Notification Authority

Background to the SPS notification system

The main advantage of the notification system is to make consultation international, by allowing other WTO members to comment on proposed measures. Any WTO member country proposing to introduce new SPS measures is, in most circumstances, required to:

• notify other WTO members of their intention;
• provide copies of the draft measure on request;
• allow reasonable time for other WTO members to make comments in writing;
• discuss these comments on request;
• take the comments and the results of the discussions into account;
• explain to the submitting country how it plans to take their comments into account;
• where appropriate, provide additional relevant information on the proposed SPS measures concerned;
• provide the submitting country with a copy of the corresponding SPS measures as adopted, or information that no corresponding SPS measures will be adopted for the time being.

The SPS notification system also facilitates trade by allowing some lead time before new measures must be complied with (a 'no surprises' approach).

Whenever an SPS measure is questioned in the SPS committee, the first question usually asked of the country imposing the measure is whether it was notified to the WTO. It is important that New Zealand complies with its SPS transparency obligations.

About the New Zealand SPS Notification Authority

WTO members must notify other members of proposed SPS measures and allow comment (except for emergencies such as outbreaks of serious diseases). Other members are entitled to comment, and have their submissions discussed. WTO members under Annex B of the agreement are required to designate a single competent authority to handle issues relating to the obligations contained within the agreement regarding notifications.

The notification authority for New Zealand has been designated as the MAF Biosecurity Authority and is run by an official in MAF Biosecurity's International Agreements group. It channels information between New Zealand and its trading partners on SPS measures.

• It passes on information about New Zealand SPS measures to other members through the WTO secretariat in Geneva.
• MAF Biosecurity Authority receives notifications from its counterparts in other WTO member countries of their new SPS measures, via the WTO notifications system.
• Information about our trading partners' SPS measures which may affect New Zealand producers is passed on to government agencies and producer groups or exporters in this country.

Page last updated: 30 April 2008