1.
Regional workshop:
WTO Trade Facilitation
Agreement impact on
agrifood trade
Odessa, Ukraine, 30.05 - 31.05.2017

2.
Electronic sanitary and phytosanitary
certification in agricultural trade
Dr Kenza Le Mentec
World Trade Organization
Regional workshop on the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement’s impact on agri-food trade
May 30-June 1, Odessa, Ukraine

3.
International standards applicable to
import/export SPS certification
Art. 5.2.1. Protection of the professional integrity of the
certifying veterinarian
Art. 5.2.2. Certifying veterinarians
Certifying veterinarians should:….
Art. 5.2.3. Preparation of international veterinary
certificates
Certificates should be drawn up in accordance with the
following principles:….
Art. 5.2.4. Electronic certification
OIE animal health code

4.
Art. 5.2.4. Electronic certification
“Certification may be provided by electronic
documentation sent directly from the Veterinary Authority
of the exporting country to the Veterinary Authority of the
importing country. ….
The Veterinary Authority should have in place systems for
the security of electronic certificates against access by
unauthorised persons or organisations.
The certifying veterinarian should be officially responsible
for the secure use of his/her electronic signature”

5.
International standards applicable to
import/export SPS certification
Codex Alimentarius
Codex guideline CAC/GL 38-2001: Guideline for design, production,
issuance and use of generic official certificates (Sections 2, 3, 4, 8 and 9)
Certificates:
Are defined as paper or electronic documents
Are applicable regardless the mode of transmission (paper or electronic)
Should meet the requirements of the importing country
Issuance of official certificates
The competent authority of the exporting country is ultimately
responsible for any certificate it issues or authorizes to be issued.
Use of electronic certificates
2017 : Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and
Certification Systems (CCFICS) decided to develop additional guidance

6.
International standards applicable to
import/export SPS certification
International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)
• IPPC (Article IV (2), Article V and Annex)
• ISPM 7 and ISPM 12
• ISPM 7 Phytosanitary certification system describes the components of a
national system for the issuance of Phytosanitary Certificates (PCs)
• Standard adopted in 1997, revised in 2011
• ISPM 12 Phytosanitary certificates describes the content of PCs
• Standard first adopted in 2001, revised in 2014

7.
International standards applicable to
import/export SPS certification
• ISPM 12 provides additional non -prescriptive
guidance in :
• APPENDIX 1: Information on XML Schemas and
exchange mechanisms
• APPENDIX 2: recommended wording for
additional declarations

8.
International standards applicable to
import/export SPS certification
• Appendix recognizes:
– Electronic certificates = paper certificates
– Electronic certificates may be used instead of paper
certificates if accepted by importing country
• Appendix describes:
– Format and contents of ePhyto
– Mechanism for exchange
– Guidance on harmonized codes and schema – link to
existing information (e.g. EPPO codes on scientific names,
ISO codes for countries, UNECE codes on volumes,
packaging, etc.)

9.
IPPC support for implementation of ePhyto
• Why the need to facilitate implementation?
– Several countries started developing systems for
exchanging electronic certificates
• Different solutions
• Countries must align bilaterally (point-to-point systems)
• Many bilateral arrangements needed
– Further harmonisation would reduce bilateral
arrangements
– Many countries with infrastructure difficulties are
excluded

10.
IPPC’s ePhyto Solution: FROM HERE
Contribution of S. Sela, IPPC, 2017

11.
…….TO HERE
Contribution of S. Sela, IPPC, 2017

12.
The hub
• Centralized server to facilitate exchange of electronic certificates between
NPPOs.
• Generic or national system communicates with hub
– Pushes certificates to the hub
– Receives certificates from the hub by push or pull
• ePhyto messages only kept in the hub until delivered
• Secure NPPO access
• Electronic certificates carried within secure folder from NPPO (export) to
hub to NPPO (import)
• Uses internet based security processes to protect transmission
• Highly configurable
• System does not read certificate only the information required to deliver
the certificate (header)
– Allows for any certificate can be exchanged
Contribution of S. Sela, IPPC, 2017

13.
Generic ePhyto national system
(GeNS)
• Simple web-based or stand alone system
which:
– Produces/receives electronic certificate
– Transmits it to the hub under prescribed rules
– Stores certificate data of produced and received e-
certificates
– Simple user interface
– Ability to be used in low bandwidth environment
Contribution of S. Sela, IPPC, 2017

14.
Thank you for your attention
Kenza Le Mentec
e-mail: Kenza.lementec@wto.org