APPROVED VERSION – COMMITTEE OF THE MINISTERS OF TRADE - 17 July 2014 - SADC/CMT/26/2014/8.2 APPENDIX A Transparency of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Regulations Publications of regulations 1. Member States shall ensure that all sanitary and phytosanitary regulations are published promptly in such a manner as to enable interested Member States to become acquainted with them. 2. Except in urgent circumstances, Member States shall normally allow a period of not less than six months between the publication of a sanitary or phytosanitary regulation and its entry into force to allow time for producers in exporting Member States, to adapt their products and methods of production to the requirements of the importing Member State. The entry into force of measures which contribute to the liberalisation of trade should not be unnecessarily delayed. Enquiry points 3. Each Member State shall ensure that a WTO SPS Enquiry Point exists, which is responsible for the provision of answers to all questions from interested Member States as well as for the provision of relevant documents regarding: a) any sanitary or phytosanitary regulations adopted or proposed within its territory; b) any control and inspection procedures, production and quarantine treatment, pesticide tolerance and food additive approval procedures, which are operated within its territory; c) risk assessment procedures, factors taken into consideration, as well as the determination of the appropriate level of sanitary or phytosanitary protection; d) the membership and participation of the Member State, or of relevant bodies within its territory, in international and regional sanitary and phytosanitary organizations and systems, as well as in bilateral and multilateral agreements and arrangements within the scope of this Annex, and the texts of such agreements and arrangements. 4. Member States shall ensure that where copies of documents are requested by interested Member States, they are supplied at the same price (if any), apart from the cost of delivery, as to the nationals of the Member State concerned. Notification procedures 5. Whenever an international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist or the content of a proposed sanitary or phytosanitary regulation is not substantially the same as the content of an international standard, guideline or Page 14 of 18