January 1997
COAG/97/6
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January 1997 |
COAG/97/6 |
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Item 6 of the Provisional Agenda
In 1993 the Twenty-seventh FAO Conference adopted an approval system for International Phytosanitary Standards. The Standards, which are developed through a close consultation process with countries and Regional Plant Protection Organizations, are considered by the Committee of Experts on Phytosanitary Measures. The Committee then recommends the standards for approval to the Conference through COAG and Council.
In 1993 the Twenty-seventh FAO Conference adopted one Standard: "Principles of Plant Quarantine as Related to International Trade", and in 1995 three Standards were adopted by the Twenty-eighth FAO Conference: "Guidelines for Pest Risk Analysis", the "Code of Conduct for the Import and Release of Exotic Biological Control Agents" and "Requirements for the Establishment of Pest Free Areas". Two further Standards, given in Annexes 1 and 2, were considered and recommended by the Committee of Experts on Phytosanitary Measures in May 1996 and are now submitted to COAG for consideration and, if found suitable, for recommendation for adoption by the Twenty-ninth FAO Conference through the Hundred-and-twelfth Session of the Council.
ANNEX 1 GUIDELINES FOR SURVEILLANCE PART 4 - PEST SURVEILLANCE
ANNEX 2 EXPORT CERTIFICATION SYSTEM PART 2 - EXPORT CERTIFICATION
COAG/97/6 ANNEX 1
DRAFT STANDARD
Page
Endorsement 1
Review 2
Amendment record 2
Distribution 2
INTRODUCTION
SCOPE 3
REFERENCES 3
DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS 3
OUTLINE OF REQUIREMENTS 4
REQUIREMENTS
1. General Surveillance 5
1.1 Sources 5
1.2 Collection, storage and retrieval of information 5
1.3 Use of information 5
2. Specific surveys 6
2.1 Pest surveys 6
2.2 Commodity or host surveys 7
2.3 Targeted and random sampling 7
3. Good Surveillance Practice 7
4. Technical Requirements for Diagnostic Services 7
5. Record Keeping 8
6. Transparency 8
Endorsement
International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures are prepared by the Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention as part of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's global programme of policy and technical assistance in plant quarantine. This programme makes available to FAO Members and other interested parties guidelines to achieve international harmonization of phytosanitary measures, with the aim of facilitating trade and avoiding the use of unjustifiable measures as barriers to trade. The Standards are presented in a framework composed of seven parts encompassing procedures for: Import Regulations, Export Certification, Compliance, Pest Surveillance, Exotic Pest Response, Pest Management and Post-Entry Quarantine. Other standards are presented as reference documents.
The following standard was endorsed in November 199- by the 2--th Session of the FAO Conference.
Jacques Diouf
Director-General
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Review
International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures are subject to periodic review and amendment. The next review date for this Standard is ______, or such other date as may be agreed upon by the FAO Committee on Agriculture.
Amendment record
Amendments will be issued as necessary and given a consecutive number and dated. Standard holders should ensure that obsolete pages are removed from the present document and all amendments inserted where indicated.
Distribution
International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures are distributed by the Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention to all FAO Members, plus the Executive/Technical Secretariats of the Regional Plant Protection Organizations:
- Asia and Pacific Plant Protection Commission
- Caribbean Plant Protection Commission
- Comité Regional de Sanidad Vegetal para el Cono Sur
- European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization
- Inter-African Phytosanitary Council
- Junta del Acuerdo de Cartagena
- North American Plant Protection Organization
- Organismo Internacional Regional de Sanidad Agropecuaria
- Pacific Plant Protection Organization
SCOPE
This Standard describes the components of survey and monitoring systems for the purpose of pest detection and the supply of information for use in pest risk analyses, the establishment of pest free areas and, where appropriate, the preparation of pest lists.
REFERENCES
Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, 1994. World Trade Organization, Geneva.
Bayer coding system, 1996. European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization, Paris.
Glossary of phytosanitary terms, 1996. ISPM Pub. No. 5, FAO, Rome.
International Plant Protection Convention, 1992. FAO, Rome.
Principles of plant quarantine as related to international trade, 1995. ISPM Pub. No. 1, FAO, Rome.
Requirements for the establishment of pest free areas, 1996. ISPM Pub No. 4, FAO, Rome.
DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS
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Area |
An officially defined country, part of a country or all or parts of several countries. |
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Commodity |
A type of plant, plant product or other regulated article being moved for trade or other purpose. |
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Commodity pest list |
A list of pests occurring in an area which may be associated with a specific commodity. |
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Delimiting survey |
Survey conducted to establish the boundaries of an area considered to be infested by or free from a pest. |
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Detection survey |
Survey conducted in an area to determine if pests are present. |
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Host range |
Species of plants capable, under natural conditions, of sustaining a specific pest. |
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Host pest list |
A list of pests that infest a plant species. |
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IPPC |
International Plant Protection Convention, as deposited in 1951 with FAO in Rome and as subsequently amended. |
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Monitoring |
An official ongoing process to verify phytosanitary situations. |
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Monitoring survey |
Ongoing survey to verify the characteristics of a pest population. |
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National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) |
Official service established by a government to discharge the functions specified by the IPPC. |
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Occurrence |
The presence in an area of a pest officially reported to be indigenous or introduced and/or not officially reported to have been eradicated. |
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Official |
Established, authorized or performed by a National Plant Protection Organization. |
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Pathway |
Any means that allows the entry or spread of a pest. |
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Pest |
Any species, strain or biotype of plant, animal or pathogenic agent injurious to plants or plant products. (Definition subject to formal amendment by the IPPC.) |
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Pest free area |
An area in which a specific pest does not occur as demonstrated by scientific evidence and in which, where appropriate, this condition is being officially maintained. |
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Pest risk analysis |
Pest risk assessment and pest risk management. |
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Pest risk assessment |
Determination of whether a pest is a quarantine pest and evaluation of its introduction potential. |
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Pest risk management |
The decision-making process of reducing the risk of introduction of a quarantine pest. |
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Regional Plant Protection Organization (RPPO) |
Intergovernmental organization with the functions laid down by Article VIII of the IPPC. |
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Surveillance |
An official process which collects and records data on pest occurrence or absence by survey, monitoring or other procedures. |
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Survey |
An official procedure conducted over a defined period of time to determine the characteristics of a pest population or to determine which species occur in an area. |
OUTLINE OF REQUIREMENTS
Under the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures: "Principles of Plant Quarantine as Related to International Trade", countries are required to justify their phytosanitary regulations on the basis of pest risk analysis. These Principles also endorse the concept of "pest free areas", a description of which is provided in the standard: "Requirements for the Establishment of Pest Free Areas". These concepts are also referred to in the World Trade Organization's Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures. The collecting and recording of pest information are fundamental to all these concepts. The implication is that National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs) should be in a position to validate declarations of the absence or limited distribution of quarantine pests.
There are two major types of surveillance system:
- General surveillance
- Specific surveys.
General surveillance is a process whereby information on particular pests which are of concern for an area is gathered from many sources, wherever it is available and provided for use by the NPPO.
Specific surveys are procedures by which NPPOs obtain information on pests of concern on specific sites in an area over a defined period of time.
The verified information acquired may be used to determine the presence or distribution of pests in an area, or on a host or commodity, or their absence from an area (in the establishment and maintenance of pest free areas).
1. General Surveillance
1.1 Sources
Within countries there are many sources of pest information. These sources may include: NPPOs, other national and local government agencies, research institutions,universities, scientific societies (including amateur specialists), producers, consultants, museums, the general public, scientific and trade journals, unpublished data and contemporary observations. In addition, the NPPO may obtain information from international sources such as FAO, Regional Plant Protection Organizations (RPPOs), etc.
1.2 Collection, storage and retrieval of information
To utilize data from these sources, it is recommended that NPPOs develop a system whereby appropriate information on the particular pest(s) of concern is collected, verified and compiled.
Components of such a system should include:
- the NPPO or another institution designated by the NPPO acting as the national repository for plant pest records
- a record keeping and retrieval system
- data verification procedures
- communication channels to transfer information from the sources to the NPPO.
Components of such a system may also include:
- incentives to report such as:
- legislative obligations (for the general public or specific agencies)
- cooperative agreements (between the NPPO and specific agencies)
- use of contact personnel to enhance communication channels to and from NPPOs
- public education/awareness programmes.
1.3 Use of information
Information gathered through such general surveillance will most often be used:
- to support NPPO declarations of pest freedom
- to aid early detection of new pests
- for reporting to other organizations such as RPPOs and FAO
- in the compilation of host and commodity pest lists and distribution records.
2. Specific surveys
Specific surveys may be detection, delimiting or monitoring surveys. These are official surveys and should follow a plan which is approved by the NPPO.
The survey plan should include:
- definition of the purpose (e.g. early detection, assurances for pest free areas, information for a commodity pest list) and the specification of the phytosanitary requirements to be met
- identification of the target pest(s)
- identification of scope (e.g. geographical area, production system, season)
- identification of timing (dates, frequency, duration)
- in the case of commodity pest lists, the target commodity
- indication of the statistical basis (e.g. level of confidence, number of samples, selection and number of sites, frequency of sampling, assumptions)
- description of survey methodology and quality management including an explanation of:
- sampling procedures (e.g. attractant trapping, whole plant sampling, visual inspection, sample collection and laboratory analysis); the procedure would be determined by the biology of pest and/or purpose of survey
- diagnostic procedures
- reporting procedures.
2.1 Pest surveys
Surveys for specific pests will provide information to be used mainly:
- to support NPPO declarations of pest freedom
but also:
- to aid early detection of new pests
- for reporting to other organizations such as RPPOs and FAO.
The selection of suitable survey sites may be determined by the:
- previously reported presence and distribution of the pest
- biology of the pest
- distribution of host plants of the pest and especially of their areas of commercial production
- climatic suitability of sites for the pest.
The timing of survey procedures may be determined by:
- the life-cycle of the pest
- the phenology of the pest and its hosts
- the timing of pest management programmes
- whether the pest is best detected on crops in active growth or in the harvested crop.
For pests which are only likely to be present as a result of recent introduction, the selection of suitable survey sites may in addition relate, for example, to points of possible entry, possible pathways of spread, sites where imported commodities are marketed and sites where imported commodities are used as planting material.
The selection of survey procedures may be determined by the type of sign or symptom by which the pest can be recognized and by the accuracy or sensitivity of techniques used to test for the pest.
2.2 Commodity or host surveys
Specific commodity surveys can provide useful information for pest lists of commodities produced under specific cultural practices. Surveys could also be used for the preparation of host pest lists where data from general surveillance are lacking.
The selection of suitable survey sites may be determined by:
- geographical distribution of production areas and/or their size
- pest management programmes (commercial and non-commercial sites)
- cultivars present
- points of consolidation of the harvested commodity.
Survey procedures will be timed in relation to crop harvesting and will depend on the selection of a sampling technique appropriate to the type of harvested commodity.
2.3 Targeted and random sampling
Surveys should normally be designed to favour detection of specific pests concerned. However, the survey plan should also include some random sampling to detect unexpected events.
3. Good Surveillance Practice
Personnel involved in general surveillance should be adequately trained in appropriate fields of plant protection and data management. Personnel involved in surveys should be adequately trained, and where appropriate audited, in sampling methods, preservation and transportation of samples for identification and record keeping associated with samples. Appropriate equipment and supplies should be used and maintained adequately.
4. Technical Requirements for Diagnostic Services
The NPPO should provide appropriate diagnostic services to support general surveillance and specific survey activities, or ensure access to such services. Characteristics of the diagnostic services include:
- expertise in disciplines relevant to pest (and host) identification
- adequate facilities and equipment
- access to specialists for verification where necessary
- facilities for record keeping
- facilities for processing and storing of voucher specimens
- use of standard operating procedures, where appropriate and available.
Verification of diagnoses by other recognized authorities will provide increased confidence in the survey results.
5. Record Keeping
The NPPO should keep appropriate records derived from general surveillance and specific surveys. Information kept should be appropriate for the intended purpose, e.g. support of specific pest risk analyses, establishment of pest free areas and preparation of pest lists. Voucher specimens should be deposited, where appropriate.
Information in the records should include to the extent possible:
- scientific name of pest and Bayer code if available
- family/order
- scientific name of host and Bayer code if available, and plant part affected or means of collection (e.g. attractant trap, soil sample, sweep net)
- locality, e.g. location codes, addresses, coordinates
- date of collection and name of collector
- date of identification and name of identifier
- date of verification and name of verifier
- references, if any
- additional information, e.g. nature of host relationship, infestation status, growth stage of plant affected, or found only in greenhouses.
Reports of pest occurrence on commodities need not be so specific on locality or verification, but should refer precisely to the exact type of commodity, the collector and the date, and if appropriate the means of collection.
Reports of new occurrences of pests should also include information on any measures taken.
6. Transparency
The NPPO should on request distribute reports of pest presence, distribution or absence derived from general surveillance and specific surveys. Reports should be adequately referenced in relation to pest occurrences.
COAG/97/6 ANNEX 2
DRAFT STANDARD
Page
Endorsement 1
Review 2
Amendment record 2
Distribution 2
INTRODUCTION
SCOPE 3
REFERENCES 3
DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS 3
OUTLINE OF REQUIREMENTS 4
REQUIREMENTS
1. Legal Responsibility 5
2. Management Responsibility 5
3. Resources 5
3.1 Staff 5
3.2 Information on importing country phytosanitary requirements 6
3.3 Technical information 6
3.4 Equipment 6
4 . Documentation 6
4.1 Phytosanitary certificates 6
4.2 Phytosanitary certificate for re-export 7
4.3 Procedures 7
4.4 Records 8
4.5 Consignment tracing 8
5. Communication 8
5.1 Within the exporting country 8
5.2 Outside the exporting country 8
6. Review Mechanism 9
6.1 System review 9
6.2 Incident review 9
Endorsement
International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures are prepared by the Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention as part of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's global programme of policy and technical assistance in plant quarantine. This programme makes available to FAO Members and other interested parties guidelines to achieve international harmonization of phytosanitary measures, with the aim of facilitating trade and avoiding the use of unjustifiable measures as barriers to trade. The Standards are presented in a framework composed of seven parts encompassing procedures for: Import Regulations, Export Certification, Compliance, Pest Surveillance, Exotic Pest Response, Pest Management and Post-Entry Quarantine. Other Standards are presented as reference documents.
The following Standard was endorsed in November 199- by the 2--th Session of the FAO Conference.
Jacques Diouf
Director-General
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Review
International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures are subject to periodic review and amendment. The next review date for this Standard is _____, or such other date as may be agreed upon by the FAO Committee on Agriculture.
Amendment record
Amendments will be issued as necessary and given a consecutive number and dated. Standard holders should ensure that obsolete pages are removed from the present document and all amendments inserted where indicated.
Distribution
International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures are distributed by the Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention to all FAO Members, plus the Executive/Technical Secretariats of the Regional Plant Protection Organizations:
- Asia and Pacific Plant Protection Commission
- Caribbean Plant Protection Commission
- Comité Regional de Sanidad Vegetal para el Cono Sur
- European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization
- Inter-African Phytosanitary Council
- Junta del Acuerdo de Cartagena
- North American Plant Protection Organization
- Organismo Internacional Regional de Sanidad Agropecuaria
- Pacific Plant Protection Organization.
SCOPE
This Standard describes the components of a national system for the issuance of phytosanitary certificates.
REFERENCES
Glossary of phytosanitary terms, 1996. ISPM Pub. No. 5, FAO, Rome.
International Plant Protection Convention, 1992. FAO, Rome.
DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS
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Additional declaration |
A statement that is required by an importing country to be entered on a phytosanitary certificate and which provides specific additional information pertinent to the phytosanitary condition of a consignment. |
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Consignment |
A quantity of plants, plant products and/or other regulated articles being moved from one country to another and covered by a single phytosanitary certificate (a consignment may be composed of one or more lots). |
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Country of origin |
Of a consignment of plants, country where the plants were grown; of a consignment of plant products, country where the plants from which the plant products were derived were grown; of other regulated articles, country where the regulated articles were first exposed to contamination by pests. |
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Country of re-export |
Country into which a consignment of plants, plant products, or other regulated articles has been imported and was stored, split up, had its packaging changed or was otherwise exposed to contamination by pests, prior to export to a third country. |
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Harmonization |
The establishment, recognition and application by different countries of phytosanitary measures based on common standards. (Definition based on the World Trade Organization Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.) |
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Import permit |
Official document authorizing importation of a commodity in accordance with specified phytosanitary requirements. |
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Inspection |
Official visual examination of plants, plant products or other regulated articles to determine if pests are present and/or to determine compliance with phytosanitary regulations. |
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IPPC |
International Plant Protection Convention, as deposited in 1951 with FAO in Rome and as subsequently amended. |
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National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) |
Official service established by a government to discharge the functions specified by the IPPC. |
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Pest |
Any species, strain or biotype of plant, animal, or pathogenic agent, injurious to plants or plant products. (Definition subject to formal amendment of IPPC.) |
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Phytosanitary |
Pertaining to plant quarantine. |
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Phytosanitary certificate |
Certificate patterned after the model certificates of the IPPC. |
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Phytosanitary certification |
Use of phytosanitary procedures leading to the issue of a phytosanitary certificate. |
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Phytosanitary regulation |
Official rule to prevent the introduction and/or spread of quarantine pests, by regulating the production, movement, or existence of commodities or other articles, or the normal activity of persons, and by establishing schemes for phytosanitary certification. |
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Plant product |
Unmanufactured material of plant origin (including grain) and those manufactured products that, by their nature or that of their processing, may create a risk for the spread of pests. |
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Plants |
Living plants and parts thereof, including seeds. |
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Regional Plant Protection Organization (RPPO) |
Intergovernmental organization with the functions laid down by Article VIII of the IPPC. |
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Treatment |
Officially authorized procedure for the killing, removal or rendering infertile of pests. |
The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) requires its contracting parties to make arrangements to issue phytosanitary certificates certifying compliance with the phytosanitary regulations of other contracting parties. This Standard describes an export certification system to produce valid and credible phytosanitary certificates. Exported consignments certified under these systems should meet the current phytosanitary requirements of the importing country.
The basic elements of the phytosanitary certification process include:
- ascertaining the relevant phytosanitary requirements of the importing country
- verifying that the consignment conforms to those requirements at the time of certification
- issuing a phytosanitary certificate.
The requirements for a certification system to fulfil these functions comprise the following:
- legal responsibility
- management responsibility, including resources, documentation, communication and review mechanism.
The framework for a certification system includes the following components.
1. Legal Responsibility
The National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) should have the sole authority by legislative or administrative means to control and issue phytosanitary certificates.
In using this authority, the NPPO should:
- bear the legal responsibility for its actions
- implement safeguards against potential problems such as conflicts of interest and fraudulent use of certificates.
The NPPO may have the authority to prevent the export of consignments which do not meet an importing country's requirements.
2. Management Responsibility
The NPPO should:
- have a management system that ensures that all requirements, including certification specifications, legislative requirements and administrative requirements are satisfied
- identify a person or office responsible for the export certification system
- identify the duties and lines of communication of all personnel with certification-related responsibilities
- ensure that adequate personnel and resources are available to undertake the following functions:
- maintenance of information on importing country phytosanitary requirements as needed
- production of operational instructions to ensure that importing country phytosanitary requirements are satisfied
- inspection and testing of consignments
- identification of organisms found during inspection of consignments
- verification of the authenticity and integrity of phytosanitary procedures
- completion and issuance of phytosanitary certificates
- document storage and retrieval
- training
- dissemination of certification-related information
- regular review of the effectiveness of its export certification system.
3. Resources
3.1 Staff
The NPPO should have personnel with a level of expertise appropriate for the duties and responsibilities of the positions occupied.
NPPOs should have or have access to personnel with training and experience in:
- performing inspections of plants, plant products and other regulated articles for purposes related to the issuance of phytosanitary certificates
- identification of plants and plant products
- detection and identification of plant pests
- performing or supervising phytosanitary treatments required for the certification in question
- survey, monitoring and control activities related to phytosanitary certification
- constructing appropriate certification systems and formulating instructions from importing country phytosanitary requirements
- auditing of accredited personnel and certification systems, where appropriate.
Except for the issuance of phytosanitary certificates, non-governmental personnel may be accredited by the NPPO to carry out specified certification functions. To be accredited, such personnel should be qualified and skilled, and responsible to the NPPO. To ensure independence in the exercise of their official functions, they should be subject to restrictions equivalent to those for government officials and have no financial interest in the outcome.
3.2 Information on importing country phytosanitary requirements
The NPPO should, to the extent possible, maintain current official information concerning the import requirements of its trading partners. It may be useful for the exporter to obtain information on the current import requirements for the country of destination and supply it to the NPPO.
3.3 echnical information
The NPPO should provide the personnel involved in phytosanitary certification with adequate technical information concerning quarantine pests, and to the extent possible, non-quarantine pests, for the importing countries including:
- their presence and distribution within the exporting country
- the biology, detection and identification of the pests.
3.4 Equipment
The NPPO should ensure that adequate equipment and facilities are available to carry out inspection, testing, consignment verification and phytosanitary certification procedures.
4. Documentation
4.1 Phytosanitary certificates
The model phytosanitary certificates as described in the Annex of the IPPC should be used. The phytosanitary certificate should contain sufficient information to clearly identify the consignment to which it relates. The phytosanitary certificate should not carry other information of a non-phytosanitary nature.
The validity of phytosanitary certificates should not be indefinite but limited in duration (prior to export), to the extent the NPPOs deem appropriate, to ensure phytosanitary and physical integrity. Appropriate disclaimers related to legal liability may be included on the phytosanitary certificate issued.
4.2 Phytosanitary certificate for re-export
Before issuing a phytosanitary certificate for re-export of a consignment, the NPPO should first examine the original phytosanitary certificate issued by the country of origin and determine whether the requirements of the country of destination are more stringent, the same or less stringent than those satisfied by the phytosanitary certificate.
If the consignment is repacked, additional inspection should be carried out, whatever the stringency of the requirements. If, however, the consignment is not repacked, two cases arise. If the requirements are the same or less stringent, no additional inspection will be required. If the requirements are more stringent, additional inspection should be carried out.
If the country of destination has special requirements (e.g. field inspection) that cannot be fulfilled by the country of re-export, no phytosanitary certificate for re-export can be issued unless this special item has been included or declared on the original phytosanitary certificate or if equivalent laboratory tests agreed by the country of destination can be carried out on samples. When regular re-export exists, or is started, suitable procedures for satisfying these special requirements may be agreed between the NPPOs of the countries of origin and re-export.
If the country of re-export does not require a phytosanitary certificate for the commodity in question but the country of destination does, and the requirements can be fulfilled by visual inspections or laboratory testing of samples, the country of re-export may issue a normal phytosanitary certificate with the country of origin indicated in brackets.
4.3 Procedures
The NPPO should maintain guidance documents, procedures and work instructions as appropriate covering every aspect of the certification system.
Key elements include:
- instructions relating to phytosanitary certificates:
- control over issuance (manual or electronic)
- identification of issuing officers
- inclusion of additional declarations
- completion of the treatment section of the certificate
- certified alterations
- completion of phytosanitary certificates
- signature and delivery of phytosanitary certificates
- instructions relating to other components:
- procedures for working with industry
- sampling, inspection and verification procedures
- security over official seals/marks
- consignment identification, traceability and security
- record keeping.
4.4 Records
In general, records should be kept concerning all activities mentioned in this Standard.
A copy of each phytosanitary certificate should be retained for purposes of validation and "trace back".
For each consignment for which a phytosanitary certificate is issued, records should be kept as appropriate on:
- any inspection, testing, treatment or other verification which was conducted on a consignment basis
- the names of the personnel who undertook these tasks
- the date on which the activity was undertaken
- the results obtained.
It may be useful to keep equivalent records for those non-conforming consignments for which phytosanitary certificates were not issued.
The NPPO should be able to retrieve these records, when required, over an appropriate period of time. The use of secure electronic storage and retrieval is recommended for standardized documentation of records.
4.5 Consignment tracing
Consignments and their certification should be traceable as appropriate through all stages of production, handling and transport to the point of export. If the NPPO becomes aware after certification that an exported consignment may not have complied with the importing country's phytosanitary requirements, the importing country's NPPO should be so advised.
5. Communication
5.1 Within the exporting country
The NPPO should have procedures in place for timely communication to relevant personnel and to industry concerning changes in:
- importing country phytosanitary requirements
- pest status and geographical distribution
- operational procedures.
The NPPO may put in place, for non-conforming consignments, a procedure which enables rapid communication to all affected industry parties and certification personnel. This is in order to facilitate resolution of the problem and to prevent re-submission of the consignment unless approved corrective action has been undertaken.
5.2 Outside the exporting country
The NPPO should:
- liaise with the nominated representatives of relevant NPPOs to discuss phytosanitary requirements
- make available a contact point for importing country NPPOs to report cases of non-compliance
- liaise with the relevant Regional Plant Protection Organizations and other international organizations in order to facilitate the harmonization of phytosanitary measures and the dissemination of technical and regulatory information.
6. Review Mechanism
6.1 System review
The NPPO should periodically review the effectiveness of all aspects of its export certification system and implement changes to the system if required.
6.2 Incident review
The NPPO should establish procedures for investigating reports from importing countries of non-conforming consignments covered by a phytosanitary certificate. If requested, a report of the outcome of the investigation should be supplied to the importing country.