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WTO: 2006 PRESS RELEASES

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25 October 2006
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

Germany donates €300,000 to assist developing countries in meeting sanitary and phytosanitary standards

Germany 's contribution to the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) will assist developing countries in improving compliance with international sanitary and phytosanitary standards which must be met if imports of certain products are to gain access to foreign markets.

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The German funding, to be disbursed as equal shares of €150,000 this year and next, will be used to enhance the expertise and the capacity of developing countries to analyse and implement international sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards.

At its most recent meeting on 15—16 October 2006, the STDF approved projects on a review of SPS compliance for the Caribbean , Central and South America and a survey of phytosanitary control capacity for South Pacific island nations. These projects bring to 24 the total number of projects approved for funding by the STDF since its inception.

“Compliance with international standards is a major step in both securing market access and in applying WTO rules in the SPS area. This is why I welcome today this donation from Germany . The technical and scientific complexity of the SPS area are such that I support any and all efforts to facilitate compliance by Members, in particular developing and least developed Members” declared WTO Director General Pascal Lamy.

With this contribution, Germany has become the tenth WTO member to give funds to the Standards and Trade Development Facility which is a global programme in capacity building and technical assistance to assist developing countries in trade and SPS measures.