10. Implementation of the revision of the Plant Protection Agreement for the Asia and Pacific region

10.1 Regional phytosanitary standard setting

John Hedley gave a brief overview of the report of the APPPC working group meeting on regional phytosanitary standard setting held in Bangkok from 17 to19 July 2001. Dr Hedley noted the references in the 1999 revised Plant Protection Agreement for the Asia and Pacific region to the setting of regional standards and stressed that one of the APPPC major objectives should be to set regional standards.

10.1.1 The commission reviewed the report of the working group and the following amendments were made to the guidelines for the standard setting procedures

· Section VII (Annex II No. 1) draft standard setting procedures for an APPPC regional standard - Step 6. China proposed that there be a timetable for the distribution of draft regional standards before the APPPC meeting. It was agreed that the following be added to Step 6.

The draft standard should be sent to members two months prior to the APPPC meeting

· VIII (Annex II No. 2) terms of reference for the APPPC standards committee

Insert new terms of reference

5. Appointment of the standards committee

The APPPC standards committee is appointed by the Commission

· IX (Annex 2 No. 3) rules of procedure for the APPPC standards committee

Rule 2. Period of membership

Text amended as follows:

Members of the APPPC standards committee shall be appointed for a period of four years

Rule 5. Approval

Text to be amended as follows

Approvals relating to specifications or draft standards are made by consensus

· XV (Annex II No. 9) Procedure for designation of members of working group

Title now to read guidelines for designation of members of working group

· XVIII (Annex II No. 12) Guidelines for submission of comments

First sentence amended to read:

APPPC members are provided 120 days to review the documents, consult on their content, and compile and submit comments through their NPPO to the APPPC secretariat

10.1.2 The commission commented on the recommendations to the commission regarding the priorities of standards as follows

The commission proposed that the development of a standard Quarantine requirements for the introduction of GMO’s be delayed until the IPPC standard has been developed.

It was noted that the proposed standard Inspection, Detection, Identification and Treatment of Fruit Fly would require a considerable study and should be delayed at this stage.

Therefore, it was decided that the Standards Committee should consider the two proposed standards guidelines for requirements for Mediterranean fruit fly and guidelines for the training of plant quarantine inspectors

10.1.3 The members of the APPPC agreed to do the following;

• Adopt the standard setting procedures for the APPPC regional standard setting system as described in section VII (Annex II No. 1)

• Establish an APPPC Standards Committee which will adopt the terms of reference in section VIII and adopt the rules of procedures described in section IX (Annex II Nos. 2 and 3)

• Adopt the other procedural requirements for the standard setting system described in sections X to XXII. (Annex II Nos. 4-16)

10.1.4 Establishment of the Standards Committee

The sub regions of the APPPC met and proposed the following membership of the Standards Committee:

10.1.5 The following countries have agreed to assist Prof Shen in drafting the specifications for the development of the two standards agreed to by the Commission:

Australia
China
Indonesia
Malaysia
Thailand

The revised procedural guidelines for regional standard setting are attached in the Appendix IV.

10.2 Status of the regional TCP project on SALB

The regional TCP project on SALB (TCP/RAS/0168(A)) was approved by FAO in July 2001 and is waiting for member countries to send letters of agreement.