WORLD TRADE G/SPS/GN/12
26February 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-0780)
Committee onSanitary andPhytosanitary Measures
STATUS OFSPSDOCUMENTS
Note bytheSecretariat
Prior toJuly1996, mostdocuments intheG/SPS/series werecirculated onarestricted basis.
However, following theCommittee 'sdecision inJune1996toderestrict allnotifications (G/SPS/R/5,
paragraph 17),andtheGeneral Council 'sdecision inJuly(WT/L/160/Rev.1) onthederestriction of
certain documents, mostG/SPS/ documents havebeenderestricted orcirculated asunrestricted. As
of4February 1997, asindicated indocument WT/INF/5, allexcept forthefollowing documents in
theG/SPS/series havebeenderestricted, orissued asunrestricted documents.
G/SPS/series documents currently restricted
G/SPS/GN/6*
G/SPS/R/5 +Corr. 1*
G/SPS/R/6
G/SPS/W/65 -69*
G/SPS/W/72-74**
Thefollowingtabledescribesthedocumentsymbolsnowinuseandtheusualstatusofdocuments
inthevarious series. TheSPSCommittee, theMinisterial Conference ortheGeneral Council may,
inaddition, decide toderestrict documents atanytime.
*These documents havebeenproposed toMembers forconsideration forderestriction, andwillnormally bederestricted
asof22April 1997 ifnoMember objects (WT/GC/W/50).
**These documents havebeenproposed toMembers forconsideration forderestriction, andwillnormally bederestricted
asof2May 1997 ifnoMember objects (WT/GC/W/53).G/SPS/GN/12
Page2
Content ofdocument Document series Usual status
Adopted decisions, agreed recommendations,
accepted procedures, listsofNational
Notification Authorities, etc.G/SPS/... Unrestricted.
Drafts forconsideration, proposed decisions G/SPS/W/... Restricted, considered forderestriction 6months aftercirculation,
orderestricted automatically upon adoption ofthedecision onthe
matter under consideration. Member making submission may
request circulation asunrestricted.
Background notes bytheSecretariat G/SPS/W/... Restricted, considered forderestriction 6months aftercirculation.
Dispute settlement panel reports,
other dispute settlement documentsG/SPS/GN/...
(previously G/SPS/W/... )Panel reports arecirculated unrestricted, unless party todispute
requests restriction, inwhich caseautomatically derestricted no
laterthan10daysaftercirculation. Other dispute settlement
documents areunrestricted, unless Member making submission
requests circulation asrestricted.
Statements byMembers, information provided
byMembersG/SPS/GN/... Unrestricted, unless submitting Member requests restriction, in
which casetheyareconsidered forderestriction attheendofthe
six-month period during which theyarecirculated. Submissions
containing publicly available information arecirculated
unrestricted.
Factual information notes bytheSecretariat
(ie.,listofnotifications received, etc.)G/SPS/GN/... Unrestricted.G/SPS/GN/12
Page3Content ofdocument Document series Usual status
Notifications (according totheestablished
formats)G/SPS/N/... Unrestricted.
Summary reports ofmeetings G/SPS/R/... Restricted, considered forderestriction 6months afterdateof
circulation.
Lists ofparticipants atmeetings G/SPS/INF/... Unrestricted.
ListofNational Enquiry Points G/SPS/ENQ/... Unrestricted.