Niveau juridique : International
Les Membres lancent une discussion sur le programme de travail visant à améliorer la mise en œuvre de l’Accord SPS
« Suite à l’adoption, le 17 juin, de la Déclaration ministérielle relative aux questions sanitaires et phytosanitaires (SPS), qui porte sur les nouveaux défis affectant la sécurité sanitaire des produits alimentaires, la santé des animaux et la préservation des végétaux, les Membres de l’OMC ont commencé à discuter de la manière d’exécuter le programme de travail visant à améliorer la mise en œuvre de l’Accord SPS. À la réunion du Comité SPS des 22-24 juin, les Membres ont dit que le programme de travail engagerait le Comité sur une nouvelle voie. Le Comité a élu Tang-Kai Wang (Taipei chinois) en tant que nouveau Président »
Extraits du communiqué (passages en gras soulignés par nos soins) :
« The SPS Declaration, adopted at the WTO 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12), recognizes the role of the SPS Committee in responding to new issues affecting international trade in food, plants and animals, and instructs the Committee to carry out a work programme.
Open to all members and observers, the work programme would consist of new efforts to identify challenges in the implementation of the SPS Agreement and the mechanisms available to address them. It would also look at how application of the SPS Agreement is being affected by emerging challenges, including population growth, climate change, innovation, new technologies, pest/disease pressures or persisting obstacles to trade.
Ministers mandated the SPS Committee to report on its key findings and action undertaken under the work programme – with recommendations as appropriate - to the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13), tentatively scheduled to be held between December 2023 and March 2024. A preliminary discussion took place among members on establishing an initial timeline up to November 2022 to advance work in an effective way.
Pending further consultations, members considered various meeting formats to move discussions forward, such as holding discussions during the Committee week or intersessional meetings with smaller groups or with the whole Committee. The WTO Secretariat drew attention to the Sixth Review of the Operation and Implementation of the SPS Agreement due in 2024, and the possible linkages with the topics and proposals to be considered under the work programme.
The adoption of the SPS Declaration as part of the unprecedented package of outcomes at MC12 was celebrated during the opening of the formal meeting, where members noted the collaborative and inclusive nature of the initiative. This represents a very important step forward and a constructive response from the WTO to the challenges affecting the agricultural landscape, they said. (…) »
Texte du communiqué à retrouver ICI