International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is involved with the development of regional standards for phytosanitary measures (RSPMs) and international standards for phytosanitary measures (ISPMs). These activities are carried out primarily through the International Standards Unit, which also verifies the Canadian phytosanitary policies are consistent with these standards and international obligations. In addition, the unit provides advice on regional and international standards to stakeholders and conducts annual consultations on draft international standards for phytosanitary measures (ISPMs).

Canada is a member of North American Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO), a trilateral Regional Plant Protection Organization as provided for in the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). NAPPO's objectives include the coordination of efforts between Canada, the United States and Mexico to protect their plant resources from the entry, establishment and spread of regulated plant pests, while facilitating intra- and inter-regional trade.

Canada is a Contracting Party to the IPPC, an international treaty with the purpose of securing common and effective action to prevent the spread and introduction of pests of plants and plant products, and to promote appropriate measures for their control. The work of the IPPC is governed by the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) which, among other things, adopts ISPMs. The IPPC Secretariat coordinates the activities of the Convention and is hosted by FAO.

Each year, the IPPC conducts consultations with contracting parties on draft ISPMs. This year, the IPPC has released five draft ISPMss for country consultation, as well as proposed amendments to the IPPC's glossary of phytosanitary terms. These draft standards will be considered for adoption at the Third Session of the CPM in April 2008. The draft standards for consultation this year are as below.

Draft International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) for country consultation - 2007

The IPPC will accept from each contracting party only one set of comments for each standard, and the CFIA is responsible for preparing and submitting these comments for Canada. The CFIA must submit Canada's comments to the IPPC by September 30, 2007. Therefore, in order to allow sufficient time for review and analysis of comments received, and collation of all comments to be submitted, comments to the CFIA will be accepted until September 7, 2007, at the latest.

2007 workshops on these draft ISPMs:

• June 27, 2007 - Moncton, New Brunswick
• August 2, 3 and 7, 2007 - Ottawa, Ontario
• August 21, 2007 - Guelph, Ontario
• August 14, 2007 - Winnipeg, Manitoba
• August 16, 2007 - Burnaby, British Columbia
• August 24, 2007 - Quebec City, Quebec

For more information on submitting comments on this year's draft ISPMs, or on the draft ISPM workshops, please contact Greg Wolff (Telephone 613-221-4354) or Steve Côté (Telephone 613-221-4546).