SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES: EVENTS, 26 JUNE 2008

STDF Information session on private standards

Ever since St Vincent and the Grenadines raised a concern with respect to the operation of the EurepGAP scheme in 2003, the topic of private standards has become a regular fixture on the agenda of the SPS Committee. In June 2007, a joint UNCTAD/WTO Informal information session on private standards was held. However, the area of private standards is a dynamic one. Since 2007, EurepGAP has become GLOBALGAP and other private standards schemes have come into the picture. Therefore, on 25 June 2008, the Standards and Trade Development Facility held an information session on private standards.

The aim of this STDF information session was threefold: (i) to update the SPS Committee on recent developments in this area; (ii) to examine the options for facilitating the compliance of developing countries with these schemes; and (iii) to learn more about on-going donor initiatives in this area.

The information session was organized as part of STDF's co-ordination mandate in the area of SPS-related technical co-operation. Through this information session, it was hoped that a better practical understanding of strategies for compliance would emerge, along with a clearer picture of who is doing what in terms of technical co-operation activities in this area.

  

Presentations

Session 1: Recent developments in the private standards area

Session 2: Reducing compliance costs and promoting dialogue

 
> Report of the STDF Information session on private standards


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