Plant Health in the Global Trading Environment – An Introduction

1. Plant Health in the Global Trading Environment – An Introduction GRAEME EVANS

2. Structure of the Presentation • World Trade Organization • Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures • Sanitary and phytosanitary measures • Obligations to provide data on pests • Need to develop pest lists

3. The World Trade Organization • Successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade • Established in 1995 • 148 members • Rules based • Dispute settlement mechanism • Has provision for applying penalties to countries that do not abide by the rules

4. Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures • SPS measures are domestic food standards covering such matters as: - Toxins - Microbial contaminants - Pesticide residues - Heavy metals • Pests, weeds and diseases that may be moved in agricultural commodities

5. The Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures • Allows countries to manage trade in agricultural commodities to protect human, animal and plant health But, • Countries seeking to impose barriers are required to undertake a pest risk analysis - Requires detailed knowledge of the health (pest) status of agricultural industries – occurrence, host range, prevalence and geographic distribution

6. Agricultural Trade Under the WTO • Governments everywhere are under pressure from their constituents to use the provisions of the SPS agreement to maximise competitive advantage • to prise open markets previously closed on questionable quarantine grounds • to exclude imports that are seen as posing a risk to domestic industries

7. Agricultural Trade Under the WTO • Agricultural trade has expanded but developing countries continue to have difficulty in accessing the high value markets in developed countries

8. Obligations on Exporters to Provide Data on Pest Status • IPPC • ISPM 8 • SPS Agreement

9. Obligation on Exporters to Provide Data on Pest Status • International Plant Protection convention, 1997: Article VII: International cooperation: 1.The contracting parties shall cooperate with one another to the fullest practicable extent in achieving the aims of this Convention, and shall in particular:…c) cooperate, to the extent practicable, in providing technical and biological information necessary for pest risk analysis.

10. Obligation on Exporters to Provide Data on Pest Status • Article 6.3 of the SPS Agreement states that ….. exporting Members claiming that areas within their territories are pest- or disease-free areas or areas of low pest prevalence shall provide the necessary evidence thereof in order to objectively demonstrate to the importing Member that such areas are, and are likely to remain, pest- or disease-free areas of low pest prevalence, respectively. For this purpose, reasonable access shall be given, upon request, to the importing Member for inspection, testing and other relevant procedures.

11. Obligation on Exporters to Provide Data on Pest Status. • IPSM 8 states that: • All countries may use pest status information for: • PRA purposes • Planning national, regional or international pest management programs; • Establishing national pest lists; and • Establishing and maintaining pest free areas.

12. The Purpose of Pest Collections • Provide information on the pest status of a country’s agricultural crop and forest industries • Support the development of pest management strategies • Provide the basis for domestic and international quarantine policies • Provide a reference point for determining whether ‘new’ pest records are endemic species • Underpin trade

13. Populating Biological Collections • Can be fast-tracked by targeted surveillance • Need to build competency in five areas • Surveillance • Diagnostics • Specimen preservation • Collection • Data management