Rosselkhoznadzor Participated in 72nd Meeting of World Trade Organization (WTO) Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures

The 72nd meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Committee) in which experts from the Rosselkhoznadzor participated took place in Geneva on 12-13 July 2018 (Switzerland). The Committee's ground is widely used by WTO members to express concerns regarding restrictions and requirements that importing WTO members impose on products constituting sanitary, veterinary and phytosanitary risks. Raising concerns at the SPS Committee is one of the tools for non-judicial dispute resolution among WTO members regarding SPS barriers in international trade.

According to the previously established tradition much attention was paid to the legislative initiatives of the European Union. Thus, the United States and Argentina expressed concern about the EU draft regulation on medicines for veterinary use, which sets out new criteria for registering veterinary drugs in the EU. In particular the project provides for mandatory refusal to register antimicrobials used to stimulate the growth of animals or increase the yield of food products obtained from animals. In addition, the competent authority should refuse to register the drug if the risks to public health in case of development of antimicrobial or antiparasitic resistance to it outweigh the positive effect of the drug for animal health. The USA and Argentina, as well as Colombia, Chile, Canada, Brazil and Australia, which supported them, are concerned that the new regulations will create a high barrier for the import of livestock products to the EU.

The exporters of agricultural products once again supported concerns of Argentina, India, China and the US regarding the EU criteria for classifying plant protection products (pesticides) as substances that disrupt the endocrine system. Colombia, Taiwan, Korea, Guatemala, Chile, Peru, Panama, Brazil, New Zealand, Ghana, Costa Rica, Canada, Thailand, Nigeria, Kenya, Australia, Uruguay supported the main applicants. The main discontent of these countries is caused by the fact that in accordance with the draft regulation establishing these criteria, the classification of pesticides as substances that disrupt the endocrine system - and, accordingly, imposing restrictions on their use (in particular, the establishment of zero maximum permissible levels of their content in food) - will be based on the properties of the substance itself, and not on the assessment of the risks associated with the use of this substance for human health and the environment.

It is not the first time that several members of the Committee express concerns about India's intention to introduce a requirement for bromine treatment of a number of imported agricultural crops, including grain products. Despite the fact that India has again extended (until December 31, 2018) the possibility of using alternative fumigants, the constant threat of entry into force of the new requirement creates uncertainty and negatively affects the ability of exporters to carry out long-term planning.

Brazil expressed concerns about restrictions imposed by the Rosselkhoznadzor in December, 2017 due to the detection of the residues of ractopamine, a veterinary product used to stimulate muscle mass growth and to increase meat leanness in cattle and pigs, in animal products manufactured by Brazilian establishments. According to the Eurasian Economic Union legislation, the presence of ractopamine residues is not allowed in meat products. The Russian representative explained that Brazil had failed to submit satisfactory results of investigation of the facts available (in particular, the source of ractopamine in products intended to be exported to the Russian Federation had not yet been identified). Consequently, the recurrence of such incidents cannot be ruled out and the previously imposed restrictions cannot, therefore, be lifted.

In response to the concerns of the European Union about restrictions applying to Estonian fish processing establishments and establishments producing ready-to-eat dairy and meat products which are located in the Federal Republic of Germany, the Russian representative informed the Committee about the fact that since July 3, 2018 other three dairy factories previously subject to restrictions had been given an opportunity to export their products to Russia. Lifting of restrictions imposed on other German and Estonian establishments is possible after the Rosselkhoznadzor obtains the complete information concerning the rectification of the violations detected.

Within the framework of the agenda section on the monitoring of the use of international standards, the Russian Federation drew the WTO members’ attention to the necessity to adhere to the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code standards for regionalization, called for recognition of the Russian Federation territory regionalization for avian influenza and lifting of unjustified restrictions imposed on the country with respect to Russian poultry products.

The Rosselkhoznadzor specialists held several bilateral meetings on the margins of the SPS Committee. In particular, the access of Russian swine offal to the Thai market was discussed with the representatives of Thailand; quarantine phytosanitary requirements for Russian wheat, barley and buckwheat import – with the Mexican delegation. The Rosselkhoznadzor representatives discussed the requirements for the fumigation of Russian grain with the representatives of India. In particular, they raised an issue of recognition of the effective use of phosphine-based products for these purposes and the final rejection of the requirement concerning the mandatory bromomethyl treatment of grain imported to India. They also held talks with the Chinese delegation on extending the list of the Russian regions from which wheat, corn, soybeans and rape can be exported; reducing the duration of the procedure for the access of Russian crops to the Chinese market; reducing the terms of updating the Register of Exporters and Russian grain product manufacturers.

The next meeting of the SPS Committee is scheduled for October 31- November 1, 2018.