Position Paper
PROPOSED DRAFT GUIDELINES ON THE JUDGMENT OF EQUIVALENCE OF SANITARY
MEASURES ASSOCIATED WITH FOOD INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION SYSTEMS
December, 2000
In 1997, at the fifth session of the Codex Committee on Food Import
Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS), New Zealand
presented a discussion paper on the judgment of equivalence of sanitary
measures through the establishment of a food safety objective (FSO).
Discussion of this concept and the preparation of guidelines continued
through several CCFICS sessions. The elaboration of guidelines was
approved as new work by the 47th session of the Executive Committee
and accorded a high priority for this work. The intention of the
guidelines was to give application to the Articles on equivalence
in the SPS Agreement. Under the leadership of New Zealand, a drafting
group was formed. Following the 8th session of CCFICS in February
2000, the draft guidelines were circulated at Step 3 for comment.
At the ninth session, held in December 2000, CCFICS considered
the guidelines at length along with a parallel document on the judgment
of TBT measures. CCFICS made significant progress on the SPS equivalence
guideline and agreed to advance to Step 5. It was also agreed to
recommend that the 24th session of the CAC omit Steps 6 and 7 and
proceed to adopt the document at Step 8. Many of the developing
countries objected to the accelerated process and wanted an additional
round of comments. Therefore the CAC will be considering the adoption
of the document over the objections of several countries.
The TBT document was returned to Step 3 for more drafting and will
not be considered by CAC at this point.
The International Council of Grocery Manufacturers Associations
(ICGMA) believes CAC should consider the comments received at Step
5 to ascertain if issues have been identified that require more
work. If not, CAC should adopt the guidelines at Step 8.
In support of advancing the document
- The document has been considered at five separate sessions
of CCFICS and, at each session, progressively improved taking
into careful consideration all comments.
- Work shops and seminars have been held by WTO around the CCFICS
sessions to educate developing countries about the SPS agreement
and the implications of equivalency.
- CCEXEC gave this work high priority.
- This particular document is one of Codex’ best works
to date.
- Codex guidance on the judgment of equivalence will be an important
tool to facilitate trade.
In support of equivalence agreements
- Equivalence agreements will improve food safety globally as
nations strive to achieve the “ALOP” necessary to
gain access to key markets;
- Equivalence agreements will enable better use of limited resources
based on risk assessment, eliminating duplication of regulatory
controls.
- Equivalence agreements will reduce unnecessary paper documentation.
The International Council of Grocery Manufacturers Associations
is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) officially
recognized by the Codex Alimentarius. ICGMA represents the interests
of national and regional associations representing all sectors of
the grocery industry and serves to facilitate harmonization of standards
and policies concerned with health, safety, packaging, labeling,
advertising and marketing of foods, beverages and other grocery
products.
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