Agreement on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures

The Agreement on the application of sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, also known as the SPS agreement, is an international treaty of the World Trade Organization. According to this agreement, those imports which has serious effect on the health of plants, animals or human these products can be banned. Under the SPS agreement, the WTO sets constraints on member- states policies relating to food safety (bacterial contaminants, pesticides, inspection and labelling) as well as animal and plant health (phyto-sanitation) with respect to imported pests and diseases.

For example our honey is famous world-wide but it was banned for certain duration by EU because of the residual effect. There are three standard organizations who set standards that WTO members should base their SPS methodologies. They are the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the Secreatariat of the international Plant Protection Convention (IPPC).

• Nepal became a member of WTO on 23rd April, 2004.
• 147th member country, 1st LDC country.
• WTO, the only international body to deal with the trade between the members.
• SPS Agreement is one of the 29 different Agreements of WTO.
• SPS Agreement deals with non-tarrif barrier in the international trade.
• IPPC, International Plant Protection Convention.
• Standard setting body accountable for preventing introduction, spread and establishment of pests of plants and plant products. Till now IPPC have developed 36 ISPMs (International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures) and several guidelines and recommendations