WTO/AIR/2771                                          2 MARCH 2006

SUBJECT:THIRTY-FIFTH REGULAR MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE ON SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES:  REMINDER OF RELEVANT DATES

1.               THE THIRTY-FIFTH REGULAR MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE ON SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES WILL BE HELD ON 29-3O MARCH 2006, STARTING AT 10 A.M. ON WEDNESDAY, 29 MARCH.

2.               ACCORDING TO THE RULES OF PROCEDURE, A MEMBER WHICH DESIRES TO INCLUDE ANY ITEM ON THE PROPOSED AGENDA SHOULD MAKE ITS REQUEST, IN WRITING TO THE SECRETARIAT, NO LATER THAN ONE DAY PRIOR TO THE DAY ON WHICH THE NOTICE CONVENING THE MEETING IS TO BE ISSUED.  THIS NOTICE WILL BE ISSUED ON FRIDAY, 17 MARCH.

3.               IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AGREED PROCEDURES (G/SPS/11/REV.1), NEW PROPOSALS FOR CONSIDERATION IN THE CONTEXT OF MONITORING THE USE OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO THE SECRETARIAT NO LATER THAN THURSDAY, 16 MARCH.

4.               MEMBERS PROPOSING TO RAISE OTHER MATTERS RELEVANT TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AGREEMENT, INCLUDING ANY MATTER RELATING TO A PARTICULAR NOTIFICATION, ARE REQUESTED TO GIVE NOTICE TO THE OTHER MEMBER(S) CONCERNED AND TO THE SECRETARIAT, TOGETHER WITH AN OUTLINE OF THE MATTER TO BE RAISED, AS FAR AS POSSIBLE IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING, AND IN ANY CASE NO LATER THAN NOON ON THURSDAY, 16 MARCH.

5.               AS AGREED BY THE COMMITTEE AT ITS LAST MEETING, TWO INFORMAL MEETINGS WILL BE HELD IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE REGULAR MEETING, AND A SPECIAL WORKSHOP WILL BE HELD IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE REGULAR MEETING.  OBSERVER ORGANIZATIONS ARE WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE IN THE INFORMAL MEETINGS AND IN THE WORKSHOP.

6.               THE FIRST INFORMAL MEETING ON ARTICLE 6 OF THE SPS AGREEMENT (REGIONALIZATION) WILL BE HELD ON 27 MARCH STARTING AT 10 A.M. AND CONTINUING IN THE AFTERNOON AS NECESSARY.

7.               THE SECOND INFORMAL MEETING ON SPECIAL AND DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT WILL BE HELD ON 28 MARCH FROM 10.00 A.M. TO 1.00 P.M. 

8.               THE SPECIAL WORKSHOP ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SPS AGREEMENT WILL BE HELD ON FRIDAY, 31 MARCH, FROM 10.00 A.M. UNTIL 6 P.M. 

9.               THE PROPOSED AGENDA FOR THE REGULAR MEETING IS AS FOLLOWS:

     1.  ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA

     2.  ACTIVITIES OF MEMBERS

     3.   SPECIFIC TRADE CONCERNS

(a)  NEW ISSUES

(b)  ISSUES PREVIOUSLY RAISED

(c)  CONSIDERATION OF SPECIFIC NOTIFICATIONS RECEIVED

(d)  INFORMATION ON RESOLUTION OF ISSUES IN G/SPS/GEN/204/REV.6

     4.   OPERATION OF TRANSPARENCY PROVISIONS

     5.   IMPLEMENTATION OF SPECIAL AND DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT

           (a)  REPORT ON INFORMAL MEETING

     6.   EQUIVALENCE – ARTICLE 4

(a)  INFORMATION FROM MEMBERS ON THEIR EXPERIENCES

(b)  INFORMATION FROM RELEVANT OBSERVER ORGANIZATIONS

     7.   PEST- AND DISEASE-FREE AREAS/ AREAS OF LOW PEST OR DISEASE PREVALENCE – ARTICLE 6

(a)  REPORT ON INFORMAL MEETING

(b)  INFORMATION FROM MEMBERS ON THEIR EXPERIENCES

(c)  INFORMATION FROM RELEVANT OBSERVER ORGANIZATIONS

     8.   TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND CO-OPERATION

(a)  INFORMATION FROM THE SECRETARIAT

(b)  INFORMATION FROM MEMBERS

(c)  INFORMATION FROM OBSERVERS

     9.   ISSUES ARISING FROM THE REVIEW

     10.  MONITORING OF THE USE OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS

(a)  NEW ISSUES

(b)  ISSUES PREVIOUSLY RAISED

     11.  MATTERS OF INTEREST ARISING FROM THE WORK OF OBSERVER ORGANIZATIONS

     12.  OBSERVERS - REQUESTS FOR OBSERVER STATUS

     13.  ELECTION OF CHAIRPERSON

     14.  OTHER BUSINESS

     15.DATE AND AGENDA OF NEXT MEETING

                                                   PASCAL LAMY