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Mauritius Experience with the Practical Implementation of the SPS Agreement: Problems and Needs

Mauritius Experience with the Practical Implementation of the SPS Agreement: Problems and Needs. Background. Accession of Mauritius to the WTO. Increasing food safety priority. Equivalence of treatments. Transparency. Local SPS Committee and SPS Enquiry Point. Introduction.

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Mauritius Experience with the Practical Implementation of the SPS Agreement: Problems and Needs

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  1. Mauritius Experience with the Practical Implementation of the SPS Agreement: Problems and Needs

  2. Background • Accession of Mauritius to the WTO • Increasing food safety priority • Equivalence of treatments • Transparency • Local SPS Committee and SPS Enquiry Point

  3. Introduction • Net food importer • Issues of plant/animal/human health important policy • Globilisation process present new • challenges to our importers/exporters

  4. globalization process/trade liberalization = trade expected to expand = Our importers and exporters confronted with new challenges arising from new markets

  5. Regulatory framework • Plants Act 1976 • Animal Diseases Act 1975 (in process of update) • Fisheries and Marine Resources Act 1998 • Food Act 1998 • GMO Bill

  6. Technical Assistance • Visit of USAID/FANR of SADC • Animal Diseases Act 1975 (in process of update) • Commonwealth Secretariat and InternationalTrade Center team • Representative from SPS Secretariat

  7. Measures by Mauritian Authority • Amendments to Plant Bill • GMO Bill • Regional Crop Protection Program • Co-operation at SADC level • PIP initiative of COLEACP • Setting up a Quality system for export sector

  8. Problems • Limited participation • Difficult and costly process for exporters • High level standard by importing countries • Scarcity of competent human resource • Audit of our framework is imperative

  9. Problems • Need for more awareness and understanding of SPS • ALOP difficult – vulnerability of Mauritius • Equivalence based on IOE, IPPC, etc. • Concern regarding safety assessment • Implementation of SPS Agreement - costly

  10. Need for Technical Assistance • Development and strengthening of infrastructures • Capacity building at National level • Identification/implementation of equivalent measures • Development of Pest Risk Analysis guidelines • Accreditation of our laboratories • Creation of framework for quality assurance/ Certification/ Indexation of agricultural produce

  11. Conclusion • Successful establishment of institutional framework • Headway : SPS/Food safety architecture • Consideration to historical trade • Technical co-operation of importing countries

  12. Vote of Thanks

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