International Procedures
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International Plant Protection Convention
The revisions were necessary to reflect the IPPC’s responsibilities arising from the 1994 World Trade Organisation’s Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement. Signatories to the SPS are required to base their phytosanitary measures on international standards developed under the IPPC. The revised text introduces plant protection practices indicated by the SPS, including pest risk analysis and pest free areas, as well as providing for import inspection and export certification. There is also provision for a dispute settlement mechanism. The revised agreement establishes the role of the IPPC Secretariat and a Commission on Phytosanitary Measures to govern the implementation of the Convention. The revisions also open the possibility for member organisations of the FAO, such as the European Community, to accede to the IPPC. Whilst the revised IPPC contains new provisions, the FAO Conference in agreeing it decided that it imposed no new obligations on member states. In practice member countries already implement the requirements of the revised convention. Before the revised text can come into force it is necessary for two-thirds of member countries to accept the changes formally. This requires 80, of the current 120 member countries, to accept the revised text. So far, some 55 countries have accepted the revisions, and so it is likely to be several more years before the changes come fully into force. In anticipation of this, the FAO Conference agreed to establish an Interim Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (ICPM), and this body is taking the work of the Convention forward. The sixth plenary session of the ICPM takes place from 29th March-2nd April 2004. The IPPC has a comprehensive web-site containing details of activities
on standard development, meeting papers, etc. at www.ippc.int
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Page last modified:
18 July 2008
Page published: 15 Jul 2003