IPCSpecial Events

Increasing Transparency of SPS Measures

September 30 , 2009

Geneva, Switzerland

11:15 am - 1:15 pm

On September 30, IPC held a WTO Public Forum session on increasing the transparency of SPS measures. SPS measures are necessary for the protection of human, animal and plant health and important for international trade. Yet, business and exporting countries also express concern about not having sufficient advance notice of new measures, insufficient harmonization, and a perceived lack of transparency in the development and application of some measures. Participants explored concrete proposals for improving national adherence to the SPS notification system, for increasing transparency of both existing and new SPS measures, and for better estimating the trade impact of SPS measures.

Meeting Information

Agenda

Presentations

• Marlynne Hopper, Standards and Trade Development Facility
  Improving National Implementation of the SPS Notification System
  
• Valentin Zahrnt, European Centre for International Political Economy
  Injecting Greater Specificity on SPS Measures into the WTO’s Trade Policy Review Mechanism
• Tim Josling, Stanford University, IPC Member
  Understanding the Impact of SPS Measures on Market Access

Discussants

• Alex Thiermann, Animal Health Organisation (OIE)
  Perspective from an International Standard-Setting Body
• Pedro de Camargo Neto, former Brazilian Secretary of Agricultural Production and Trade, IPC Member
  Perspective from the Private Sector
  
• Gretchen Stanton, WTO

WTO Perspective

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