The decision to start the Uruguay Round trade negotiations was taken after years of public debate, including within national governments. The decision to negotiate an agreement on the application of sanitary and plant health measures was taken in 1986 at the beginning of the cycle. The SPS negotiations were opened to the 124 governments that participated in the Uruguay Round. Many governments were represented by their food safety or animal health officers. Negotiators also drew on the expertise of international technical organizations such as FAO, the code and the OIE. All governments of WTO member states must have an investigative body, an office to counter and respond to requests for information on the health and plant health measures of these countries. These requests may be copies of new or existing regulations, information on relevant agreements between two countries, or information on risk assessment decisions. The addresses of the application points can be found here. The WTO secretariat has prepared this text to promote public understanding of the SPS agreement. There are no plans to provide for a legal interpretation of the agreement. While a number of developing countries have excellent food security and veterinary and plant health services, others do not. For these organizations, the requirements of the SPS agreement pose a challenge to improve the health situation of their population, population and crops, which may be difficult for some to meet. As a result of this difficulty, the SPS agreement delayed all requirements, with the exception of transparency requirements (notification and creation of investigative bodies), until 1997 for developing countries and until 2000 for least developed countries.
This means that these countries are not required to scientifically justify their health or plant health requirements before that date. Countries that need more time, for example. B to improve their veterinary services or fulfill specific obligations under the agreement, may ask the SPS Committee to grant them further delays. Given the diversity of climatic conditions, pests or existing diseases or food safety conditions, it is not always appropriate to impose the same requirements on food, animal or plant products in different countries in terms of plant hygiene and protection. As a result, sanitary and plant health measures sometimes vary depending on the country of origin of the food, animal or plant product concerned. This is taken into account in the SPS agreement. Governments should also recognize disease-free areas that may not conform to political boundaries and adapt their needs to the products of those regions.