International

1

• International
• Plant Protection Convention
• New Revised Text
• Briefing to Parliamentary Select Committee
• Land Environmental Affairs
• (National Council of Provinces)
• by
• Dept of Agriculture Directorate Plant Health
• Dr Marinda Visser
• Cape Town, 26 October 2005

2
SA is a signatory member of

• The World Trade Organisation Agreement on the
  Application of Sanitary Phytosanitary Measures
  (WTO-SPS Agreement),
• and
• 2. The International Plant Protection Convention
  (IPPC)

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The WTO-SPS Agreement

• Came into being in 1995
• Sets out the basic rules for global agricultural
  trade
• Recognises 3 standard-setting bodies (for plant
  health, animal health, and food safety)

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WTO-SPS Standard-setting bodies

• IPPC International Plant Protection
  Convention
• OIE International Office of Epizootics
• Codex Codex Alimentarius Commission

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WTO Rights

• Members
• May protect the humans, plants
• animals within their territories
• from harmful foreign pests
• (e.g. set phytosanitary regulations)

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WTO Obligations

• Members
• Must base all regulatory measures
• on scientific data (i.e. these must be
• technically justified appropriate)

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The IPPC

• Is a multilateral treaty for international
  cooperation in plant protection

• Its purpose is to secure common and effective
  action to prevent the spread and introduction of
  pests of plants and plant products, and to
  promote appropriate measures for their control.
  (Article I)

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Scope of the IPPC

• Covers international cooperation in
  protecting plants and plant products from
  harmful pests
• Plants include agricultural crops, forests,
  wild flora
• Pests include insects, pathogens, weeds
• Harm includes indirect effects such as from
  weeds

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Scope of the IPPC (continued)

• Extends to items capable of harbouring or
  spreading pests, such as
• Storage places
• Conveyances / vehicles, and
• Containers
• Provides for cross-border movement of organisms
  for research or other purposes
• Includes imported biological control organisms

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History of the IPPC

• Came into force in 1952
• SA ratified adherence in 1956, and
• Accepted the 1979 revised text in 1981
• Was revised again in 1997
• The aim was to bring it into line with the
  principles and expectations of the WTO-SPS
  Agreement of 1995
• This text was approved in various FAO forums, in
  which SA participated

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Acceptance of Revised Text by Contracting
Parties

• Acceptance is for current Contracting Parties,
  such as South Africa
• A Government deposits an instrument of acceptance
  with the Director General of FAO
• The depositing Government then accepts the 1997
  revisions of the IPPC.

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Key Principles of the IPPC

• Gives Contracting Parties the right to regulate
  imports in respect of plant health
• Regulatory measures should be applied only when
  necessary
• Measures should be
• consistent with the risk, and least restrictive
• technically justified / based on scientific
  facts
• non-discriminatory
• transparent (published).

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Key Obligations in terms of IPPC

• Contracting Parties must set up administer a
• National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO)
• Official IPPC contact point
• Cooperate internationally share information on
  pests plant health regulations
• Develop take into account phytosanitary
  standards
• Conduct plant health treatments, certify
  exports
• Regulate imports.

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Organizations Established under IPPC

• The Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM),
  (Article XI, IPPC)
• The IPPC Secretariat (Article XII, IPPC)
• Regional Plant Protection Organizations (RPPOs
  Article IX, IPPC).

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Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM)

• Governing Body for implementation of IPPC
• Decisions made by consensus
• Comprises Contracting Parties (and FAO members
  until 1997 text is ratified)
• Observers Regional Plant Protection
  Organisations, International Organizations
  (e.g. WTO SPS Committee).

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CPM (continued)

• Reviews global plant protection needs, and sets
  an annual work programme
• Develops and adopts international standards for
  phytosanitary measures (ISPMs)
• Promotes technical assistance
• Meets annually (next meeting is ICPM 8 / CPM 1
  April 03 - 07 2006, Rome, Italy.

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The IPPC Secretariat

• Is located within the Plant Protection Service of
  the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in
  Rome, Italy
• Currently comprises a Secretary, a Coordinator, 6
  professionals and 2 administrators
• Supplemented by a visiting scientist and 2
  consultants.

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The IPPC Secretariats Activities

• Implements the work programme
• Supports the production of standards
• Coordinates with RPPOs
• Represents the CPM (e.g. at the WTO-SPS, CBD)
• Facilitates information exchange
• Provides input into technical assistance
  programmes
• Facilitates dispute settlement.

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Regional Plant Protection Organizations (RPPOs)

• Currently CPM recognises 9 RPPOs
• Governments that are not Contracting Parties to
  IPPC may belong to an RPPO
• RPPOs are observers at the CPM
• Annual Technical Consultations take place among
  RPPOs (17th 29/08 2/09/05)

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RPPOs (continued)

• The InterAfrican Phytosanitary Council (IAPSC) of
  the African Union (AU) is the RPPO for Africa
• RPPOs identify regional needs for plant health
  standards
• Regional Standards that are developed and
  implemented regionally often become the basis for
  an ISPM.

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Key IAPSC responsibilities as RPPO

• To cooperate with the IPPC Secretariat to help
  achieve the aims of the IPPC
• 2. To coordinate and disseminate information on
  plant protection procedures in Africa.

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CPM Administrative Organizations

• Bureau of the CPM
• Standards Committee (SC)
• Body on Dispute Settlement
• Informal Working Groups
• Expert Working Groups/Technical Panels

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Bureau of the CPM

• Chair Dr Chagema John Kedera (Kenya)
• Two Vice Chairs
• Ms Reinouw Bast-Tjeerde (Canada)
• Ralf Lopian (Finland)

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The Standards Committee (SC)

• Group of 25 international technical experts, from
  7 FAO regions
• Meets twice per year (May November)
• Reviews and recommends changes to draft
  standards
• Approves specifications, checks consistency and
  recommends standards for adoption by the ICPM /
  CPM.

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Body on Dispute Settlement

• International experts from 7 FAO regions
• Develop dispute settlement procedures
• Maintain a roster of phytosanitary experts
• Promote dispute avoidance
• Prepare information for the effective preparation
  of dispute settlement procedures.

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Informal Working Groups

• Focus Group Open-ended working group which
  focuses on a particular issue of concern for CPM
• Strategic Planning and Technical Assistance Group
  (SPTA)
• Support Group for the IPPC website /
  International Phytosanitary Portal (IPP)

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Expert Working Groups

• Experts are selected by the Standards Committee
  (SC) and approved by the CPM Bureau
• A Steward (usually from the SC) guides the
  process
• ISPMs are reviewed or prepared for submission to
  SC.

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Technical Panels (TPs)

• CPM6 (2004) decided to establish TPs
• TPs provide the Standards Committee (SC) with
  specific draft standards and advise the SC on
  specific technical matters
• Experts are selected by the SC and approved by
  the CPM Bureau
• A Steward (in some cases from the SC) guides the
  process.

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International Standard Setting Programme

• Priority of a Standard decided by CPM
  (consensus)
• Working Group of Experts drafts the Standard
• Standards Committee (SC) reviews document
• Country Consultation ( RPPO discussions)
• Standards Committee incorporates comments
• Adoption by the CPM / reverted to SC.

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Implications of the SPS Agreement

• Members shall base their phytosanitary measures
  on international standards or justify deviations
  through risk analysis
• Members shall play a full part in the relevant
  standard setting organization
• Relevant standard setting organizations are
  Codex, OIE, and IPPC.
• (Article 3 of the SPS
  Harmonization)

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SPS Measures

• Should therefore be
• Consistent with international standards
• Technically justified (based on scientific
  principles and evidence)
• Harmonized to the extent possible
• Transparent (notified)
• Meet the appropriate level of protection.

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SPS Measures i.t.o IPPC WTO

• The IPPC makes provision for trade in a plant
  protection agreement.
• The WTO-SPS makes complementary provision for
  phytosanitary protection in a trade agreement.

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International Regulatory Framework
CBD
IPPC
Protecting Biological Diversity
Plant Protection
CP
LMOs
Trade
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International Regulatory Framework
Plant Protection
IPPC
LMOs
CBD
Protecting Biological Diversity
Trade
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Information exchange

• Contracting parties to the IPPC provide
• An Official contact point and NPPO
• Official information on pests and phytosanitary
  measures
• IPPC Secretariat
• Provides official documents (ISPMs and reports)
• Facilitates information exchange
• Maintains the IPPC web site.

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Technical Support

• Technical consultation programme
• Regional workshops on draft standards
• IPPC staff provide phytosanitary support to
• FAO Technical Cooperation programmes (TCPs)
• Ad hoc workshops (e.g. WTO, WB, WHO)
• Programmes of other organizations.

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Review (1-7)
1. The Convention / international treaty
IPPC 2. Organizational Framework CPM,
Secretariat to the IPPC, RPPOs 3. Recognised by
WTO-SPS Agreement 4. Sets standards (ISPMs) a
Work Programme 5. Facilitates
Information Exchange
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Review (continued)

• Provides Technical Support
• Members must
• Actively participate in the CPM and its working
  groups
• Harmonise regulatory measures with ISPMs
• Base import regulations on Pest Risk Analysis
  (PRA) technical justification.

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Conclusions (1-7)

• Membership of the IPPC and participation in its
  activities
• Supports SAs agricultural industries (plants
  and plant products) in terms of maintaining
• The principles of free, fair and safe trade in
  accordance with our WTO engagements and
  obligations, and
• Access to international markets

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Conclusions (continued)

• Enables SA to influence important decisions on
  norms and standards, and to be a standard maker
  not a standard taker
• Strengthens our
• Relationships with trading partners
• Regulatory credibility, and
• Leadership role within Africa (e.g. SACU, SADC,
  AU)

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Conclusions (continued)

• IPPC membership is therefore important for the
  maintenance of a globally competitive position in
  international agricultural trade

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Conclusions (continued)

• Further, IPPC membership provides access to
  technical assistance and capacity building
• Provides assistance with dispute resolution
  procedures (bilateral technical dialogue)
• National technical experts can be included in the
  roster of experts used for consultation in
  disputes, and included in various technical
  working groups.

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Recommendations

• SA should
• Accept the New Revised Text of the IPPC (1997)
  rather than forgo its right to participate in
  international plant health standard-setting
  procedures
• Continue active participation in the IPPC
  structures, and making inputs to its strategic
  planning and technical assistance planning
  forums.

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• Thank you
• (Acknowledgements IPPC Secretariat -
  http//www.ippc.int/IPP)