1.

Notifying Member: PANAMA

If applicable, name of local government involved:

2.

Agency responsible: Ministry of Agricultural Development, National Directorate of Plant Health (Ministerio de Desarrollo Agropecuario, Dirección Nacional de Sanidad Vegetal) and Ministry of Trade and Industry, Directorate-General for Standards and Technology (Ministerio de Comercio e Industrias, Dirección General de Normas y Tecnología).

3.

Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where applicable): ICS number: 67.040

4.

Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:

[X]    All trading partners

[ ]      Specific regions or countries:

5.

Title of the notified document: Reglamento Técnico Centroamericano RTCA 67.06.74:16 Productos Agropecuarios Orgánicos. Requisitos para la Producción, el Procesamiento, la Comercialización, la Certificación y el Etiquetado (Central American Technical Regulation (RTCA) 67.06.74:16: Organic agricultural products. Requirements governing production, processing, marketing, certification and labelling) Language(s): Spanish Number of pages: 66

6.

Description of content: The notified Regulation establishes the provisions and procedures governing the production, registration, certification, processing, labelling, storage, transport and marketing of organic agricultural products. It applies to the following products that carry or should carry a descriptive label relating to organic production methods.

A product is considered to carry information concerning organic production methods when the label or property claims, including advertising material and commercial documents, describe the product or its ingredients using the terms "organic", "biological" or "ecological" or other similar internationally recognised vocabulary, including abbreviated forms, which suggest to the buyer that the product or its ingredients have been obtained via organic production methods in the country in which they have been put on the market.

The Regulation must be applied by all natural or legal persons engaged in the production, processing, labelling, storage, transport and marketing of certified organic agricultural products. It is also binding upon public and private bodies engaged in the registration, control and/or certification of such production.

7.

Objective and rationale: [X] food safety, [X] animal health, [ ] plant protection, [ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from other damage from pests.

8.

Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:

[ ]        Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or serial number of Codex standard or related text)

[ ]        World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic Animal Health Code, chapter number)

[ ]        International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM No.)

[X]      None

Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?

[ ] Yes [ ] No

If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the international standard:

9.

Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:

10.

Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy): To be determined.

Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy): To be determined.

11.

Proposed date of entry into force: [ ] Six months from date of publication, and/or (dd/mm/yy): To be determined.

[ ]      Trade facilitating measure

12.

Final date for comments: [X] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification and/or (dd/mm/yy): 22 October 2016

Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [X] National Notification Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and email address (if available) of other body:

Ministerio de Comercio e Industrias

Vía Ricardo J. Alfaro, Edificio Plaza Edison, 3er Piso

Panamá, Panamá

Tel.: (+507) 560 0600, Ext. 2389 or 2393

Email:       mortega@mici.gob.pa

                 earias@mici.gob.pa

13.

Text(s) available from: [X] National Notification Authority, [X] National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and email address (if available) of other body:

Ministerio de Comercio e Industrias

Dirección General de Normas y Tecnología

Vía Ricardo J. Alfaro, Edificio Plaza Edison, 3er Piso

Panamá, Panamá

Tel.: (+507) 560 0600, Ext. 2389 or 2393

Email:       mortega@mici.gob.pa

                 earias@mici.gob.pa

Website: http://www.mici.gob.pa/

Ministerio de Desarrollo Agropecuario

Dirección Nacional de Sanidad Vegetal

Río Tapia, Tocumen

Panamá, Panamá

Tel.: (+507) 220 7979

Email:       rchiari@mida.gob.pa

                 dgordon@mida.gob.pa