REPORT
(2021) ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON
SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES
Revision
1.1. The present report is being circulated by the Chairperson of the
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Committee) on his own
responsibility. This report provides a summary of the activities of the SPS
Committee during 2021.[1]
1.2. The SPS Committee held its regular meetings in 2021: on 25-26 March,
on 14-16 July, and on 3-5 November. Due to COVID-19 sanitary conditions, the
meetings were held either in hybrid format, i.e. in-person participation and
via the virtual platform Interprefy, or virtually only, allowing for
participation from Geneva-based and capital-based delegates.[2]
At the 2021 Committee meetings, the SPS Committee made use of the online
tool _eAgenda,
which allowed Members to submit agenda items, raise and support specific trade
concerns (STCs), and upload statements on the platform.
1.3. Mr Gregory MacDonald (Canada) had been elected in July 2020 as
Chairperson for 2020-2021. Mr Juteau Déadjufo Toussé (Cameroon) was elected as
the new Chairperson for 2021-2022.
1.4. In 2021, Members continued discussion on an SPS Declaration for the
12th WTO Ministerial Conference, initially submitted by Brazil,
Canada and the United States, and now co-sponsored by 31 Members.[3]
Members also discussed a related background document to highlight the relevance of the Declaration and advance the
discussions in the Committee.[4]
The Declaration refers to the evolving global
agricultural landscape which has led to new opportunities and pressures for
international trade in food, animals and plants. It proposes a work programme
to address issues that are currently impacting agricultural trade, including
population growth, climate change and technological innovation, the importance
of sustainable agriculture, new pests and diseases, and continued application
of SPS measures as disguised trade restrictions. While overall Members welcomed
this SPS Declaration, providing comments and expressing willingness to engage
in further discussions on the text, several Members expressed concerns with the
Declaration in its present form, but remained open to discuss the context,
language, content and appropriateness of the work programme. In particular,
they called for more robust references in the Declaration to biodiversity and
ecosystems, global transformation towards sustainable food systems and animal
welfare, among others. They suggested that the SPS Committee and other
committees investigate how the WTO could contribute to these policy objectives
with a view to reporting to MC13. Some Members were of the view concerns that
the SPS Committee's mandate does not include all facets of sustainable food
systems, while others emphasized that in their view, the proposed MC12
Declaration was the best way to launch this work.
[1] This revised version of the report incorporates the additional
discussions and activities that took place during the November 2021 SPS
Committee meeting.
[2] At the SPS Committee meeting of March 2021, the Chairperson and
three staff members attended in‑person, and delegates were invited to join the
meeting virtually. The SPS Committee meetings of July and November 2021 were
conducted in hybrid format with delegates joining the meeting in-person or
virtually.
[3] _G/SPS/GEN/1758/Rev.9,
also submitted to the General Council as _WT/GC/W/835
on 11 November 2021.