  
  
G/SPS/GEN/1779  
12 May 2020 
(20-3560) Page: 1/1 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original:  Spanish  
 
  
IMPLEMENTATION BY ARGENTINA AND CHILE OF ELECTRONIC PHYTOSANITARY 
CERTIFICATION, THEREBY ELIMINATING THE USE OF PAPER  
COMMUNICATION FROM ARGENTINA AND CHILE  
The following  communica tion, dated 12 May 2020, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegations of Argentina  and Chile. 
 
_______________  
1.  Since Monday , 4 May, the national plant protection organizations (NPPOs) of  Argentina (SENASA) 
and Chile (SAG) ha ve eliminated the use of paper  for phytosanitary certificates (PCs), implementing 
ePhyto for all of their trade in plant products.  
2.  For the first time, two countries have implement ed paperless electronic phytosanitary certification 
for all of their trade in plant  products , within the framewor k of the guidelines and work of the 
International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). 
3.  The ePhyto Solution is an IPPC initiative to encourage contracting parties to implement electronic 
certification with the aim of  facilitating safe trade  in a digital , paperless  and more flexible, 
transparent and reliabl e manner . ISPM  12 is the international standard that provides the basis  for 
ePhyto. 
4.  Following a strong testing period , the NPPOs of  Argentina and Chile have begun to exchange 
electronic PCs through the IPPC Hub. The Hub enables both NPPOs to transfer PCs to each other 
electronically through their own national systems . 
5.  The implementation of ePhyto will enable  both countries not only to facilitate  trade , but also to 
offer a major  preventive  solution in the current context of the COVID -19 pandemic . 
6.  In this case,  ePhyto will have a positive impact for the more than  3,000,000 ton nes of products 
and by -products of plant origin  traded each year , which , until now , have been covered by over 
9,000  paper PCs . It will also benefit  the environment by eliminating the use of paper . 
_________ _ 