ENCOURAGEMENT TO ELIMINATE THE USE OF
NON-ECOFRIENDLY METHyL BROMIDE
IN PHYTOSANITARY TREATMENTS
COMMUNICATION FROM BRAZIL
The following communication,
received on 24 March 2014, is being circulated at the request of the Delegation
of Brazil.
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1. Brazil strongly supports Indonesia's initiative – circulated in
document G/SPS/GEN/1271 (dated 4 October 2013) and presented during the 58th
Session of the SPS Committee – to encourage WTO Members to replace or
reduce the use of methyl bromide as a phytosanitary measure, in line with the
2008 recommendation of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures of the
International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC).
2. As an active member of the IPPC, Brazil is highly committed to the
implementation of their recommendations, and thus the use of methyl bromide is
restricted to the phytosanitary import requirements for a very limited number
of commodities, in situations where equivalent substitutes are not available.
3. Brazil does not agree with the assertion in paragraph 6 of
Indonesia's submission that the country requires the "use of methyl
bromide at the dose of 80gr/m3 for a number of agricultural products
from Indonesia…". Brazil wishes to clarify that no phytosanitary
requirements for the import of any agricultural product from Indonesia have
been established requiring fumigation at methyl bromide doses higher than 64
gr/m3.
4. Furthermore, Brazil informs that its National Plant Protection
Organization (NPPO) is considering the possibility of reviewing the use of methyl
bromide as a phytosanitary requirement in the bilateral trade with Indonesia,
in favour of an equally effective replacement.