. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/MEX/167
24 November 2000
(00-5044)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  Spanish
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  MEXICO
If applicable, name of local government involved:
2. Agency responsible:  Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, whereapplicable). Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or
practicable:  Fresh fruit and vegetables
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Mexican Official Standard (of an
Emergency Nature) NOM-EM-034-FITO-2000, Requirements and Specifications for the
Application and Certification of Good Agricultural Practices in the Processes for the
Production of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables (15 pages)
5. Description of content:  The purpose of this Mexican Official Standard (NOM) is to
establish the requirements and specifications for the application and certification of Good
Agricultural Practices in the processes for the production of fresh fruit and vegetables.These requirements and specifications are mandatory throughout the national territory for
units of production that wish to obtain this certification and use the official sign to identify
their products.
6. Objective and rationale:  [  X ] food safety,  [     ] animal health,  [     ] plant protection,
[    ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease,
[    ] protect territory from other damage from pests           
7. Nature of the urgent problem(s):  That the practices of the production, harvesting,
selection, storage and transport of fresh fruit and vegetables may affect the phytosanitary
condition of these products and contaminate them with biological, chemical and physicalelements that may represent a danger to public health.  That there exist methods of
cultivation, harvesting, selection, storage and transport, referred to generally as Good
Agricultural Practices (GAP), which if applied to fresh fruit and vegetables minimize the
phytosanitary risk and the danger of biological, chemical and physical contamination of
these foodstuffs.
That the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables produced without GAP has been
accompanied by outbursts of intestinal infections and chronic illnesses, for which reasonmeasures must be taken with the aim of protecting and promoting plant health and the
health of consumers.
That the processes of agricultural production may be certified so as to prove the
application of GAP, and that the fresh fruit and vegetables produced in this way may bear
an official sign identifiable by the consumer.G/SPS/N/MEX/167
Page 2
7. Nature of the urgent problem(s):  (cont'd)
That the existence of international trade tr eaties makes it essential that sanitary and
phytosanitary measures are adopted so as to facilitate the access of agricultural products to
different markets.
8. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [  X ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give its appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:           
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  Diario Oficial de la
Federación (Official Journal) of 31 October 2000 (available in Spanish)
10. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable):  1 November 2000 (valid
for six months)
11.  Texts available from/and agency or authority designated to handle comments:
[    ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry point or address, fax
number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
Website:  http://www.secofi.gob.mx/dgn1.html (Catalogue of Standards)