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INTRODUCTION


Scope
References
Definitions and Abbreviations
Outline of Requirements

Scope

This standard describes the actions to be taken by countries regarding the notification of:

- a significant instance of failure of an imported consignment to comply with specified phytosanitary requirements, including the detection of specified regulated pests

- a significant instance of failure of an imported consignment to comply with documentary requirements for phytosanitary certification

- an emergency action taken on the detection in an imported consignment of a regulated pest not listed as being associated with the commodity from the exporting country

- an emergency action taken on the detection in an imported consignment of organisms posing a potential phytosanitary threat.

References

Determination of pest status in an area, 1998. ISPM Pub. No. 8, FAO, Rome.

Export certification systems, 1997. ISPM Pub. No. 7, FAO, Rome.

Glossary of phytosanitary terms, 1999. ISPM Pub. No. 5, FAO, Rome.

Guidelines for phytosanitary certificates, ISPM Pub. No. 12, FAO, Rome.

New Revised Text of the International Plant Protection Convention, 1997. FAO, Rome.

Definitions and Abbreviations

Area

An officially defined country, part of a country or all or parts of several countries [FAO, 1990; revised FAO, 1995; CEPM 1999; based on the World Trade Organization Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures]

Certificate

An official document which attests to the phytosanitary status of any consignment affected by phytosanitary regulations [FAO, 1990]

Commodity class

A category of similar commodities that can be considered together in phytosanitary regulations [FAO, 1990]

Consignment

A quantity of plants, plant products and/or other articles being moved from one country to another and covered, when required, by a single phytosanitary certificate (a consignment may be composed of one or more commodities or lots) [FAO, 1990; revised ICPM, 2001]

Consignment in transit

Consignment which passes through a country without being imported, and without being exposed in that country to contamination or infestation by pests. The consignment may not be split up, combined with other consignments or have its packaging changed [FAO, 1990; revised CEPM, 1996; CEPM, 1999; formerly Country of transit]

Detention

Keeping a consignment in official custody or confinement for phytosanitary reasons [FAO, 1990; revised FAO, 1995, CEPM, 1999]

Emergency action

A prompt phytosanitary action undertaken in a new or unexpected phytosanitary situation [ICPM, 2001]

Introduction

The entry of a pest resulting in its establishment [FAO, 1990; revised FAO, 1995; IPPC, 1997]

IPPC

The International Plant Protection Convention, as deposited in 1951 with FAO in Rome and as subsequently amended [FAO, 1990; revised ICPM, 2001]

NPPO

National Plant Protection Organization [FAO, 1990; revised ICPM, 2001]

Official

Established, authorized or performed by a National Plant Protection Organization [FAO, 1990]

Pest

Any species, strain or biotype of plant, animal or pathogenic agent injurious to plants or plant products [FAO, 1990; revised FAO, 1995; IPPC, 1997]

Pest status (in an area)

Presence or absence, at the present time, of a pest in an area, including where appropriate its distribution, as officially determined using expert judgement on the basis of current and historical pest records and other information [CEPM, 1997: revised ICPM, 1998]

Phytosanitary action

An official operation, such as inspection, testing, surveillance or treatment, undertaken to implement phytosanitary regulations or procedures [ICPM, 2001]

Phytosanitary certificate

Certificate patterned after the model certificates of the IPPC [FAO, 1990]

Phytosanitary measure

Any legislation, regulation or official procedure having the purpose to prevent the introduction and/or spread of pests [FAO, 1995; revised IPPC, 1997]

Phytosanitary regulation

Official rule to prevent the introduction and/or spread of quarantine pests, or to limit the economic impact of regulated non-quarantine pests, including establishment of procedures for phytosanitary certification [FAO, 1990; revised FAO, 1995; CEPM, 1999; ICPM, 2001]

Regulated pest

A quarantine pest or a regulated non-quarantine pest [IPPC, 1997]

RPPO

Regional Plant Protection Organization [FAO, 1990, revised ICPM, 2001]

Spread

Expansion of the geographical distribution of a pest within an area [FAO, 1995]

Treatment

Officially authorized procedure for the killing, removal or rendering infertile of pests [FAO, 1990; revised FAO, 1995]

Outline of Requirements

The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC, 1997) makes provision for contracting parties to report significant instances of non-compliance of imported consignments with phytosanitary requirements, including those related to documentation or to report appropriate emergency action, which is taken on the detection in the imported consignment of an organism posing a potential phytosanitary threat. The importing contracting party is required to notify the exporting contracting party as soon as possible regarding significant instances of non-compliance and emergency actions applied to imported consignments. The notification should identify the nature of non-compliance in such a way that the exporting contracting party may investigate and make the necessary corrections. Importing contracting parties may request a report of the results of such investigations.

Required information for notification includes the reference number, the date of notification, the identity of the NPPOs of the importing and exporting countries, the identity of the consignment and date of first action, the reasons for the action taken, information regarding the nature of non-compliance or emergency action, and the phytosanitary measures applied. Notification should be timely and follow a consistent format.

An importing country should investigate any new or unexpected phytosanitary situation where emergency action is taken in order to determine if actions are justified and if changes in phytosanitary requirements are needed. Exporting countries should investigate significant instances of non-compliance to determine the possible cause. Notifications for significant instances of non-compliance or emergency action associated with re-export are directed to the re-export country. Those associated with transit consignments are directed to the exporting country.


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