Background
With numerous partners worldwide, UN Trade and Development has been creating the largest database of non-tariff measures. Through in-country projects in 143 countries, the database now covers over 100’000 measures. The data shows that almost all global trade in agri-food products is regulated by sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures. On average, eleven SPS measures are applied per product.
On the one hand, these measures entail substantial costs. On the other hand, the protection of human, animal and plant life and health is paramount. Regulatory transparency and convergence, especially towards international standards, are key elements of the SPS agreement. These approaches help reduce trade costs while preserving the essential regulatory benefits of SPS measures. However, comprehensive information on the adherence of national regulations to international standards is unavailable. Quantifying the benefits of adopting international standards has therefore been limited to product-specific case studies.
Session objective
The session will present the latest research by UN Trade and Development that estimates the current state and potential benefits of regulatory convergence between countries and towards international standards. It will also cover the underlying data collection and transparency tools, which complement the WTO notification systems.
Discussants of Codex Alimentarius and WTO will provide their views on the current state and benefits of regulatory transparency and the adoption of international standards.
