Members conclude Sixth Review of SPS Agreement, note record notifications

Members are required to review the operation and implementation of the SPS Agreement periodically, as specified under Article 12.7 of the Agreement. The Agreement was first reviewed three years after its entry into force in 1995. Subsequently, a Decision adopted at the Fourth WTO Ministerial Conference in 2001 instructed the Committee to undertake this review at least once every four years.

The report of the Sixth Review sets out recommendations to guide the work of the SPS Committee going forward. Key recommendations include:

• the establishment of a transparency working group, with an initial two-year mandate, to look at how to improve SPS notifications, enhance the ePing SPS&TBT Platform, facilitate access to translations, and track how comments are taken into account;
• a mentoring programme to help interested developing economies engage on SPS matters and enhance the transparency of their SPS regulations;
• continued collaboration with the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the International Plant Protection Convention, and the World Organisation for Animal Health, with the SPS Committee acting as a hub for information exchange;
• further dialogue and thematic sessions on a variety of topics, including modern challenges and emerging risks, innovative approaches, digital tools, maximum residue limits, and the process for listing facilities that can export certain agricultural/food products.

The Chair of the SPS Committee, Ms Cecilia Risolo (Argentina), said the final report is balanced and includes the ideas that were put forward by members and discussed during the review process.

Record high number of SPS notifications from developing economies

The Committee considered the 2024 annual WTO SPS transparency report, which highlights a record high number of SPS notifications from developing economies overall (accounting for about 75% of all notifications) as well as a record high of SPS notifications from least developed countries (LDCs), accounting for 24% of all notifications. Four LDCs – Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and Rwanda – were among the top 10 notifiers of regular notifications in 2024. 

To mark the 30th anniversary of the SPS Agreement and its Committee, a new publication has been issued compiling Committee success stories shared by SPS delegates. These stories look at how the Committee has helped members over the years, from resolving trade tensions and providing guidance to fostering engagement on SPS matters.

Thematic sessions

The Committee held a thematic session on innovative regulatory approaches to facilitate safe trade on 17-18 March.  The thematic session addressed members' regulatory developments in areas such as the establishment and recognition of pest- and disease-free areas, the combined use of independent measures to manage phytosanitary risks (so-called systems approach) and limits for pesticide and veterinary drug residues in foods. The session also looked into the ways in which regulation can facilitate the uptake of new technologies that help manage SPS risks, cut costs and enhance safe trade.

The Committee also agreed on two new thematic sessions to be held in 2025: on antimicrobial resistance, in June, and on how to facilitate safe trade via efficient import controls using modern IT tools, including facility registration, in November.

Technical assistance and cooperation

The WTO Secretariat presented a document providing an overview of planned SPS technical assistance activities for 2025.  Japan updated members on technical assistance it provided to developing economies on SPS-related measures.

Specific trade concerns

Members raised 60 specific trade concerns (STCs) — six for the first time — at the SPS Committee meeting. The new STCs related to delays in approval processes for market access; genetically modified organisms (GMOs); and animal diseases such as African swine fever and bird flu (both in poultry and cattle).

As in previous meetings, attention was also given to EU measures regarding pesticides, contaminants, endocrine disruptors, and veterinary medicinal products. Many other concerns related to delays or lack of transparency in approval processes. A list of STCs discussed is available here.

As of early 2025, close to 60% of all STCs ever raised in the SPS Committee had been reported as resolved or partially resolved.

Next meeting

The next meeting of the Committee is tentatively scheduled for 16‑20 June 2025.

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