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Introduction
One of the most significant areas to have been completed under GATT for the
World Trade Organisation
(WTO) was the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement, which outlines disciplines and limits on measures to be taken to protect human, animal, and plant life and health
from foreign pests, diseases, and contaminants. The SPS Agreement recognizes the right of each WTO
member to adopt an "appropriate level of protection" of
trade-restricting measures to protect human, animal, and plant life
and health, but insists that such measures be based on a scientific
assessment of the risks, be applied only to the extent necessary to
achieve public health or environmental goals, and not discriminate
between domestic and foreign products or threats. For further
information on the SPS Agreement, please visit the
Juris
International Website, or view the following
article by Juris International.
An understanding of SPS requirements is therefore important for exports, with different countries adopting a range of specific measures aimed at controlling the entry of diseases and harmful pests and to protect consumers from food safety issues. This section contains information that may be useful to government, growers and industry in understanding SPS requirements for trade.
Compendium of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS)
Requirements
The Compendium of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Requirements is a collection of materials describing SPS requirements within the ASEAN region and globally.
SPS requirements aim to prevent the spread of specific plant pests and diseases to regions, which are free or have limited occurrence of these pests and diseases. Phytosanitary measures can make reference to the types of chemicals that can be used to treat produce in the field and at postharvest level. Phytosanitary measures can also include regulations relating to the level of chemical residues that is left as a contamination in the produce.
Sanitary and Phytosanitary requirements are also designed to protect consumers in the importing country from diseases, toxins, chemical residues and include food safety requirements. In the fruit and vegetable industry these food safety issues are best controlled through the production chain
with good agricultural practices.
The International GAPs
section contains documents that will assist Government, industry and growers achieve most food safety requirements. The
ASEAN GAP that is currently being developed for the ASEAN countries will be an integral component of SPS requirements needed for international trade.
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