPS and TBT Committees
Many developed countries are quite active in the work of the SPS and TBT Committees, and the
coordination starts with the SPS and TBT notification process and the Enquiry Points. All WTO members are required to have a contact point for questions on TBT and SPS matters, and these Enquiry Points often act as a hub for national coordination on TBT and SPS matters.
Accessing relevant information on product import requirements can be an immense challenge for exporters, especially SMEs. Every year, the WTO
The system in practice - trade and standards for cinnamon
In 2005 and early 2006, Sri Lanka raised an STC in the SPS Committee regarding EU import restrictions on cinnamon exports from Sri Lanka. The issue related to Sri Lanka’s traditional practice of burning sulphur as a way of protecting cinnamon from possible fungi and insects. While this practice does not require direct application of sulphur to the cinnamon, it does leave some residue.
The EU directive setting maximum residue limits (MRLs) for sulphur dioxide (SO2) prevented
Sri Lanka’s cinnamon exports from entering the EU market. In raising the STC, Sri Lanka highlighted that there was no international standard
for sulphur levels in cinnamon. Codex was at that time in the process of considering the use of SO2 as an additive but had not developed maximum permitted residue levels for SO2 in cinnamon.
Following discussion in the SPS Committee, the Chairperson drew the matter to the attention of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which subsequently adopted a standard establishing a MRL for SO2 in cinnamon. As a result, the EU decided to base its requirements on the Codex standard and, by the end of 2006, Sri Lanka reported to the SPS Committee that this issue had been satisfactorily resolved.
Source: WTO Secretariat
Part 2. The benefit of taking part 29
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