At the meeting of the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures on 2-6 and 13 November, WTO members commemorated the 25th anniversary of the SPS Agreement and reflected on future challenges to facilitate trade in safe food.
The meeting saw a high level of engagement, with over 200 delegates attending remotely, and members addressed a high number of specific trade concerns.
The Committee approved the request of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development for ad hoc observer status, the first new observer organization since 2016
Discussions at the meeting focused on a variety of topics, including actions related to COVID-19 that affect trade, restrictions and approval procedures for imports of animal and plant products, and pest risk assessments (PRAs), pesticide policies and maximum residue levels (MRLs).
They also discussed certificate requirements for food derived from genetically engineered plants and the impact on third parties of Phase 1 of the Economic and Trade Agreement between the United States and China.
The next regular meeting of the SPS Committee is scheduled for 25-26 March 2021, preceded by a thematic session on African swine fever and an informal meeting.
Further meetings are scheduled for 12-16 July and 2-5 November 2021.