Information on SPS-related activities of
the International Trade Centre (ITC)
(october 2024 – february 2025)
Communication
from ITC
The following communication, received on 13 February 2025, is being circulated
at the request of the ITC.
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The International Trade Centre is continuing
its efforts to assist micro, small and medium-sized enterprises to meet
technical market requirements. An update of selected SPS-related activities of
interest to WTO Members is provided below.
1 PROJECTS
1.1 Comoros: Le programme d'appui à la production, à l'industrialisation et au
libre-échange aux Comores (APILE) (January 2022 – January 2026 /
Donor European Union)
1.1. This project partly also implemented by UNIDO, aims to encourage and
facilitate the production of consumer goods of sufficient quality at the
national level, to be sold in the national, regional, and international
markets. Activities include promoting a quality culture among producers and
consumers of Comorian products. In this regard, so far, the project has
sensitized over four hundred MSMEs on Good Hygiene Practices (GHP), trained a
pool of consultants on quality and food safety, and supported 14 SMEs to
implement GHP.
1.2 Eswatini: Promoting Growth through Competitive Alliances III (May
2023 - May 2027 / Donor European Union)
1.2. The overall objective of this programme is to contribute to economic
growth, job creation and poverty reduction. With a major focus on the
development of agriculture and agri-business value chains, the programme aims
to unlock the key constraints to competitiveness in Eswatini by improving the
policy and regulatory framework for private sector development and through the
development of selected value chains.
1.3. Following the September 2024 situation assessment and an analysis of
needs of SPS related institutions, prioritization, planning and implementation
of specific technical assistance related to identified needs has been conducted
in close consultation with national project partners and beneficiary
institutions.
1.4. Technical assistance to build capacities of extension officers of
the Ministry of Agriculture, and those from National Agricultural Marketing
Board (NAMBoard) to support small producers in the implementation of the
GlobalG.A.P. standard in fruits and vegetables sector is being organised. This
assistance to be delivered between February and September 2025 will include the
preparation and distribution of a guide to implement the said standard, a
training workshop for extension officers, followed by a pilot training of
producers by the trained extension officers.
1.5. Moreover, support on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point
(HACCP), ISO 22000: Food Safety Management Systems, and on EU requirements for
food imports are envisaged.
1.3 Iraq: Strengthening the Agriculture and Agri-food Value Chain and
Improving Trade Policy (SAAVI) (September 2020 - April 2025 / Donor European
Union)
1.6. This project aims to support stabilization and governance through
building the capacities of key Iraqi institutions to deliver public services,
as well as sustainable job creation through the development of human capital
and the enhancement of private sector competitiveness. The project focuses on
the development and implementation of sector strategies for high-potential
products, as well as on defining more market-oriented policies to improve
predictability and efficiency in the business environment. SAAVI also provides
technical assistance to enhance Iraq's trade policy and supports the country in
its WTO accession process.
1.7. In continuation of project activities related to strengthening food
safety, 18 inspectors from the Ministry of Health attended a five-day workshop
between 2-6 February 2025, in Baghdad on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Point (HACCP) principles and guidelines, ISO 9011:2018 - Guidelines for
auditing management systems, as well as risk-based inspection.
1.8. Following the launch of Iraq Quality for Trade Platform on 26
September in Baghdad, where stakeholders were introduced to the platform and
shown how they can access information and detailed guidance on SPS and TBT
measures, specifically for dates, a subsequent, larger launch event is being
planned in response to national partners' request. This second launch is
envisaged to take place in Baghdad in May 2025 as part of the wider event, the
Iraq National Trade Forum.
1.4 Nepal: Trade-Related Assistance (January 2020 – March 2025 / Donor
European Union)
1.9. The overall objective of this programme is to contribute to Nepal's
sustainable and inclusive economic growth and poverty reduction. Specifically,
this programme aims to expand Nepal's trade and participation in regional and
global value-chains with emphasis on coffee and pashmina.
1.10. As part of the support being provided to the Plant Quarantine and
Pest Management Centre (PQPMC) for development of pest survey and surveillance
in the coffee sector, a final comprehensive Pest Survey and Surveillance report
was launched at the project closure event on 21 October 2024.
1.11. A team of Quality Champions previously developed and qualified by
ITC, completed training, and coaching of SMEs in the coffee sector aimed at
improving quality and food safety. The also created the QC HUB Nepal and also
started implementing training without project support beyond the coffee sector.
1.5 Nigeria: Improving SPS compliance to boost export capacity (March
2024 – February 2027 / Donor STDF)
1.12. Financed by the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF), the
project seeks to reduce the number of rejections of Nigerian cowpea and sesame
exports at international borders through better compliance with Maximum Residue
Levels of pesticides and avoidance of Salmonella contamination in the targeted
value chains. ITC is leading the implementation of the project with the
Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) as the national partner.
1.13. The overall project goal is to contribute to increased income
generation through the supply of high quality and safe agricultural products
for international and regional markets.
1.14. The project baseline studies launched in August 2024 were completed.
The studies revealed specific challenges, key among them related to:
a)_
pesticide control
being, the- limited ability to implement a ban of certain pesticides, - weak
regulatory control over domestic pesticide distribution, absence of supervision
over pesticide end-users, and insufficient development of MRLs applicable to sesame
and cowpea;
b)_
control of
microorganism contamination being the lack of a formal monitoring system;
c)_
export related
SPS procedures being, the lack of communication between relevant institutions
and overlapping responsibilities for testing.
1.15. The studies focused on: (i) regulatory and institutional aspects of
Nigeria's monitoring system for pesticides and pathogenic micro-organisms and
coordination of public sector entities; (ii) analysis of the cowpea value
chain; and (iii) analysis of the sesame value chain.
1.16. The challenges identified are now being addressed under the project.
1.6 Pakistan: Growth for rural advancement and sustainable progress
(GRASP) (June 2019 - September 2025 / Donor European Union)
1.17. ITC is engaged with government agencies managing sanitary and
phytosanitary measures in Sindh and Balochistan provinces in Pakistan with a
view to improving their technical functions, equipment, and capacities.
1.18. Sindh Food Authority (SFA) staff at Sukkur, Larkana and Hyderabad
were trained on HACCP through a series of trainings to effectively identify,
assess and control potential risks to food safety. A training on risk-based
inspection was provided to twenty-eight selected inspectors from food
authorities, animal health and agriculture extension departments of the
Balochistan and Sindh provinces. The objective of this 5-day training was to
train the participants on evaluating food safety risks, categorizing, and prioritizing
remedial actions and enforcement acts in food premises as well as to
effectively conduct the audits.
1.19. A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) instrument has also
been provided to the Sindh Institute of Animal Health for the control of banned
hormones in milch animals. Towards the establishment of a virology laboratory
at the Livestock and Dairy Development Department in Quetta, advanced
analytical equipment has been provided.
1.20. To support the private sector, GRASP has been providing customized
training and handholding services to over 70 SMEs in Sindh and Balochistan to
implement quality management systems and acquire food safety certifications. So
far, over 20 SMEs have successfully attained ISO 9001, ISO 22000, FSSC
22000 and BRCGS certifications while the rest are currently in process,
including on Global G.A.P.
1.7 The Philippines: Bangsamoro Agri-Enterprise Programme (BAEP) – FAIR
VALUE Project (12 September 2023 – 11 September 2026 / Donor European Union)
1.21. Part of a bigger programme (Farmers – Fisherfolks' Advancement and
Integration to Resilient Value Chains in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao (BARMM) led by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and
co-implemented with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
(FAO) in the Philippines, the project FAIR VALUE aims at improving quality,
diversity, and consolidation of local agricultural/marine aqua products in
response to market needs. ITC's interventions specifically focus on
implementing food safety systems and increasing the investment readiness of
selected enterprises and cooperatives.
1.22. IOM led the development of the value chain analysis (VCA) for
rubber, seaweed and coffee, the reports of which were presented in Zamboanga on
11 December 2024 to stakeholders including thirty-one cooperatives. Based on
the findings of the VCA, a matrix on VCA conclusion on market opportunities was
made available. Implications for market and commercial linkages were extracted
from the Value Chain Analysis. During the multi-stakeholder event, interviews
were conducted with officials and members from each cooperative to assess their
needs related to food safety compliance, and an awareness session on Food
Safety for farmers and fishermen was held. Following this, IOM, FAO, and ITC
conducted a mission from 15 to 18 December 2024 in Sulu, conducting onsite visits
to 11 coffee cooperatives and associations. These visits provided valuable
insights that helped refine the scope and design of the food safety training,
addressing key areas such as GHP, GMP, Codex HACCP, and FDA licensing
requirements. It was found that most processors did not possess an FDA license,
and supporting the processors to be licensed and meet mandatory legal
requirements would significantly enhance the value chains. ITC, IOM, and FAO
followed up with another mission in February to Tawi-Tawi to further profile
targe beneficiaries and to customise the training programmes. A joint FAO/ITC
training on seaweed production, hygiene and food safety for farmers
cooperatives is planned end of February 2025.
1.8 Philippines Arise Plus Project (March 2021 – November 2025 / Donor
European Union)
1.23. The project aims to foster inclusive economic growth and poverty
reduction in the Philippines through improved trade performance and
competitiveness and specifically by putting in place a National Quality
Infrastructure (NQI) that promotes export competitiveness, and a quality
management and control systems for exported food products better aligned with
international best practices and also by developing long term capacity to help
SMEs improve food safety and quality.
1.24. In continuation of the technical assistance, quality, and food
safety/SPS requirements for priority product market combinations were made live
on the Philippines Quality for Trade Platform, now publicly available to all
users. Priority sectors include Virgin Coconut Oil, Coconut Water, Coconut
Flour. Additional products including dried mango, mango puree, dried pineapple
and canned pineapple, coffee and cocoa have also been made available. Handbooks
for Food Safety and Quality in MSMEs were made available on the website.
1.25. A team of 20 Quality Champions qualified under the project continued
to roll out a series of training and coaching for MSMEs in collaboration with
national public institutions and private sector partners with the Philippines
Society for Quality as lead partner to cascade knowledge on the importance of
quality and food safety including Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Good
Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point
(HACCP) to meet technical market requirements, ISO22000 and FSSC. A series of
webinars on the same topics were also implemented reaching large numbers of SME
managers and staff.
1.9 South Sudan: Job Creation and Trade Development Project (August 2020
– February 2025 / Donor European Union)
1.26. With the overall objective of improving the livelihoods of South
Sudanese populations through the creation of jobs and income the project
specifically aims to increase MSME competitiveness and employment opportunities
for the South Sudanese labour force, with a focus on youth and women.
1.27. As part of its activities, the project supported MSMEs in the fruits
and vegetables value chain to improve productive capacity and compliance with
standards and has sensitized three hundred operators in this sector on food
safety and Good Hygiene Practices. Moreover, three SMEs were supported to
implement HACCP.
1.10 Tanzania: Developing the Beekeeping Value Chain (September 2021 –
February 2026 / Donor European Union)
1.28. This project seeks to improve the beekeeping value chain through
enhanced quality production, value addition of bee products and enhance trade
and access to local, regional, and international markets.
1.29. Following the HACCP certification of one international exporter of
honey who commenced sales to Saudi-Arabia, nine more companies started
receiving technical support to implement HACCP system under the project.
1.11 Turkmenistan: Enhancing capacities of policymakers for WTO accession
(December 2023 – February 2028 / Donor European Union)
1.30. The project aims at contributing to economic development in
Turkmenistan by improving the country's business climate and competitiveness of
SMEs while promoting Turkmenistan's international economic engagement and
participation in regional and global trade. The project is also assisting the
Government of Turkmenistan in the process of accession to the WTO as well as in
initiating trade facilitation reforms, increasing the country's investment
attractiveness and creating a conducive e-commerce environment.
1.31. As part of support to the Government of Turkmenistan to review
consistency of relevant domestic legislation with the SPS Agreement, a
provisional review of the Sanitary Code of Turkmenistan (Law No. 74-IV); Law of
Turkmenistan on Safety and Quality of Food Products (Law No. 105-V); Law
on Plant Quarantine (Law No. 54-IV); and Law on Veterinary Medicine
(Law No. 143-V) has been completed.
1.32. Moreover, the project delivered a workshop on the WTO TBT and SPS
Agreements from 8 to 10 October 2024 in Ashgabat. The two-day workshop brought
together thirty-three participants from ministries, state agencies, the Central
Bank, customs authorities, and institutions of higher education. Through case
studies and discussions, participants analysed Turkmenistan's unique challenges
and opportunities in aligning national standards with WTO rules. Technical
meetings on the review of SPS related legislation followed the workshop.
1.12 Uzbekistan: Facilitating the Process of Accession to the WTO
(February 2020 – December 2025 / Donor European Union)
1.33. The overall objective of the project is to contribute to the
economic development of Uzbekistan by assisting the country to create a trade
environment that is in conformity with international standards, including
predictable and enforceable laws and regulations. The specific objective of the
project is to create a trade environment that is in conformity with the World
Trade Organization (WTO) system.
1.34. During the reporting period, the project continued assistance to the
Committee of Sanitary-Epidemiological Welfare and Public Health (San-Epid
Committee) in the assessment of the national food safety testing system,
commenced with a two-step process: (i) a remote pre-assessment through a survey
distributed to 26 laboratories under various SPS and TBT agencies, including
the San-Epid Committee, Agency for Plant Protection and Quarantine (NPPO),
State Committee of Veterinary and Livestock Development (SVC), and Uzbek Agency
for Technical Regulation (UATR); and (ii) on-site assessments of three key food
safety testing laboratories, two under the San-Epid Committee and one under the
SVC, conducted to evaluate compliance with ISO/IEC 17025 international standard.
In addition, thirty-seven laboratory technicians and quality managers of the
selected food safety testing laboratories received a two-day in-person training
seminar on ISO/IEC 17025 international standard requirements on 15-16
October 2024, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
1.35. In response to a request by Uzbekistan's State Committee of
Veterinary and Livestock Development (SVC), the project the project initiated
the technical review of the Law on Animal Health of Uzbekistan and the
legislative document on Veterinary Import, Export, and Transit Requirements in
the previous reporting period. Recommendations for alignment with the WOAH
Terrestrial Animal Health Code and compliance with the SPS Agreement
requirements were submitted and endorsed by national stakeholders in October.
1.36. In the area of plant health and quarantine, assistance was provided
between October and December 2024 in drafting seven selected national
regulations, establishing criteria for assessing the level of risk of plants
and plant products, determining the frequency of import controls, formulating
phytosanitary measures and import requirements, developing a list of regulated
plants and plant products and their categorization by the level of risk, and
strengthening risk-based control and risk management systems, including the
measures in case of non-compliant import goods. Additionally, a two-day
practical training workshop to enhance the national phytosanitary export
certification system, covering registration, certification, traceability, and
export certification inspections, was conducted for five NPPO officials and
inspectors in Tashkent from 5 to 6 November. Furthermore, the development of a
training curriculum and syllabus for the export certification training programme
for inspectors, aimed at enhancing their skills and knowledge in plant
protection and international trade regulations, was proposed and discussed.
1.13 EU-EAC Market Access Upgrade Programme (MARKUP II) (August 2023 – July
2027 / Donor European Union)
1.37. The second phase of the EU-EAC Market Access Upgrade Programme
(MARKUP II) is a regional initiative funded by the European Union (EU) to
unlock the full potential of agribusinesses within the EAC region; implemented
by ITC working in partnership with the EU regional Delegation, the EAC
Secretariat and the governments of six EAC member States.
1.38. The quality and SPS component of MARKUP II aims at strengthening
compliance to quality and food safety standards, including the development of
quality awards, training and coaching of enterprises and awareness raising
regarding quality and food safety requirements of export markets. Value chains
selected for support are avocado, cocoa, coffee, essential oils, French beans,
gum Arabic, horticulture, leather, packaging, spices, and tea.
1.39. MARKUP II supported the Testing Technical Subcommittee meeting in
December 2024 in Kampala at which: (i) the draft roadmap that sets out specific
actions at regional and national levels to address challenges related to
laboratory equipment repair and maintenance capacity in the EAC for food
testing laboratories was reviewed and approved, and will be submitted to East
African Standards Committee (EASC) in April 2025 for adoption; (ii) a task
force was established to review the procedure for designation of testing labs
and plan for related awareness activities; the related meeting is scheduled
from 18 to 19 February 2025 in Dar-es-Salaam, with Uganda chairing; (iii) an
EAC regional plan for accreditation of Proficiency Services (PTs) provider was
adopted with focus on Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), Tanzania Bureau of
Standards (TBS), and Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS).
1.40. The project supported the participation of 20 representatives from
six EAC Partner States as well as members of the East African Standards
Committee (EASC) at the 15th Regional Codex Forum held from 23 to 24
October, in preparation of EASC's participation in the CAC47 meeting between 25
and 30 November 2024, in Geneva, Switzerland. The discussions led to the
development of EAC common position for CAC47 related to amendment to maximum
residue levels for certain pesticides in avocado and spices, proposed maximum
levels for lead in dried bark and dried culinary herbs, and proposed sampling
plans for total aflatoxins and ochratoxin-A in certain spices (dried chilli
pepper and paprika, and nutmeg). The CAC47 approved adoption of the MLs and sampling
plans in line with the EAC common position.
1.41. The EAC Quality for Trade Platform, which provides information on
SPS requirements for select priority products, has added South Sudan as the
sixth country with a national access point. Information on SPS requirements for
coffee, tea, avocado, and cocoa in the EU market have been updated. A
translation function, making the platform SPS info available in select regional
languages has been added.
1.42. At national level, during January and February 2025 MARKUP II
Burundi supported surveillance visits by accreditation bodies to three testing
laboratories (Bureau Burundais de
Normalisation et Contrôle de la Qualité (BBN), Institut des Sciences Agronomiques du Burundi
(ISABU), Centre national de technologie
alimentaire (CNTA), two inspection bodies (BBN, and the Direction de la Protection des Végétaux du Burundi
(DPV)), and one certification body (BBN) that had obtained accreditation under
MARKUP I.
1.43. Events to raise and improve awareness regarding quality and food
safety were rolled out by teams of Quality Champions (trainers and advisors
trained and qualified under ITC implemented export quality management projects)
via national Quality Associations in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The same
teams are currently coaching SMEs on scoped quality improvement projects
including food safety and SPS issues, among others.
1.14 United Kingdom Trade Partnerships Programme (UKTP) (June 2019 – March
2025 / Donor United Kingdom)
1.44. The United Kingdom Trade Partnerships (UKTP) Programme aims to increase
trade from African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries (ACP) to the United
Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU) by maximizing the benefits of Economic
Partnership Agreements (EPAs). In this context, several national institutions
and sectors with export potential are being supported.
1.45. In Cameroon, the priority sectors supported are cocoa, and Penja
pepper. In Côte d'Ivoire, the selected sectors are cashew nut, and tropical
fruits (banana, mango, and pineapple). Between October and November 2024
training workshops on ISO 22000: 2018 Food Safety Management Systems were held
in both countries aiming to strengthen national trainers, consultants, and
auditors from both the public and private sectors to support the implementation
of the ISO 22000 standard by SMEs.
1.46. The training in Cameroon was held in Yaoundé, in partnership with
the national standards body, l'Agence des
Normes et de la Qualité du Cameroun (ANOR) from 28 October to 1
November 2024. Forty persons including quality and food safety officers from
nine private food processing enterprises participated.
1.47. The training in Côte d'Ivoire was held in Abidjan, in partnership
with the national standards body, Côte d'Ivoire Normalisation (CODINORM) from
21 to 25 October 2024. This training also covered FSSC:22000, and in which
twenty-six persons all primarily from private food processing enterprises
attended.
1.48. In Senegal, the UKTP programme is supporting the mango sector and
aims to enhance the competitiveness of Senegalese mango exports to the United
Kingdom and the European Union. ITC in partnership with Senegalese
Standardization body, Association
Sénégalaise de Normalisation (ASN) developed a new certification
framework for two new standards on mango nectar, juice, and dried mango.
1.49. A validation workshop, attended by 27 stakeholders, was held on 8 October
2024 to review and finalize these standards. From 6 to 7 November 2024, a
sensitization workshop took place in Dakar, bringing together 47 participants,
including producers, exporters, regulators, and technical experts. Given the
strong emphasis on hygiene and HACCP-based systems in the standards, the
workshop also covered best practices in Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and
Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) — to ensure compliance with export standards and
enhance the marketability of Senegalese mango products both nationally and
internationally.
1.50. In Jordan, the UKTP programme is supporting processed food companies
in meeting the export requirements for the UK and EU markets. In November 2024,
a total of 20 participants from nine enterprises attended a training workshop
focused on the requirements of BRCGS Food Safety Standard.
1.51. In Cambodia and Sri Lanka, the UKTP programme is supporting ready to
export enterprises enhance trade with the UK, EU, and regional markets. In
Cambodia 79 participants attended training on the requirements of BRCGS Food
Safety Standard. In Sri Lanka 11 participants took part in similar training. Further
trainings on internal auditing based on ISO 19011 – Guidelines for auditing
management systems will be conducted during February and March 2025.
For more information, please contact:
Khemraj
Ramful, Senior Adviser, Export
Quality Management, ITC
Tel: +41 22 730
04 87
Fax: +41 22 730
05 76
E-mail: ramful@intracen.org
Simon
Heisig, Programme Officer, Export
Quality Management, ITC
Tel: +41 22 730 03
17
Fax: +41 22 730 05 76
E-mail: sheisig@intracen.org
Website: http://www.intracen.org/
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