Lesson 5: International Standards and Organizations
Topic 1: International Standards Setting Organizations (OIE, Codex Alimentarius, and IPPC)
There are three standard setting organizations named in the SPS Agreement: the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), Codex Alimentarius Commission, and the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). In this topic, you will learn about these organizations and their responsibilities.
Objectives:
- Describe the purpose of each of the standard-setting bodies
- Describe the standard-setting responsibilities of World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), Codex Alimentarius Commission, and the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)
- Explain the key differences between these standard-setting organizations, and describe their relationship to the WTO
Article 3 of the SPS Agreement explains harmonization. It directs Members to participate in the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), Codex Alimentarius Commission, and the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) to promote the “development and periodic review of standards, guidelines, and recommendations with respect to all aspects of sanitary and phytosanitary measures”. These three international organizations are discussed below.
The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE)
The World Organization for Animal Health (previously known as the International Office of Epizootics, from which the term OIE is derived) is the intergovernmental organization responsible for improving animal health worldwide. The SPS Agreement recognizes the OIE as the international standard setting organization for animal health. The OIE works together with the other two international organizations named in the SPS Agreement: the IPPC for plant health and Codex Alimentarius Commission for food safety. OIE Member countries work to provide safe food of animal origin through science-based risk analysis. Since it was created, the OIE has served as the main international reference organization for animal health and has become the leading international organization for animal welfare.
The World Organization for Animal Health works to ensure the transparent status of global animal diseases. Each Member country is responsible for reporting the animal diseases that it detects on its territory. The OIE shares this information with other countries so they can take necessary actions to protect themselves. This information also includes diseases transmissible to humans and the intentional introduction of pathogens.
Another objective of the OIE is to collect, analyze, and disseminate the latest scientific information on animal-disease control. This information is then made available to the Member countries to help them to improve methods used to control and eradicate these diseases. Animal-disease guidelines are prepared by a network of approximately 200 OIE Collaborating Centers and Reference Laboratories across the world. Scientific information is also circulated through publications and periodicals published by the OIE.
The OIE encourages international harmony by providing technical support to Member countries that request assistance with animal-disease control and eradication operations, including diseases transmissible to humans. The health standards published by the OIE for international trade in animals and animal products help safeguard world trade. The OIE develops standards that Member countries can use to protect themselves from the introduction of diseases and pathogens, without creating unjustified sanitary barriers.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission
The Codex Alimentarius Commission is the international organization responsible for proposals and consultations on all matters pertaining to the implementation of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Program. The SPS Agreement recognizes the Codex Alimentarius Commission as the international standard setting organization for food safety. The Codex Alimentarius Commission works together with the other two international organizations named in the SPS Agreement: the IPPC for plant health and OIE for animal health.
Purposes of the Codex system:
- Protect the health of consumers
- Ensure fair practices in the food trade
- Promote the coordination of all food-standards work undertaken by international governmental and non-governmental organizations
- Draft standards with the aid of appropriate organizations
- Finalize standards
- Publish standards in a Codex Alimentarius, either as regional or worldwide standards
- Amend published standards as necessary
The Codex Alimentarius (Codex) is a collection of international food standards that have been adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Codex standards cover processed, semi-processed, and raw foods. These standards protect the health of consumers and facilitate fair practices in the food trade.
Codex food-safety standards are specifically referenced in the SPS Agreement and may be applied or referenced to resolve trade disputes. WTO Members that wish to apply stricter food safety measures than those set by Codex may be required to justify these measures scientifically.
The major commodities included in the Codex are:
- Cereals, legumes, and derived products, including vegetable proteins
- Fats, oils, and related products
- Fish and fishery products
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Processed and quick-frozen fruits and vegetables
- Fruit juices
- Meat and meat products
- Soups and broths
- Milk and milk products
- Sugars, cocoa products, and chocolate
The International Plant Protection Convention
The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) came into existence in 1952. The Convention was revised in 1979, and was revised again in 1997 to align it with the World Trade Organization SPS Agreement. The IPPC is the international organization responsible for creating standards that help protect plant health. The SPS Agreement recognizes the IPPC as the international standard setting organization for plant health. The IPPC works together with the other two international organizations named in the SPS Agreement: the OIE for animal health and Codex Alimentarius for food safety.
The IPPC has developed over 30 International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs), and there are many more in various stages of development. These standards relate to specific elements of the SPS Agreement and help establish a common vocabulary for international Members. These standards form the basis for Members of the WTO to understand and implement phytosanitary measures under the SPS Agreement. This allows all IPPC Member countries to participate in plant and plant-product trade, based on a common understanding of plant-health measures or processes and when and how these measures are applied. Non-contracting parties to the IPPC are encouraged to observe these same standards. Standards are not regulatory instruments, but come into force once countries establish them as requirements within the context of their national trade regulations or legislation.
In this topic, you learned about the three international standard-setting organizations named in the SPS Agreement: the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), Codex Alimentarius Commission, and the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). You learned about the history of each organization, how they are structured, and what each is responsible for.
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