3.61.  There have no substantial changes to SPS policy or legislation since the last review. In 2011, draft laws on animal health, plant protection, and food safety and hygiene were prepared but, at end-2016, had not become law. In 2016, a national food safety policy was being developed

3.62.  Belize's national enquiry point for issues related to sanitary measures under the SPS Agreement is the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA), and the notifications authority is the Directorate General for Foreign Trade. In 2011, Belize made eight notifications to the SPS Committee: three related to bovine spongiform encephalopathy; one related to the regulation for an animal identification system; one related to the regulation for the eradication of bovine tuberculosis; one related to the draft Animal Health Bill; one related to the draft Plant Protection Bill; and one related to the draft Food Safety and Food Hygiene Rules Bill.[89] At end-2016, the three draft bills were awaiting approval for submission to the Cabinet

3.63.  Since the last review, Belize has used the SPS Committee to raise concerns related to the accreditation of third-party bodies to conduct food safety audits and to issue certifications in the United States.[90] Belize has also used the SPS Committee to inform Members of its concerns related to private standards, as well as to inform Members of its technical cooperation needs and the assistance provided to meet these needs. In 2009, the WTO's Standards and Trade Development Facility included Belize in a film about the steps taken in several countries to address SPS issues, and Belize's success in being recognized as free of Mediterranean fruit fly.[91] In addition, Belize is free from several major animal diseases and pests. It has OIE recognized status as free from foot and mouth disease without vaccination, it is self-declared free from classical swine fever[92], and the ongoing surveillance programmes for bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis (Section 4.1) have not shown any positive cases. On the other hand, citrus greening disease had reduced production by 50% since 2009, but since it is the processed product which is traded, the final product has not been affected. In addition, vibriosis in shrimp affected shrimp production and Papaya Meleira Virus reduced production by 95% and made the industry non-competitive (Sections 4.1 and 4.2)

3.64.  The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, Environment and Sustainable Development is responsible for SPS policy and preparing draft legislation, while BAHA is responsible for implementing the legislation and issuing import permits. BAHA was established under the Belize Agricultural Authority Act No. 47 of 1999 with responsibility for all SPS issues, except those relating to water

3.65.  Within BAHA, there are four principal laboratories: two for animal health, one of which is specifically for diagnosis of shrimp diseases; one for plant pest diagnosis; and one for food safety, which includes microbial and residue analysis. None of these laboratories are currently accredited under ISO/IEC 17025 general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. However, the authorities noted that the four laboratories have been modernized, staff have been recruited and trained, and they are working towards accreditation under ISO/IEC 17025 in 2017. The Food Microbiology Laboratory is to be audited by the Jamaican National Agency for Accreditation while accreditation of the other BAHA Laboratories will be done through an International Regional Organization for Plant and Animal Health (OIRSA) Project although no accreditation body had been specifically identified at end-2016

3.66.  As specified in the relevant legislation, Belize applies minimum residue levels for biological residues in meat and other animal products, and in food additives, as specified by the Codex Alimentarius.[93] In general, measures adopted by Codex, IPPC or OIE are used and applied to domestic as well as imported products

3.67.  Permits are required for imports of animals and animal products, plants and plant products, veterinary drugs, veterinary biologicals, veterinary pesticides, and supplementary animal feed. All applications must be made to BAHA, which liaises with other responsible agencies when necessary. Once granted, the permit lists the requirements that must be met for the import to be accepted. In addition to the normal import documentation, these usually include the import permit and a sanitary certificate (for animals and animal products) or a phytosanitary certificate (for plants or plant products) from the competent authority in the exporting country.[94]

3.68.  Fees for the import permit process vary depending on the product from BZ$25 for animal and plant products to BZ$100 for pets. In addition, the importer has to bear the costs of sampling and laboratory testing plus inspection and for any other quarantine costs.[95] Under normal circumstances, the application process for a frequently imported commodity may take up to seven days and the import must comply with the conditions set out in, or attached to the import permit plus special permits or licences as requested by other relevant authorities

3.69.  At the request of the competent authority in the exporting country, BAHA carries out a risk analysis in cases where: the commodity in question has never been imported before; the country or region of origin has not yet been approved; the health status of the country or region of origin or transit has changed or is not known to BAHA; there is new information on the particular pest or disease; or it is required that a country or region provides evidence that an export commodity does not present a threat or risk to Belize

3.70.  As part of the risk analysis, BAHA, in cooperation with the competent authority of the exporting country, carries out site inspections of the companies, processing plants, fields, farms and other sites or establishments that need to be inspected to evaluate conformity with Belize's SPS measures. The fee for a risk analysis is US$500 plus expenses.[96] Since 2010, 49 risk assessments have been concluded (Table 3.13). Source: Belize authorities

3.71.  At end-2016, the current biosafety policy was in the process of being reviewed although any change from the current policy of not allowing GMOs in production would require appropriate legislation and regulatory capacity as well as additional investment in laboratories and a budget for biosafety

3.72.  All food exporting enterprises are required to be registered with BAHA and comply with the guidelines on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point system (HACCP) set out in the regulations.[97] The registration process requires the enterprise to submit its HACCP plan to BAHA followed by a pre-audit by BAHA and, after implementation of the findings from the pre-audit, a full audit by BAHA and other relevant authorities. BAHA may then issue a certificate of HACCP compliance and a sanitary certificate if required.[98] BAHA has a certification system for compliance with the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (Statutory Instrument No. 25 of 2001) for processing establishments, for example for the processing of dairy, meats, poultry and shrimp. A draft Standard for Good Agricultural Practices was prepared but only had programmes for small vegetable producers on a pilot basis

3.48.  Belize's national enquiry point for issues related to standards and technical requirements under the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) is the Belize Bureau of Standards (BBS). Since its last review, Belize has submitted its statement on the implementation and administration of the TBT Agreement as well as four draft technical regulations and a draft law on consumer protection to the TBT Committee.[80] The notification concerning the adoption of the Code of Good Practice for the Preparation, Adoption and Application of Standards by the BBS is still pending

3.49.  The BBS, established under the Standards Act (Revised Edition 2000), has responsibility for the development of Belize's national quality infrastructure. This includes matters related to standards, metrology, conformity assessment procedures (sampling, testing, inspection, calibration and certification), accreditation, and consumer protection. There is no specific law for the protection of consumers but a draft Consumer Protection Bill has been submitted to the Solicitor General's Office for examination.[81]

3.50.  The National Metrology Act (2003) mandates the BBS to regulate all matters pertaining to weighing and measuring devices used for trade and industry in Belize. Currently, metrology services offered in Belize are limited to the verification of such devices. However, the BBS is in the process of modernizing its legal framework and building metrology laboratories in Belmopan, which will enable the BBS to provide internationally recognized calibration services to public and private sector entities.[82] The authorities expect that the new laboratories will be operational by mid-2017

3.51.  Under the Standards Act, the BBS's main responsibility is the preparation, promotion and implementation of standards, technical regulations and codes of practice in relation to goods, services and processes. This is done in collaboration with other government departments such as the Belize Agricultural Health Authority, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, and the Ministry of Health. Within the BBS framework, a Standards Advisory Council (SAC), comprising representatives from the public and private sectors, has the function of advising the Minister on all matters pertaining to standardization.[83] In addition, a technical committee (TC) is appointed to assist in preparing draft standards and considering public comments received on such drafts. These technical committees include experts, persons with experience in the manufacture and use of the products affected by the standards, consumer and industry representatives, and government departments. To date, three technical committees have been established for tourism and related services, fuels and lubricants, and food and food-related products

3.52.  Since its last review, Belize has developed an internal outline with timeframes for each of the stages of its standards-setting process. These stages are described in Table 3.11. Public notices of draft standards are published in at least two local newspapers and the Official Gazette as prescribed by law, and on one media channel according to best practices. The authorities indicated that, at this stage, the draft technical regulation is also notified to the WTO. A period of three months from the date of notice is provided for comments from stakeholders and the general public. At the time of this review, Belize had not developed any conformity assessment procedures for non-food items

3.53.  In 2014, the BBS completed work on a National Standardization Programme which seeks to develop standards and technical regulations for goods and services in key economic sectors over a period of five years (2015-2020). The programme was released in 2016. The key sectors are wholesale and retail, manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, electricity and water supply, construction, petroleum, transportation and communication. They were selected taking into account their contribution to GDP and export earnings and their alignment with national development policies, strategies and action plans.[84] The Programme envisages the establishment of new technical committees, including in the areas of: transportation and road safety; renewable energy and energy efficiency; and medical and industrial gases. The new committees are expected to be operational in the first quarter of 2017

3.54.  Belize currently has 10 voluntary standards and 23 technical regulations, mostly in the area of agriculture (Table 3.12). There are five codes of practice. The BBS website provides a partial list of Belize's technical regulations and standards; however it does not provide direct access to the actual documents containing such technical regulations and standards. Since its last review, Belize has developed seven technical regulations and two standards. The goods subject to technical regulations include agricultural products; food and food-related products; industrial-chemical products; engineering-mechanical products; petroleum products; and tourism. The authorities have indicated that the technical regulations are all based on CARICOM, CODEX or ISO standards, except for the Code of Practice for the Preparation and Sale of Street-Vended Foods

3.55.  There are three technical regulations concerning specifically the labelling of food: general principles, pre-packaged foods, and brewery products, all of which have been developed through CARICOM'S standards process. Labels on all processed food products must be in English and contain the following information: name of the food or product; brand name; ingredients; net contents; name and address of the manufacturer; country of origin; date of marking; batch/lot number/code; and directions for proper use and storage. Pre-packaged processed food products labelled in English in accordance with the laws or standards in force in Canada, the Caribbean Community, the European Union, and the United States are deemed to comply with Belizean labelling standards.[85] Other technical regulations related to labelling are provided for in product-specific legislation such as the Food and Drugs Act (Chapter 291), which sets out additional labelling requirements for some dairy products; and the Supplies Control Regulations (Chapter 293S), which established additional labelling requirements on imports of certain alcohol and tobacco products. Labelling of cosmetics and pharmaceutical products is regulated by the Ministry of Health

3.56.  In February 2016, the BBS implemented a new technical regulation for the packaging of rice, according to which all rice for retail sale must be pre-packaged and marked clearly with an expiration date and a manufacturing date. The new regulation also requires manufacturers to state the grade of the rice and the amount being packaged.[86]

3.57.  There are no accredited testing laboratories in Belize. However, the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA), a public laboratory, and the Citrus Research and Education Institute (CREI), a private laboratory facility, are currently implementing ISO 17025 to carry out tests, calibrations and sampling. Both are seeking international accreditation. As regards food products, BAHA assists with the implementation of certification programmes, including Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), and also conducts risk analysis and inspection for food safety purposes. Due to lack of resources and the absence of any internationally accredited laboratories in Belize, the BBS's ability to verify compliance with standards is limited. Where possible, conformity checks are carried out after imports have cleared customs

3.58.  The BBS is a member of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the Pan American Standards Commission (COPANT), and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). It also participates in the International Electrotechnical Commission Affiliate Programme, and as a member of CARICOM, in the Inter-American Metrology System.[87] In 2015, Belize became a subscriber member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which entitles it to receive up-to-date information without participating in the work of the organization. The BBS recently achieved certification in ISO 9001:2008 for organizational quality management systems and is now pursuing accreditation in ISO/IEC 17025:2005 for testing and calibration as it seeks to provide internationally recognized calibration and testing services

3.59.  Belize is also a member of the CARICOM Regional Organization for Standards and Quality (CROSQ), created in 2002. CROSQ is, inter alia, mandated to establish and harmonize standards and technical regulations within CARICOM, and to promote the mutual recognition of conformity assessment procedures covering goods and services produced or provided in CARICOM as well as the accreditation and certification system based on internationally accepted criteria. The CROSQ Secretariat is located in Barbados

3.60.  Interested entities in CARICOM member States may submit a request to develop a regional standard to the CROSQ through their national standards body. Standards and technical regulations are drafted by regional technical committees within the CROSQ. Then they are submitted for comments and voting by member States, and thereafter forwarded to the Council of the CROSQ for adoption. Participation in committee work is open to all interested parties. The Council comprises the executive heads of the respective national standards bodies. Standards and technical regulations adopted by the CROSQ are then recommended to the CARICOM Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) for approval as a regional standard; thereafter CARICOM governments must adopt the necessary legal and administrative arrangements to give effect to COTED decisions within their jurisdictions.[88] Regional standards and technical regulations are generally developed within one to two years and are reviewed every three years. Of the 23 technical regulations in force in Belize, 12 are based on CARICOM regional technical regulations; there are also two voluntary standards based on CARICOM standards