APPROVED VERSION – COMMITTEE OF THE MINISTERS OF TRADE - 17 July 2014 - SADC/CMT/26/2014/8.2
ANNEX VIII
CONCERNING SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES
(Human, Animal and Plant Life or Health)
PREAMBLE
The SADC Member States,
Emphasising the importance of human, animal and plant life or health in the SADC
region and specifically their importance in relation to trade;
Desiring the protection of human, animal and plant life or health including protection of
the environment through the employment of environmentally safe and sustainable farm
production and agro-industrial methods;
Recognising the importance of establishing and maintaining confidence in the sanitary
and phytosanitary measures of SADC Member States among agencies that apply
measures to protect human or animal or plant life or health, businesses, and consumers
in SADC Member States and in existing and potential third party markets;
Recognising the urgency of mutual recognition of the equivalence of sanitary or
phytosanitary measures across the Member States in order to improve regional trade in
foods, beverages, animals, animal products, plants, plant products and other regulated
articles for the economic benefits of the citizens of the SADC region and to expand
external trade;
Recalling the provision in Article 16 of the SADC Protocol on Trade which requires
Member States to base their sanitary or phytosanitary measures on international
standards, guidelines and recommendations and that they work towards mutual
recognition of the equivalence of specific sanitary and phytosanitary measures, in
accordance with the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary
Measures;
Reaffirming that no Member should be prevented from adopting or enforcing measures
necessary to protect human, animal or plant life or health, subject to the requirement
that these measures are not applied in a manner which would constitute a means of
arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination between Members where the same conditions
prevail or a disguised restriction on international trade;
HEREBY AGREE as follows:
Page 2 of 18