APPROVED VERSION – COMMITTEE OF THE MINISTERS OF TRADE - 17 July 2014 - SADC/CMT/26/2014/8.2 APPENDIX B Control, Inspection and Approval Procedures 1. Member States shall ensure, with respect to any procedure to check and ensure the fulfilment of sanitary or phytosanitary measures, that: a) such procedures are undertaken and completed without undue delay and in no less favourable manner for imported products than for like domestic products; b) the standard processing period of each procedure is published or that the anticipated processing period is communicated to the applicant upon request; when receiving an application, the competent body promptly examines the completeness of the documentation and informs the applicant in a precise and complete manner of all deficiencies; the competent body transits as soon as possible the results of the procedure in a precise and complete manner to the applicant so that corrective action may be taken if necessary; even when the applicant has deficiencies, the competent body proceeds as far as practicable with the procedure if the applicant so requests; and that upon request the applicant is informed of the stage of the procedure, with any delay being explained; c) information requirements are limited to what is necessary for appropriate control, inspection and approval procedures, including for approval of the use of additives or for the establishment of tolerances levels for contaminants in food, beverages or feedstuffs; d) the confidentiality of information about imported products arising from or supplied in connection with control, inspection and approval is respected in a way no less favourable than for domestic products and in such a manner that legitimate commercial interests are protected; e) any requirements for control, inspection and approval of individual specimens of a product are limited to what is reasonable and necessary; f) any fees imposed for the procedures on imported products are equitable in relation to any fees charged on like domestic products or products originating in any other Member State and should not be higher than the actual cost of the service; g) the same criteria should be used in the setting up of facilities used in the procedures and the selection of samples of imported products as for domestic products so as to minimize the inconvenience to applicants, importers, exporters or their agents; h) whenever specifications of a product are changed subsequent to its control and inspection in light of the applicable regulations, the procedure for the modified Page 17 of 18