Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade - Notification - Panama - Live animals and animal products

NOTIFICATION

The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.

 

1.

Notifying Member: PANAMA

If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):

2.

Agency responsible:

Ministerio de Salud (Ministry of Health)

Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, email and website addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:

Ministerio de Salud

Dirección General de Salud Pública (Directorate-General of Public Health)

Calle Culebra, Ancón Antiguo Hospital Gorgas, detrás del Instituto Oncológico

Panamá, Panama

Tel.: 512-9100

Email: csbsogm@minsa.gob.pa

Website: http://www.minsa.gob.pa

3.

Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [ ], 5.6.2 [ ], 5.7.1 [ ], 3.2 [ ], 7.2 [ ], other:

4.

Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable): Section I - Live Animals and Animal Products

Chapter 1 - Live animals; all of Chapter 1 except:

(a) Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates, of heading 03.01, 03.06, 03.07 or 03.08; (b) Cultures of micro-organisms and other products of heading 30.02; and (c) Animals of heading 95.08.

Chapter 7 - Edible Vegetables and Certain Roots and Tubers from heading 7.01 to 7.14.

Chapter 8 - Edible Fruit and Nuts from heading 8.01 to 8.14.

Chapter 10 - Cereals (whole chapter).

Chapter 11 - Cereals (products of the milling industry; malt; starches; inulin; wheat gluten).

5.

Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: Resolución Ministerial "Que establece los requisitos generales y sanitarios que deben cumplir los alimentos que sean, contengan o deriven de Organismos Genéticamente Modificados, cuya producción sea nacional, de exportación o de importación, para consumo humano dentro del mercado nacional, incluido su etiquetado" (Ministerial Resolution establishing the general and sanitary requirements to be met by foods that are, contain or derive from genetically modified organisms that are domestically produced, exported or imported, for human consumption within the domestic market, including labelling); (14 pages, in Spanish)

6.

Description of content: The notified text establishes the general requirements for the domestic production, export or import of foods for human consumption that are, contain or derive from genetically modified organisms (GMOs), including labelling or supplementary labels, within the domestic market, with the aim of ensuring the right to information of consumers and the proper protection of human health.

7.

Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable: The aim of the Ministerial Resolution is to regulate Law No. 48 of 8 August 2002, creating the National Biosafety Commission for Genetically Modified Organisms and issuing other provisions. This Law establishes and coordinates Panama's policies on the regulation of management of genetically modified organisms and their derivatives and products containing them, in order to prevent risks and minimize the impacts on the environment, biological diversity, human health and agricultural and livestock production that could arise as a result of activities carried out with those organisms.

8.

Relevant documents:

·        Law No. 72 of 26 December 2001 (Panamá aprueba el Protocolo de Cartagena sobre seguridad de la biotecnología del Convenio sobre la Diversidad Biológica, celebrado en Montreal, el 29 de enero de 200).

·        Law No. 48 of 8 August 2002 (Que crea la Comisión Nacional de Bioseguridad para los Organismos Genéticamente Modificados y dicta otras disposiciones).

·        Law No. 206 of 30 March 2021, establece la creación de la Agencia Panameña de Alimentos y deroga el Decreto Ley 11 de 2006, que creó la Autoridad Panameña de Seguridad de Alimentos.

·        Executive Decree No. 770 of 14 May 2021, crea la Dirección Nacional de Control de Alimentos y Vigilancia Veterinaria.

·        Executive Decree No. 125 of 29 September 2021, se reglamenta la Ley 206 del 30 de marzo de 2021, que crea la Agencia Panameña de Alimentos.

·        Resolution No. 21 of 15 January 2018, que modifica la resolución 046 de 25 de enero de 2012, que crea el Comité Sectorial de Bioseguridad del Sector Salud para Organismos Genéticamente Modificados (OGM).

9.

Proposed date of adoption: To be determined

Proposed date of entry into force: Six months after adoption

10.

Final date for comments: 60 days from notification

11.

Texts available from: National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:

Ministerio de Salud

Dirección Nacional de Dispositivos Médicos (National Directorate for Medical Devices)

Calle Culebra, Ancón Antiguo Hospital Gorgas, detrás del Instituto Oncológico

Panamá, Panama

Tel.: 512-9100

Email: csbsogm@minsa.gob.pa

Website: http://www.minsa.gob.pa

https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2023/TBT/PAN/23_9270_00_s.pdf