SPS Committee
thematic sESSION on emerging risks and
new agricultural technologies to address them
MONday, 11 NOVEMBER 2024
WTO,
CENTRE WILLIAM RAPPARD, GENEVA
AND ZOOM
PROGRAMME[1]
1. The SPS Committee is holding a thematic
session on SPS-related emerging risks and new agricultural technologies, based
on a joint proposal submitted by Canada and the European Union[2] in the context of the Sixth Review of the Operation and Implementation of the SPS Agreement. This thematic session builds on the productive discussions held
as part of the work conducted under the MC12 SPS Declaration on Responding to Modern SPS Challenges (MC12 SPS Declaration Work Programme) and will explore Members' experiences, best practices, successes, and
challenges associated with emerging risks and the new agricultural technologies
that can help address them. The thematic session will shed light on two main
topics, namely:
a._
ways to define, identify, and characterize SPS-related emerging risks that
pose a threat to food safety, human, plant or animal life or health; and
b._
the development and implementation of new agricultural technologies to
address emerging risks and the barriers to their successful implementation.
2. As a follow-up to this event, the
SPS Committee is planning another thematic session in March 2025 to
discuss different regulatory approaches used by Members to mitigate SPS-related
emerging risks.
3. The thematic session will be held
in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday, 11 November 2024, from 10:00 to 13:00 (CET),
and continuing in the afternoon at 15:00 (CET). The thematic session can be
attended in person or virtually via Zoom. Interpretation will be provided in
English, French, and Spanish.
4. More information, including the Zoom registration link, is available
on https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/sps_e/sps_11112024_e/sps_11112024_e.htm.
MORNING SESSION (10:00 – 13:00 CET)
Opening session
Chairperson of the SPS Committee: Ms Cecilia Risolo
·_
Speaker TBC, SPS Team, WTO Secretariat. Setting the scene
Session 1 – Emerging risks
This
session will discuss initiatives and structures for the definition,
identification, and characterization of emerging risks that pose a threat to
food safety, human, plant, or animal life or health, with international
organizations, Members, and other stakeholders sharing their views and
experiences.
International organizations: Representatives from international
organizations will provide an overview of their work relating to the identification
of SPS-related emerging risks and ways to address them.
·_
Mr Vittorio Fattori, [Title], Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),
Food Systems and Food Safety Division. FAO
food safety foresight programme and emerging issues [Title TBC]
·_
Dr Ryan Newkirk TBC,
[Title], World Health Organization (WHO). WHO/FAO international food safety authorities'
network (INFOSAN) [Title TBC]
·_
WOAH Speaker TBC
Followed by Q&A session and
discussion
Members, industry representatives and academia: Speakers will share their
experiences developing policies and tools for the identification and
communication of emerging risks and how different technologies have been
implemented to address emerging risks, including how approval procedures have
impacted their application.
·_
Mr Milen Georgiev, [Title],
and Mr Bernard Bottex, [Title], Knowledge, Innovation and
Partnership Management Unit, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), European Union. EFSA's emerging
risks analysis system
·_
Dr Akira Otuka, Principal Researcher, Migratory Insect Pests
and Advanced Control Technology Group Division, Core Technology for Pest
Control Research Institute for Plant Protection, National Agriculture and Food
Research Organization, Japan. [Title of
presentation]
·_
Dr Hung-Jen Liao, Senior Executive Officer, Animal
and Plant Health Inspection Agency, Chinese Taipei. Experience in management of cross-border e-commerce as an emerging SPS
challenge
·_
Dr Benignus Valentine Ngowi, Director, Plant Biosecurity, Tanzania Plant
Health and Pesticides Authority, Tanzania. [Title of presentation]
·_
Ms Lis Alban, [Title],
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
Stakeholder Discussion Group on Emerging Risk, European Union. [Title of presentation]
·_
Dr Ashwani Tiwari, [Title],
Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Canada. Tools
to aid in the identification and prioritization of emerging risks [Title TBC]
·_
Speaker [regulatory agency]
TBC, United
States.
Followed
by Q&A session and discussion
AFTERNOON SESSION (15:00 – 18:00 CET)
Session 2 – New agricultural technologies
This
session will be dedicated to sharing experiences with the development and
implementation of new agricultural technologies, including the approval of
products produced using new agricultural technologies. The session builds on
the June
2024 Thematic Session on Digital Tools and
gives special consideration to Members and stakeholders who speak to the
experiences or challenges of developing countries and LDCs in the adoption and
application of new technologies or innovations to address emerging risks.
·_
Mr Tse-Wei Chen, Secretary General, Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, and Dr Yan-Fu Kuo, Professor, Department of Biomechatronics
Engineering, "National Taiwan University", Chinese Taipei. Application of AI technology on plant pest analysis
platform and pest control
·_
Speaker TBC, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research
Organisation (CSIRO), Australia. Regulation technology to support
the shift to automated compliance to enhance trade facilitation
·_
Speaker TBC, Department of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Australia.
Alternative phytosanitary treatments in a rapidly evolving global environment
·_
Dr Stuart Smyth, Professor, Department
of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Saskatchewan, Canada.
How innovative agricultural technology is
being used to address emerging risks [Title TBC]
·_
Speaker TBC, Agriculture
and Livestock Service, Chile. Sanitary
Intelligence: Chilean experience in a holistic concept to improve
management, technology, and innovation in a framework of increasing
phytosanitary and zoo-sanitary risks worldwide
·_
Dr Daisuke Takamatsu, Leader of Bacteria
Group, Division of Infectious Animal Disease Research, National Institute of
Animal Health, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Japan. [Title of presentation]
·_
Speaker [producer] TBC,
United States.
Followed
by Q&A session and discussion
Session 3 – Panel discussion: Stocktaking and future
work of the Committee
In a panel discussion, speakers
will exchange views on the issues highlighted in the previous sessions and
explore the role of the SPS Committee in taking the discussion forward.
Panel discussion
moderated by [moderator].
·_
Speakers
(2-3 speakers maximum)
Preliminary guiding questions:
·_
Taking stock: Are there common
principles regarding how Members identify and deal with emerging risks? What
are the most frequently encountered barriers to the development/application of
new agricultural technologies? What are the challenges faced by developing
countries and LDC Members in dealing with emerging risks and implementing new
agricultural technologies?
·_
Looking ahead: How can the SPS
Committee and the SPS Agreement best contribute to future initiatives and
discussions on emerging risks and relevant new technologies?
Closing remarks
Chairperson
of the SPS Committee: Ms Cecilia Risolo
__________
[1] This document has been prepared under the Secretariat's own responsibility
and is without prejudice to the positions of Members or to their rights and
obligations under the WTO.