3.69.  Qatar's SPS regime has remained largely unchanged since the previous Review in 2014. The main legislation on sanitary and phytosanitary requirements is the Regulation of Human Food Control (Law No. 8 of 1990) and its amendments (Law No. 4 of 2014 and Law No. 20 of 2017). The Law regulates food control to ensure food safety and suitability including trade, packaging/labelling, and transport of both imported and locally produced food. According to the Law, food should comply with approved technical regulations' requirements before handling or consumption. The Law includes penalties and fines for noncompliance. Other relevant laws include those on veterinary quarantine (Law No. 14 of 2003, as amended by Law No. 9 of 2008), agricultural quarantine (Law No. 24 of 2005), and consumer protection (Law No. 8 of 2008)

3.70.  The Food Safety Department of the MOPH performs most functions related to food safety requirements, including food safety and control policy, and ensures compliance with related technical regulations. The MOPH coordinates with the competent authorities including the MME, the MOCI, and the QS.[116]

3.71.  The Ports Health and Food Control Section of the MOPH's Food Safety Department has the authority to inspect, monitor, and control imported food.[117] The Section is responsible for: (i) checking required documents, such as health and Halal certificates issued by the competent and approved authority in the country of origin; (ii) preventing entry of contaminated food; (iii) dealing with rejected consignments (i.e. destruction or re-export); (iv) performing physical inspection and sampling of imported foods; and (v) providing food importers with guidance on procedures, specifications, and standards.[118] The Livestock Department of the MME is responsible for issuing a veterinary health certificate for animals[119] and inspecting live animals and plants, animal feed, and horticultural products at the entry port

3.72.  The Central Food Lab Section, which is also part of the Food Safety Department, is responsible for analysing samples of imported and locally produced food, as well as meeting the requirements of Qatari, Gulf, and international standard specifications.[120] Laboratory analysis is not required for all food products. Sample testing is done according to a risk-based approach, taking into consideration new-to-market products or products that failed a previous inspection. The test results normally take 1 to 10 days, according to the type of analysis required (e.g. microbiological tests need more time). For the laboratory analysis of food samples, applicants pay a fee of 0.5% of the value of the sampled items.[121] Random sampling from local markets (such as restaurants and markets) for laboratory analysis is also carried out. There is no fee for testing local food samples collected by competent authorities as part of the food control procedures

3.73.  The MOPH does not require prior approval for food importation, but it mandates that imported products comply with Qatari standards and requirements. All food, including imported products, must comply with: (i) the general requirements outlined in labelling requirements (QS No. 9); (ii) the list of permitted additives (QS No. 2500); (iii) mandatory expiration dates for food products (QS No. 150-1); and (iv) specific requirements depending on type of food. A health certificate is required for each imported consignment regardless of whether it is from GCC member States, thus ensuring food safety by the competent authority of the country of origin. All meat, meat products, or food containing animal origin ingredients such as gelatine must be accompanied by an Islamic (Halal) slaughter certificate issued by an approved Islamic Centre in the country of origin

3.74.  The MOPH periodically issues a list of prohibited food products importing into Qatar with justification.[122] There are three types of banned items relating to: (i) requirements of technical regulations or standards such as unsafe or non-Halal food (on a permanent basis); (ii) the reports of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) on the epidemiological situation of a specific disease in a country (on a temporary basis); and (iii) special cases such as the lack of information about a country's epidemiological situation in which the risk may transmitted to imported food (on a temporary basis). Such precautionary measures (on a temporary basis) are in accord with the SPS Agreement

3.75.  During the review period, the MOPH implemented several initiatives to ensure a balance between food safety and trade facilitation. According to the authorities, the Ministry developed an electronic management food control system (EMS) that contains the registration of food and food premises, the electronic control system that controls local food and imported and exported food, and the electronic Laboratory Information Management System. The EMS was expected to be integrated with the customs for border and local control by January 2021

3.76.  The food registration system has been active since April 2018.[123] The system allows companies to register imported/exported food products electronically before importing/exporting, and a registration notice is given for each food product. The system is intended to facilitate monitoring and tracking, and linking products to specific risks. Also, the system contributes to reducing the number of infringing foods, or rejected or destroyed foods.[124] The authorities note that 19,000 products were registered as at November 2020, and it will be mandatory to register each item after the system becomes part of the EMS

3.77.  In January 2020, the MOPH also launched the Global Partners System (E-Certificate Exchange Program) with the countries that export food to Qatar. According to the authorities, the System is used by Halal authorities in the country of origin. The System is an exchange for certificates of various food shipments and consignments, including health and phytosanitary certificates and Halal and Halal Slaughtering certificates in an electronic form. With required certificates, the System aims to ensure the accuracy and the authenticity of documents and to facilitate inspection procedures. There is no requirement to use the System.[125]

3.78.  The authorities note that Qatar signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on food safety with Turkey in November 2017. The MOU ensures that Turkey complies with Qatari food regulations; it aims to facilitate measures of releasing food products into the market

3.79.  At the GCC level, the Economic Agreement between the GCC member States contains no specific provisions on SPS measures, but the Agreement and the Implementation Procedures maintain veterinary and agricultural quarantine regulations.[126] In 2007, the GCC Food Safety Committee initiated work on a guide for food import procedures for the GCC member States to unify the applied procedures for clearing food consignments, as well as to unify the required import certificates for different types of foods. In July 2017, at the WTO SPS Committee, the United States raised one STC concerning the proposed GCC Guide for Control on Imported Foods. Brazil shared this concern. Bahrain, on behalf of the GCC, announced that the GCC would notify its suspension of the implementation of the Guide.[127]

3.80.  The MOCI functions as Qatar's national notification authority.[128] Qatar made 93 notifications under the WTO SPS Agreement from 1 January 2014 to 31 November 2020.[129] The notifications cover, inter alia, food products including fruits and vegetables, meat, cereals and pulses, and dairy products. Of these, 74 were joint notifications made with the other GCC member States plus Yemen. The MOPH is the WTO SPS Enquiry Point.[130]

3.81.  Qatar is a member of the OIE and the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), as well as a contracting party to the International Plant Protection Convention

3.55.  The legal and institutional framework for standards has remained largely unchanged since the previous Review.[94] Qatar's relevant regulations include Law No. 4 of 1990 and its amendment, Law No. 2 of 1992, which provide the basics for technical regulations for all products, including imports

3.56.  The General Organization for Standardization (QS)[95], under the MOCI, is the competent body responsible for standards and technical regulations in Qatar.[96] The QS prepares and issues standard specifications, technical regulations, rules, and internationally recognized practices, e.g. through the application of international and regional guides and regulations, based on ISO/IEC Guide 21, Parts 1 and 2 (i.e. regional or national adoption of international standards and other international deliverables)

3.57.  At the GCC level, Qatar is a member of the GCC Standardization Organization (GSO), which aims to harmonize and promote coherence among members for standardization and related matters such as conformity assessment procedures.[97] The GSO prepares, approves, and publishes GCC product standards; GCC-wide standards are formulated by the Working Group of the technical committee or subcommittee (following a proposal from a member State). Once approved, GSO standards and technical regulations eventually replace those of individual member States.[98] Any existing national standards that conflict with the GSO standards must be withdrawn. According to the GSO online information, 80% of GSO standards are international standards.[99]

3.58.  Generally, the Qatari regulations on standards and technical regulations are based on GSO or international standards. Qatar may also initiate its own processes for national standards. As at November 2020, Qatar had 22,240 standards in place, of which 1,130 were mandatory standards, and 29 standards and technical regulations were national standards.[100] According to the authorities, 96% of the total national approved standards are based on international standards

3.59.  The QS also functions as Qatar's WTO TBT Enquiry Point for technical regulations, standards, and conformity assessments.[101] Qatar made 267 notifications to the WTO TBT Committee under Article 10.6 of the TBT Agreement from 1 January 2014 to 31 November 2020.[102] The notifications cover, inter alia, animal and food products, tyres, cosmetics, tobacco, and electric and electronic equipment. Of these, 184 were joint notifications made with the other GCC member States plus Yemen. The notifications by Qatar (including the joint notifications) were mostly related to the protection of human health or safety (over 60% of total regular notifications).[103] During the review period, some WTO Members in the TBT Committee expressed their specific trade concerns (STCs) about Qatar's technical regulations on animal products, energy drinks, halal feedstuff, motor vehicles, restrictions on hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment, and shelf-life requirements for cheese.[104] However, the QS confirms adherence to the normal commenting period of 60 days, during which all comments and enquiries from WTO Members are received, answered, and taken into account

3.60.  All of Qatar's technical regulations apply equally to locally produced and imported products. All regulated products require a certificate of conformity issued by an accredited laboratory for customs clearance. In Qatar, Customs takes random samples from imported consignments to verify compliance at the border, when compliance checks are needed within narrow limits. It seems that there are regulated (or "restricted") and non-regulated products, although the classification criteria are not clear to the Secretariat. Non-regulated imported products are treated according to the procedures of the GAC. For restricted products, including toys, plastics, cosmetic products, construction products, vehicle spare parts, and some electrical products, certain rules apply. (Table 3.7)

3.61.  Qatar notified its acceptance of the WTO TBT Code of Good Practice in 2006.[105] The QS represents Qatar in standardization activities at the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML), the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM), the Codex Alimentarius, the Arab Industrial Development and Mining Organization, and the GCC Standardization Organization (GSO). Marking and labelling rules

3.62.  Marking and labelling is required on all products placed on the Qatari market. All labels must be either only in Arabic or in Arabic and another language. The authorities note that English is commonly used as the second language, but other languages can be used according to the applicable technical regulation

3.63.  In August 2020, Qatar launched the Qatari Quality Mark.[106] Pursuant to the implementation of the Qatari Quality Mark regulation (No. 60 of 2018), the QS grants a licence to use the Qatari Quality Mark for products that comply with the approved standard specifications. The licence to use the mark is valid for two years (renewable). The scheme is voluntary and is available for local and imported goods as long as they meet the requirements

3.64.  Specific marking and labelling rules apply to certain products. At the regional level, the Gulf Conformity Mark (G-Mark) is a GCC conformity mark that is compulsory for products subject to GCC technical regulations and that is affixed on the product or/and package. The marking signifies that G-Mark products, such as toys, electric fans, hair dryers, and irons, comply with GCC regulatory requirements.[107] These products are registered in the GSO's product tracking system and must display the Gulf Conformity Tracking Symbol (GCTS), which is composed of three elements: the G‑Mark logo, the certificate tracking number, and the QR code for traceability.[108] Qatar had not started implementing the G-Mark and the GCTS as at November 2020

3.65.  In addition, labels are required on products such as cosmetics and motor vehicles (Table 3.8). For example, Qatar (in a joint notification) notified the WTO TBT Committee of labelling requirements on cosmetic and personal care products by reason of safety and consumer protection.[109] Also, vehicle agents and dealers are required to display fuel efficiency labels on motor vehicles (starting from 2017 model years), in line with a GSO technical regulation (No. 42 of 2015); the initiative aims to raise consumer awareness about energy efficiency and to ensure safety and environmental protection.[110]

3.66.  With respect to food products, Qatar follows the technical regulation (No. QS 9) on general labelling requirements for all types of food.[111] Food labels must include, inter alia, product and brand names, the name and address of the manufacturer, the country of origin, and a list of the ingredients. As noted earlier, this also applies to locally produced food. Qatari Standards (GSO 150/2007) are adopted for shelf-life requirement, specifying products required for perishable foods (Part 1) and products with recommended expiry periods for non-perishable food products (Part 2).[112] The manufacturer must print the production and expiry dates on the original label or container. Adding stickers for production and expiry dates is not permissible

3.67.  In May 2017, the MOPH announced that nutrition information labels must be provided for food products in line with GSO 9/2013 and GSO 2233 (Requirements of Nutritional Labelling).[113] Nutritional facts must appear in both Arabic and English on product packaging. Any products that do not comply with the requirement are rejected or re-exported, except for non-packaged products such as fresh vegetables, fruit, and meat and fish; pre-packaged food items that are small (not exceeding 20 square cm); water in any kind of packaging; and food items imported for non-commercial use.[114]

3.68.  Qatar allows imports of GMO food or feed upon authorization.[115] The country follows a mandatory and positive labelling regulation on GM food (i.e. containing GMO). The authorities noted that Qatar accepts all GM food products as long as they meet the requirements specified in GSO standards