Standards set by private sector bodies can boost trade, but they can also make life difficult for small suppliers, the WTO committee dealing with food safety and animal and plant health heard in its 28 February–1 March 2007 meeting.
The issue of standards demanded by organizations representing supermarket chains and other bodies is relatively new. The Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Committee’s debate is about if and how these private sector standards fall under the WTO’s SPS Agreement, as well as about the economic implications for various countries.
This was one of a wide range of topics discussed in three days of informal and formal meetings of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) Committee (starting with informal consultations on 27 February). Among the specific concerns raised were complaints about the length of time some countries take to assess risk and approve imports, and what some countries consider to be importing nations’ failure to follow international standards or to base their actions on science.
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