WTO에서의 SPS관련 논의 동향 중 SPS선언문 채택에 관한 연구

In November 2020, the WTO/SPS Committee held a meeting to mark the 25 years the SPS Agreement. The delegates from over 200 countries attended the meeting to address a high number of specific trade issues. In particular, Members discussed a possible SPS Declaration at the 12th ministerial meeting in 2021. Proponents of the SPS Declaration stressed that with the pandemic of Covid-19, it became more important to respond in a science-based manner by utilizing regulatory tools such as the SPS Agreement. Looking at the draft SPS Declaration, there are three main proposals. First, promote the use of veterinary medicines and plant-protection products and encourage the use of international standards developed by Codex, OIE and IPPC. Second, support basing SPS measures on scientific evidence and principles and promote the use of principles employed by the international standards setting bodies for considering scientific uncertainty in risk analysis. Third, adapt SPS measures to regional conditions, including pest-or disease-free areas and areas of low pest or disease prevalence. These themes are related to the major obligations of SPS Agreement; Article 3 of the SPS Agreement, Articles 2 para 2 and Article 5 and Article 6. Since Korea is traditionally an importing member, it shall pay attention to trends in discussions on major obligations under the SPS Agreement and respond appropriately if necessary. Public interest regarding safety of imported foods in Korea is increasing day by day, and Korean government has been trying to apply eco-friendly policies in line with international trends. Therefore, it should be able to secure food safety through the SPS Agreement, and moreover eco-friendly considerations should be possible in the future when government will adopt and apply the SPS measures.