3.120.  During the period under review, Angola updated parts of its legal regime on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures, including on plant health. The authorities recognize that additional legislative and institutional reforms are needed to strengthen the SPS framework and bring it up to date, for example with respect to pesticides. Angola does not have a food safety law, but regulations on laboratory analysis adopted in 2018 set out a framework for testing of products for human consumption based on Codex and other international standards. In practice, all imported food is subject to laboratory testing in Angola irrespective of origin, prior testing, or level of risk. Food importers can choose the laboratory to conduct the required tests following the end of the monopoly on laboratory tests of imported food held by one company. Several bodies have possibly overlapping responsibilities regarding the enforcement of food safety standards, including with respect to imported food

3.121.  Angola's SPS legislation includes the Plant Health Law, adopted in 2021[133]; Seeds Law and its regulations[134]; Pesticides Regulation[135]; Animal Health Law and its regulations[136]; and the Regulations on Laboratory Analysis for Products Destined for Human or Animal Consumption.[137]

3.122.  Regarding trade in plants and plant products, the National Directorate for Agriculture, Livestock and Forestry (Direco Nacional de Agricultura e Pecuria (DNAP)) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MINAGRIF) must prepare and publish a list of plants and plant products whose import is prohibited or subject to conditions, as well as a list of regulated quarantine pests. These lists must be prepared in accordance with international standards and based on risk assessment.[138] The Plant Health Law does not set out a requirement to publish draft phytosanitary measures for public comment

3.123.  Annex I of Order No. 15/19 of 21 February 2019 lists the plant and plant products whose import requires prior authorization for phytosanitary reasons and a phytosanitary certificate issued by the relevant authority of the country of origin. The list comprises fresh and dried fruits, vegetables, roots, tubers, seeds, flowers, soil, plant propagation material, wood, grains, cereals, malt, various types of flour, cotton, organic fertilizers, live insects, and invertebrates. The import authorization, which is issued in the form of a prior licence (licena prvia) by DNAP, sets out the conditions that the imported products must fulfil to be allowed entry into Angola. In addition to the prior licence (and the phytosanitary certificate), importers must obtain a separate import licence from MINDCOM (Section 3.1.6). Imports of products listed in Annex I of Order No. 15/19 are subject to phytosanitary inspection upon arrival in Angola. Imports of phytopharmaceuticals, including pesticides, insecticides, acaricides, herbicides and fungicides, must be registered with DNAP to be allowed entry into Angola

3.124.  Regarding trade in live animals and animal products, relevant sanitary requirements are developed by the Institute of Veterinary Services (Instituto dos Servios de Veterinria (ISV)) under the MINAGRIF. The list of diseases subject to sanitary control measures is contained in an annex to the Animal Health Law and must be based on international standards. There is no requirement in the Law to publish such measures in draft form for public comment

3.125.  Imports of live animals, animal products, and animal biologicals require authorization (licena sanitria or licena zoosanitria), which is issued by ISV, along with a sanitary certificate issued by the relevant authorities in the country of origin. In addition, importers must obtain a separate licence from MINDCOM (Section 3.1.6). Imports of live animals and animal products must undergo inspection. Live animals must be held in quarantine for a duration determined by ISV before they can enter Angola

3.126.  Phytosanitary certificates required for exports of plant and plant products from Angola are issued by DNAP, while ISV is responsible for issuing sanitary certificates required for exports of animals and animal products

3.127.  Angola does not have a food safety law. A draft public health law addressing food safety is pending approval. Several bodies have possibly overlapping responsibilities regarding food safety. These include the National Quality Control Institute for Industry and Commerce (Instituto Nacional de Controle da Qualidade da Indstria e Comrcio (INACOQ))[139], the successor agency to the National Laboratory for the Quality Control of Commerce; the National Economic and Food Security Inspection Authority (Autoridade Nacional de Inspeco Econmica e Segurana Alimentar or ANIESA)[140]; the National Service for Food Quality Control (Servio Nacional de Controle da Qualidade dos Alimentos (SNCQA))[141]; and Codex Angola.[142] INACOQ, ANIESA, and SNCQA appear to focus on enforcement, while Codex Angola focuses on standards development. Nonetheless, the authorities note that Codex Angola needed to be revitalized, as it lacked the financial resources to carry out its functions

3.128.  During the period under review, Angola adopted the Regulations on Laboratory Analysis for Products Destined for Human or Animal Consumption.[143] Under the Regulations, imported and domestically produced goods for human consumption that may pose a risk to public health or the environment may be subject to laboratory testing if the competent authority so decides (Table 3.9). The authorities say that in practice, all imports of food and beverages for human consumption are subject to mandatory laboratory testing, irrespective of their origin. The purpose is to ensure the safety and quality of imported food and beverages

3.129.  To be authorized for sale in Angola, imported food and beverages must be tested by laboratories established in Angola. Tests may be carried out by laboratories outside of Angola only in cases of "epidemiological emergency affecting public health and if national laboratories lack capacity".[144] Tests for imported food and beverages may be conducted by public or private laboratories, which must be accredited by INIQ. Private laboratories must also be licensed by the Ministry of Health. The Regulations set out the requirements that private laboratories must fulfil to obtain a licence

3.130.  Importers may freely choose which laboratory they wish to use for testing, provided the laboratory is duly accredited and if private, duly licensed. During the period under review, Angola eliminated the requirement that all imported food be tested by AGT or an entity contracted by it.[145] This measure ended the de facto monopoly on testing of imported food that the company Bromangol, which had been contracted by AGT to test all food imports, had held until then

3.131.  Samples must be taken by the relevant inspector (or at the inspector's request, by the lab technician) no later than 48 hours after the goods in question have been released from customs control. The laboratory must issue a so-called "test bulletin" (boletim de anlise) with the test results within 15 days after the samples have been taken, unless it cannot carry out the tests due to "technical or force majeure" reasons.[146] The laboratory then submits the bulletin to the competent authority, which issues a health certificate (certificado de salubridade) within two days if it is satisfied that, based on the test results, the imported food or beverages meet the relevant standards. Only then can the products in question be marketed. The health certificate must be issued "as soon as possible" if, upon arrival in Angola, the imported products have an expiry date of 30 days or less (or if they may spoil quickly).[147] The cost of laboratory tests is specified in the Regulations and must be covered by the importer

3.132.  Under the Regulations, and pending the development and adoption of specific rules, Angola must follow Codex and other international standards, including on maximum limits for mycotoxins, food additives, pesticides, veterinary drugs, inorganic contaminants, and food testing methods.[148] Annex V of the Regulations lists the tests and testing methods (with the corresponding standard) that apply on food and beverages subject to laboratory testing

3.133.  Angola prohibits imports containing genetically engineered components, except in the case of food aid.[149] Imports of meat from cattle treated with growth-promoting hormones are also prohibited.[150] The Secretariat did not have access to information about other import prohibitions imposed by Angola due to sanitary or phytosanitary reasons

3.134.  Angola's enquiry points under the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) are MINDCOM and the MINAGRIF. The national notification authority is MINDCOM. Angola has not notified any SPS measures to the SPS Committee. No STCs have been raised in that Committee on Angolan SPS measures

3.135.  Angola is a member of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, formerly OIE) and the Codex Alimentarius Commission. It is not a party to the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). The authorities note that not being a party to the IPPC constrains the functioning of the Angolan SPS regime. Other challenges highlighted by the authorities include developing modern pesticides legislation and ratifying relevant international conventions; strengthening human and financial resources, as well as infrastructure, to survey and monitor pests and diseases, and carry out inspections; and establishing a dedicated plant protection service

3.105.  The authorities recognize the key importance of a sound system of standardization, regulation, conformity assessment, metrology, and accreditation to underpin export competitiveness and diversification. In line with this, Angola has created a new agency with broad responsibilities in quality infrastructure and has taken steps to improve coordination between participants in the Angolan Quality System, which reinitiated its activities in November 2022 after being inoperative for several years. Work on implementing an integrated system to manage the development and publication of technical regulations, with the support of the World Bank, is central to these efforts, as each regulator often follows its own procedures. The regulatory process also seems to make limited use of existing standards, and few standards are referenced in regulations. Angola's accreditation system remains incipient, which harms the prospects of potential exporters, who must look for accredited conformity assessment services abroad to access foreign markets. Transparency remains a significant challenge, as there is no publicly available catalogue of standards nor a central registry of technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures, and the laws in which technical regulations are contained are often difficult to find or impossible to search electronically

3.106.  Angola's Industrial Development Plan 2025 recognizes the need to improve quality infrastructure to promote export competitiveness and diversification.[124] To this end, the Plan sets out a broad range of actions to strengthen Angola's capacity in the areas of standardization, metrology, accreditation, technical regulations, and conformity assessment

3.107.  In 2021, Angola created a new agency with broad responsibilities in standardization, technical regulations, conformity assessment, accreditation, and metrology.[125] The new agency the National Institute for Quality Infrastructure (Instituto Nacional das Infra-estruturas da Qualidade (INIQ)) resulted from the merger of the Angolan Institute for Standardization and Quality (IANORQ) and the Angolan Institute for Accreditation (IAAC) in 2021. INIQ is responsible for implementing policies to promote, organize, and strengthen quality infrastructure, including through the management of the Angolan Quality System (Sistema Angolano da Qualidade (SAQ)), which reinitiated its activities in November 2022 after being inoperative for several years.[126] The authorities note that INIQ lacks sufficient resources, especially human resources, to fulfil its broad mandate. They also note that work is ongoing to develop rules and guidelines to prevent potential conflicts of interest between INIQ's accreditation and certification functions

3.108.  INIQ is a correspondent member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and a member of the Affiliate Country Programme of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)

3.109.  The authorities say that INIQ, as the responsible agency for coordinating standardizing activities in Angola, has issued a procedural manual for the development and adoption of Angolan standards. The manual does not seem to be publicly available. Draft standards are prepared by sectoral technical standardization commissions, of which there are 35, at the request of economic operators, public associations, universities, or government agencies. INIQ may adopts as Angolan standards (Norma Angolana (NA)) standards developed at the national, regional (SADC), or international level. They also note that draft standards are announced in the Jornal de Angola, INIQ's website, and other outlets identified by the chair of the relevant technical standardization commission, and that all national standards and adapted international standards are subject to public consultation. INIQ has not yet notified its acceptances of the Code of Good Practices under the WTO TBT Agreement.[127]

3.110.  According to the authorities, Angola has 476 standards in force (November 2023). Compliance with INIQ standards is voluntary. Despite repeated attempts over the period June‑November 2023, the Secretariat could not access the online standards catalogue on INIQ's website, as the relevant button ("Catlogo de Normas") was inactive.[128]

3.111.  Technical regulations are developed by government ministries or other competent bodies on their own initiative or at the INIQ's request. In principle, INIQ's role in the regulatory process is to refer regulators to relevant standard(s) that could be referenced in regulation based on their goals, and to avoid potential conflicts between Angolan standards and technical regulations. The Regulation on the Angolan Quality System contains provisions to enable coordination between INIQ and regulators. For example, when preparing a technical regulation, regulators must inform INIQ before the technical regulation is published in the Dirio da Repblica, Angola's official gazette. This provision only applies to technical regulations that refer to Angolan standards rather than technical regulations more broadly. The same holds when regulatory bodies modify or abolish a technical regulation. In such cases, regulatory bodies must coordinate with INIQ, but only with respect to changes in technical regulations that refer to Angolan standards

3.112.  In practice, the authorities note that INIQ's participation in the regulatory process is limited, as each regulatory body often follows its own procedures for the preparation and adoption of technical regulations, which do not necessarily refer to Angolan standards

3.113.  The authorities state that the process to adopt legislation including legislation containing technical regulations in Angola is subject to rules, which include mandatory provisions for inquiry and public discussion of draft legislation. Technical regulations are published in the official gazette as part of the legislative instrument in which they are contained. In principle, the official gazette can be consulted online. In practice, the official website providing access to the gazette is often inaccessible. Moreover, online copies of the official gazette are not always available in a format that allows users to conduct text-based searches

3.114.  There is no central registry of technical regulations, or of products subject to technical regulations, even though Presidential Decree No. 95/21 tasks INIQ with managing such a registry and ensuring that it conforms to best international practice. The authorities say that they intend to develop an integrated system to assist INIQ in coordinating and managing the process of development, entry into force, and expiry of technical regulations. The initiative, known as SINGERT (Sistema Integrado de Gesto de Regulamentos Tcnicos), is part of a World Bank project to support Angola's efforts to develop a national quality policy

3.115.  Regarding accreditation and conformity assessment, private and public entities providing certification, inspection, testing, and calibration services must be registered with INIQ.[129] The purpose of this measure is to allow INIQ to exercise oversight over conformity assessment activities pending the establishment of a fully operational accreditation system in Angola. According to the authorities, 78 conformity assessment bodies have registered with INIQ, including calibration and testing laboratories, certification and inspection bodies, and companies providing consulting, auditing, and capacity-building services to clinical laboratories. Of these, seven have received INIQ accreditation and another five are in the process of being accredited. The absence of a fully developed and well-functioning accreditation system harms the prospects of potential exporters, who must look for accredited conformity assessment services abroad to access foreign markets

3.116.  INIQ's current responsibility regarding conformity assessment is limited to assessing the conformity of electric cables with relevant standards. Electric cables can only be imported into Angola after they have obtained a certificate of conformity issued by INIQ. To obtain the certificate, importers must demonstrate that the cables have been duly tested. Imports of food, food additives, beverages, medicines, cosmetics, fertilizers, seeds, and phytopharmaceuticals may be subject to testing for sanitary and phytosanitary reasons (Section 3.3.3)

3.117.  Angola participates in the cooperation structures on technical barriers to trade under SADC, including SADCSTAN. SADCSTAN seeks to facilitate mutual recognition of standards among SADC member states.[130] The authorities say that three laboratories in Angola have obtained accreditation from the Southern African Development Community Accreditations Service or SADCAS

3.118.  Regarding Angola's participation in the WTO TBT Committee, Presidential Decree No. 95/21 of 20 April 2021 designates INIQ as the enquiry point under the TBT Agreement. Angola has not yet submitted its one-time notification on its organizational setup for the implementation of the TBT Agreement, nor has it notified its national notification authority or any technical regulation to the WTO

3.119.  Since Angola's last review, two WTO Members have raised specific trade concerns (STC) in the TBT Committee about an Angolan requirement to affix high‑security tax stamps on medicines, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and tobacco products. The measure, which was adopted in 2022 but is not yet in force, stipulates that tax stamps must be affixed to imported products prior to their arrival in Angola.[131] The purpose of this measure is to fight smuggling. The concerns raised at the WTO relate to the absence of a notification to the TBT Committee, the length of the implementation period, and issues regarding the application of the measure to products in stock and unsold after the end of the implementation period.[132] The authorities indicate that Angola had not yet notified the measure in question because it was being reviewed