Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures

E87188

The Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures is a World Trade Organization treaty that sets rules for member countries’ food safety and animal and plant health regulations to ensure they are science-based and do not unjustifiably restrict international trade.


Statements (47)
Predicate Object
instanceOf World Trade Organization agreement
international treaty
administeredBy World Trade Organization
aimsTo ensure that SPS measures are science-based
prevent unjustified barriers to international trade
protect animal life and health from pests and diseases
protect human life and health from food-borne risks
protect plant life and health from pests and diseases
allows members to set their own appropriate level of protection
appliesTo all WTO members
concerns animal health
food safety
international trade in animals
international trade in food
international trade in plants
phytosanitary measures
plant health
sanitary measures
encourages harmonization of SPS measures
use of international standards
enteredIntoForce 1995
establishes Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
language English
French
Spanish
legalBasisFor members’ sanitary measures affecting trade
partOf Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization
providesFor equivalence of SPS measures
establishment of SPS enquiry points
notification of new SPS measures
regionalization in SPS measures
transparency of SPS regulations
references Codex Alimentarius Commission
International Plant Protection Convention
World Organisation for Animal Health
requires SPS measures be based on scientific principles
SPS measures be no more trade-restrictive than required
SPS measures not be maintained without sufficient scientific evidence
non-discriminatory application of SPS measures
risk assessment for SPS measures
shortName SPS Agreement
signed 1994
subjectTo WTO dispute settlement
typeOfMeasureCovered measures to prevent or limit other damage from entry, establishment or spread of pests
measures to protect animal or plant life from pests, diseases, or disease-causing organisms
measures to protect human life from plant- or animal-carried diseases
measures to protect human life from risks arising from additives, contaminants, toxins or disease-causing organisms in foods

Referenced by (5)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

WTO panels appliesLaw Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
this entity surface form: "Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Agreement"
Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade distinguishedFrom Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
Council for Trade in Goods legalBasis Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
this entity surface form: "Annex 1A of the WTO Agreement"
Council for Trade in Goods oversees Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
Uruguay Round (1986–1994) producedAgreement Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures

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