Lesson 1: Risk Management Theory and Background
Topic 2: Terminology
This topic will help you better understand the term “phytosanitary measures” and other vocabulary related to risk management.
Objective:
- Be able to define the various types of phytosanitary measures and distinguish their roles in risk management.
ISPM No. 5 defines phytosanitary measure as “any legislation, regulation or official procedure having the purpose to prevent the introduction and/or spread of quarantine pests, or to limit the economic impact of regulated non-quarantine pests.” This definition includes three categories of phytosanitary measures. Hold your mouse over the terms in the graphic below for the definition of each category.
Phytosanitary Legislation
The laws of a country that grant a National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) the legal authority to enact regulations to prevent the entry and establishment of quarantine pests or to limit the economic impact of regulated non-quarantine pests.
Phytosanitary Regulation
The specific rules an NPPO puts in place to reduce the risk associated with quarantine pests. Regulations include directives on which phytosanitary actions (such as inspection, testing, surveillance, or treatment) are required for market access, instructions on how to carry out the actions, and procedures for conducting phytosanitary certification.
Phytosanitary Procedures
Official methods used to mitigate the introduction and/or spread of quarantine pests, or to limit their economic impact. Phytosanitary procedures include physical actions such as inspection, testing, surveillance, and treatment.
In the WTO Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement, “phytosanitary measures” is a very broad term that includes everything from specific actions and programs to the legislative framework that gives NPPOs the legal authority to carry out actions. However, when people use the term “measures” they are generally referring to phytosanitary actions. These actions are official operations (such as inspection, testing, surveillance or treatment) used in implementing phytosanitary procedures. Click on the following to explore common physical phytosanitary actions.
To continue, select Topic 3 from the Topics menu above or click here.