SPS COMMITTEE THEMATIC SESSION ON
SCIENCE-BASED SPS IMPORT CONTROLS
TO FACILITATE SAFE TRADE
MONDAY 3 (AFTERNOON) AND TUESDAY 4 NOVEMBER
2025
WTO, CENTRE WILLIAM RAPPARD, GENEVA
AND ZOOM
PROGRAMME[1]
1. The SPS Committee has decided to
hold a thematic session on science-based SPS import controls to facilitate safe
trade, following an initial proposal by the European Union to hold a thematic
session on how to facilitate safe trade via efficient import controls using
modern IT tools (IT risk analysis, AI, e‑commerce, etc.).[2] This thematic session follows up
on a recommendation in the _Report of the Sixth Review of the
SPS Agreement for the Committee to continue to engage and encourage Members to share experiences with
new technologies and digital tools to facilitate safe trade, and to continue
discussions on how to promote the adoption of novel approaches and related
technologies, including digital tools to facilitate safe trade.[3] This session also builds on the Committee's Thematic Session on Approval
Procedures held in November 2019[4] and Thematic Session on Digital Tools held in June 2024.[5]
2. According to the WTO SPS
Agreement, Members have the right to determine their appropriate level of
sanitary and phytosanitary protection and adopt SPS measures and controls based
on scientific risk assessment. The chosen level of protection is applicable
both for domestically produced and imported goods. Import controls are crucial
in verifying compliance with the relevant SPS requirements of the
importing Member in order to protect human, animal and plant life and health.
They can be complex, time and resource-intensive procedures, and there is an
opportunity to determine whether some of these controls can be streamlined and
modernized by using IT tools.
3. The thematic session could
support the implementation of the SPS Agreement by addressing the following
questions:
a._ how to
better understand import controls, including new tools and developments, as
well as opportunities for trade and the economy;
b._ how
Members may improve import controls in their own jurisdiction;
c._ how the
SPS Committee could continue its work on import controls.
4. The thematic session will be
moderated by Mr Knut Berdal (Norway), Specialist
Director at Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food.
5. The thematic session is
tentatively scheduled to be held in Geneva on Monday 3 November from 15:00 to
18:00 (CET), and on Tuesday 4 November 2025, from 10:00 to 13:00 (CET),
continuing in the afternoon from 15:00 to 18:00 (CET). The thematic session can
be attended in person or via Zoom with WTO credentials using this link. The event will also be livestreamed.[6] Interpretation will be provided
in English, French, and Spanish.
6. Information on the thematic session and presentations will be available
on the event's webpage, to be announced soon.
MONDAY, 3 NOVEMBER (15:00-18:00 CET)
Opening remarks
Moderator
of the thematic
session: Mr Knut Berdal (Norway)
Session 1 – Setting the scene: The role of international organizations in providing objective,
science-based information about import controls to support safe trade in food
and agricultural products
This session will provide an opportunity for
international organizations to share information regarding their work in
seeking and collecting science-based data to conduct objective analysis about SPS-related
risks.
·_
WTO
Secretariat
·_
Other international
organizations
Followed by Q&A
Session 2 – Identifying and assessing SPS risks to determine import controls
Members and other stakeholders will discuss steps
and factors taken into account when establishing import controls. These may
include approaches to collect and analyse relevant data, risk assessment techniques
and the examination of other science-based information to mitigate SPS risks
related to imports and develop other SPS measures.
·_
Government
perspectives
·_
Industry
perspectives
Followed by Q&A
TUESDAY, 4 NOVEMBER
MORNING SESSION (10:00-13:00 CET) AND AFTERNOON SESSION
(15:00-18:00 CET)
Opening remarks
Moderator
of the thematic
session: Mr Knut Berdal (Norway)
Session 2 (Cont'd) – Identifying and assessing SPS risks to determine import controls
Members and other stakeholders will continue to discuss
steps and factors taken into account when establishing import controls. These
may include approaches to collect and analyse relevant data, risk assessment
techniques and the examination of other science-based information to mitigate
SPS risks related to imports and develop other SPS measures.
·_
Government
perspectives
·_
Industry
perspectives
Followed by Q&A
Session 3 – Best practices for efficient, science-based import controls
Members and other stakeholders will discuss SPS
measures, procedures and tools (including AI, digital tools and e-commerce)
they use to carry out efficient science-based import controls protecting human,
animal and plant life and health while facilitating safe trade. The session
will also highlight best practices and success stories.
·_
Procedures
and tools used to facilitate safe and efficient risk-based import controls
·_
Facility registration:
challenges and opportunities for streamlining processes
·_
Addressing non-compliance
Followed
by Q&A
Session 4 – Ongoing projects,
research to further streamline risk-based import controls
This session will showcase projects, research, and
innovation undertaken by Members, international organizations and other stakeholders
to deepen their understanding of new developments and explore innovative
approaches and regulatory cooperation, as well as high-impact and
cost-effective preventive measures, to improve the efficiency of science-based import
controls.
·_
Speakers
Followed by Q&A
Session 5 - Panel discussion - paving the way forward
This session will further explore some of the key
themes discussed throughout the day and possible next steps for the Committee.
Guiding questions will cover steps Members and other stakeholders can take to determine
the necessity for and streamline science-based import controls while
facilitating safe trade in food and agricultural products.
·_
Discussants
·_
Closing remarks
__________
[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.
[2] _G/SPS/GEN/2292; _G/SPS/R/116, para. 5.19.
[3] _G/SPS/74, para. 2.29.