Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures

Objectives

• This training programme aims at providing you with tools and resources to play an active role in improving the implementation of the SPS Agreement in you country. 
• Through lectures, participant-led presentations, and practical case studies, you will gain a deeper understanding of the provisions of the SPS Agreement and the functioning of its Committee. 
• Another key aspect of the course is the development of action plans that you will be required to implement upon returning to your work place to address SPS challenges or market access issues. 

What you will learn in this course

This course consists of 6 Modules:

• The first Module provides an overview of the SPS measures
• The second Module deals with the scope of application of the SPS Agreement and describes its relationship to other relevant WTO agreements. This will enable you to identify when the SPS Agreement is applicable to a particular factual situation. 
• The third Module lays out the basic principles of the SPS Agreement, namely the right of Members to take SPS measures and the basic disciplines surrounding the exercise of this right, as well as the underlying goal of harmonization of SPS measures. It also examines the risk analysis obligations that Members must comply with when imposing SPS measures. 
• The fourth Module deals with the remaining substantive provisions of the SPS Agreement, namely the rules on the recognition of equivalence and adaptation to regional conditions. 
• The fifth is devoted to the institutional and procedural rules contained in the SPS Agreement, including those on the role of the SPS Committee and those governing dispute settlement under the SPS Agreement, to the extent that these differ from the general dispute settlement rules. 
• The sixth Module specifically addresses the special provisions for developing countries in the SPS Agreement. This Module concludes with a set of hypothetical case studies, is designed to test your knowledge and illustrate the practical application of the theory learnt. Finally, some recommendations are made for further reading.