WTO SPS and TBT MEETING South Africa Experience 29TH 30 OCTOBER 2003

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WTO SPS and TBT MEETINGSouth Africa
Experience29TH -30 OCTOBER 2003

• M E MOGAJANE
• Assistant Director General National Regulatory
  Services
• National Department of Agriculture
• Pretoria
• South Africa
• adgnrs_at_nda.agric.za

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SOUTH AFRICAN PROVINCES
Northern Province
Mpumalanga
Gauteng
North West
Kwa Zulu Natal
Free State
Northern Cape
Eastern Cape
Western Cape
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NATIONAL ENQUIRY POINT

• Located under branch agricultural economics and
  business development
• Programme Trade and business development
• Technical people under branch agricultural
  production and resource management
• Programme National Regulatory Services (NRS)
• No follow up

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NeP and NNA

• Same
• Agriculture
• SPS committee
• Health, trade etc
• Operate outside trade forum
• Agricultural trade forum
• Questions not answered by NeP

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Challenges

• Too many meetings not well coordinated
• Sufficient resources
• Co-ordination with mission
• Co-ordination with provinces

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NATIONAL ENQUIRY POINT

• Transferred information to NRS
• NRS
• Animal health
• Plant health
• Food safety and quality assurance
• Genetic resources management
• SA quarantine and inspection services
• Units/directorates formulate a response-Unit of
  International trade- DG approval Submission to
  WTO via SA permanent mission in Geneva

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SPS and TBT MEETINGS

• Exposure for Directors under NRS was done
• Later on attended by mission in Geneva
• Technical analysis
• Impact on national legislation
• Feedback received late

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FUTURE

• National Regulatory Services entry point
• Plant health (Ms A Baxter)
• Animal health (Dr M Modisane)
• Genetic resources management (Mr P Lekala)
• Food Safety and quality assurance ( Mr A Serumula
  and Dr B Ntshabele)
• SPS and TBT committee Health, DTI DEAT through
  SABS)
• Agricultural trade forum
• Industry entry points

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STRENGTHENING OUR CAPACITY

• 2 Persons per unit trained within the next 2
  years
• Expose contact points in provinces for the next 3
  years
• Expose industry contact points for the next 3
  years

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STARDARD SETTING BODIES

• Same entry point will be used for as contact
  points
• Attend meetings of standard setting bodies
• Identify people to support them

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EXPANSION

• SACU- South African custom union
• SADC South African development community

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RECOMMENDATIONS TO SPS and TBT OF WTO

• Dates be given at the beginning of the year-
  approval in advance
• 1 month before the meeting - Agenda
• Proper analysis and consultation
• Information available as to how the delegation
  should look like
• Formulate proper responses
• Meetings IPPC,OIE, Codex

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FINALLY

• Gerda van Dyk
• SPS