How we do it
- R. Ivess
The IPPC is governed by the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures which adopts standards drafted by experts selected by the Standards Committee, a subsidiary body of the the Commission. The Standards Committee approves the draft text of new standards that have been developed as a result of a call for topics placed by the IPPC Secretariat to national plant protection organizations. These topics are seen as a priority that would assist nations in improving plant health and create a more equitable trading environment.
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- R. Ivess
Once the draft ISPM is adopted by the Standards Committee, it is submitted for country consultations, in which nations provide comments based upon national consultations.
Once comments are reviewed and incorporated...??.
Standards once approved by the CPM are considered adopted but only come into force once countries establish the requirements within their national legislation that comply with implementation of the new standard. This process may take substantial time and countries usually notify trading partners of changes to import and export requirements through the International Phytosanitary Portal.
Stakeholders
- NPPOs
- Other governmental organizations
- RPPOs
- Other regional organizations
- International organizations
- Non-governmental organizations
- Academia
- Research
- Industry
- General public
- Farmers
International Organizations
The IPPC liaises with relevant international organizations who assist with capacity building both regionally and nationally as well as participate in some meetings as observers.
Some of the international organizations we work with:
- CBD - Convention on Biological Diversity
- IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency
- IFQRG - International Forestry Quarantine Research Group
- ISTA - International Seed Testing Association
- STDF - Standard Trade and Development Facility
- WTO - World Trade Organization
IPPC and International Trade
The IPPC has always played an important role in international trade. The Convention has encouraged countries to ensure through phytosanitary certification that their exports are not the means for introducing new pests to their trading partners. Likewise, importing countries strive to ensure that measures they have in place for protection are technically justified.
The relationship of the IPPC to international trade is strengthened by the WTO-SPS Agreement because it names the IPPC as the international organization responsible for phytosanitary standard-setting and the harmonization of phytosanitary measures affecting trade. Both agreements are distinct in their scope, purpose, and membership. Neither agreement is supplementary to the other. Instead, they are complementary in the areas where they overlap. The SPS Agreement makes provision for plant protection in a trade agreement, and the IPPC makes provision for trade in a protection agreement.
The IPPC is a legally binding international agreement, but the standards developed and adopted by the Convention are not legally binding under the IPPC. However, WTO members are required to base their phytosanitary measures on international standards developed within the framework of the IPPC. Phytosanitary measures that conform to the ISPMs are presumed to be consistent with the relevant provisions of the SPS Agreement. Measures that deviate from international standards, or measures that exist in the absence of international standards, must be developed through the assessment of the risk to plant life or health and must be based on scientific principles and evidence. Emergency (or provisional) measures may be taken without such analyses, but must be reviewed for their scientific justification and modified accordingly to be legitimately maintained.
The IPPC also has dispute settlement procedures in the instance where measures may be challenged as unjustified barriers to trade. The dispute settlement process under the IPPC offers possibilities for examining controversial issues at a technical level. Although the dispute settlement process in the IPPC is non-binding, the results of the process can be expected to have substantial influence in disputes that may be raised to the WTO level under the SPS Agreement. Click on this link for more on the SPS Agreement
