Introduction

Problem: How do you ensure that your country’s consumers are being supplied with food that is safe to eat — “safe” by the standards you consider appropriate? And at the same time, how can you ensure that strict health and safety regulations are not being used as an excuse for protecting domestic producers?

A separate agreement on food safety and animal and plant health standards (the Sanitary and Phytosanitary or SPS Measures Agreement) sets out the basic rules.

The SPS Agreement gives countries the right to take measures to protect animal, plant and human health, and those measures differ from one country to another, from one product to another, and from one case to another. Currently, Egypt is considered to be one of the developing countries facing serious problems with the EU, as a result of a restrictive measure it applies on imports of potatoes from Egypt because of brown rot.

   Role of the CD/WTO

The CD/WTO acts as the technical secretariat for the SPS subcommittee of the High National Committee on Doha Negotiations, per Ministerial Decree 582 for 2003. As such, it is responsible for discussing all issues related to SPS measures, meeting international standards and monitoring Egyptian obligations and rights under the SPS Agreement. In doing so, it coordinates its work with Animal Quarantine, Plant Quarantine, the General Organization for Export and Import Control, the Egyptian Organization for Standards and Quality, the Ministry of Health and Population, and the Ministry of Environment.

• Functions of the SPS Subcommittee (Arabic only)
• Members of the SPS Subcommittee (Arabic only)
• Meetings of the SPS Subcommittee (Arabic only)
  • 2005
    • March 25, 2005
    • February 28, 2005
    • January 16, 2005
  • 2004
    • November 30, 2004
    • October 21, 2004
    • October 18, 2004
    • September 29, 2004
    • September 27, 2004
    • August 25, 2004
    • August 18, 2004
    • July 12, 2004
    • June 29, 2004
    • June 26, 2004
    • June 23, 2004
    • June 8, 2004
    • April 14, 2004
    • March 17, 2004
    • March 7, 2004
    • February 29, 2004
    • February 16, 2004
    • January 28, 2004
    • January 5, 2004
• Activities and recommendations of the SPS Subcommittee
• Meetings of the WTO in Geneva
  • June 2004
  • March 2004
  • October 31, 2003
  • October 29-30, 2003
  • June 2003
• SPS in Egypt
  • Understanding Egypt’s Rights under the SPS Agreement
  • SPS in Egypt

Click on the links below to access more information about SPS issues

• Status of implementation discussions and more information about SPS on the WTO website
• Summary of the SPS Agreement
• SPS Agreement
• Notifications of Egypt and WTO members and Registration to receive notifications
• SPS enquiry points for WTO Members (including Egypt)
• Relevant websites
• Exporters’ Guide to the Agreement (Arabic Only)
• Report a trade barrier