3.164.  The Central Administration for Foreign Agricultural Relations in the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation is Egypt's SPS enquiry point and National Notification Authority.[117] The National SPS Committee, under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, established by Ministerial Decree No. 583/2003, is the body in charge of coordinating Egypt's SPS policies and monitoring Egypt's rights and obligations under the WTO's SPS agreement. The Committee is also in charge of evaluating and assessing the impact of other countries' SPS measures on Egypt. An SPS Steering-Committee exists under the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, created in accordance with Ministerial Decree No. 1332/2005 and restructured following Decree No. 1606/2011 to ensure the internal coordination on issues related to SPS. This Sub-Committee operates in coordination and cooperation with the National SPS Steering Sub-Committee. Other bodies dealing with SPS issues include: the National Food Safety Authority; the Atomic Energy Agency; the Central Administration for Plant Quarantine (CAPQ); the General Organization for Veterinary Services (GOVS); the Agricultural Pesticides Residue Committee; the Central Laboratory of Residue Analysis of Pesticides and Heavy Metals in Food (QCAP Lab); the Egyptian Organization for Standardization (EOS); the GOEIC; and the Ministry of Health. Food safety issues are dealt with, in a coordinated manner, by the multi-agency National Food Safety and Control System, comprising the following agencies: the Ministry of Health and Population; the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation; the Ministry of Trade and Industry; the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade; the Ministry of Tourism; the Ministry of Electricity; and the Ministry of Housing

3.165.  The main legislation with respect to SPS measures includes Law No. 48/1941 on Protection against Fraud and Deception and its amendments; Law No. 10/1966 on Control of Food and its Handling and its Amendments; Presidential Decree No. 187/1984 on Establishment of the General Organization for Veterinary Services; Decree No. 47/1967 on Veterinary Quarantine Regulations; Law No. 118/1975 Regulating Imports and Exports; Presidential Decree No. 106/2000 on facilitating measures on inspecting and controlling exported and imported goods; and Prime Minister Decree No. 1186/2003 on inspection and control of exports and imports. Other legislation, passed during the review period, includes: Prime Minister Decree No. 2992/2016 on the regulation of the importation of certain agricultural commodities and its implementing regulations; Ministry of Trade and Industry Decree No. 24/2017; Ministerial Decree No. 974/2017 on the registration, handling and use of agricultural pesticides in Egypt[118]; Joint Ministerial Decree No. 670/2017 on the new system for the production and export of agricultural products of export importance; and Law No. 1/2017 on the National Authority for Food Safety.[119]

3.166.  There are various controls and inspection procedures for food products, live animals, and animal and plant products. The controls are implemented by the corresponding responsible agency: the National Authority for Food Safety, established by Law No. 1/2017, for food products; the Atomic Energy Agency, for the examination of radiation levels; the Central Administration for Plant Quarantine (CAPQ), for plants and plant products; the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation for plants before harvesting; the Food Control Department of the Ministry of Health, the GOEIC, and the GOVS for live animals, animal health and any products of animal origin. The duration of inspections depends on the product

3.167.  The CAPQ acts as the National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) as set by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). Its work is guided by the Phytosanitary and Quarantine Rules and Regulations, Ministerial Decree No. 3007/2001. The CAPQ is in charge of conducting pest risk assessment and determining pest-free areas; it is also responsible for issuing phytosanitary certificates and participating in drafting bilateral phytosanitary agreements and protocols to strengthen the trade relations between Egypt and its trading partners. The CAPQ has signed memoranda of understanding with four research institutes and projects (the Plant Protection Research Institute, the Plant Pathology Research Institute, the Central Lab for Weeds Research Institute, and the Project for the Surveillance and Control of Brown Rot in Potatoes) through which it delegates some official activities of the NPPO related to the surveillance and control of plant pests

3.168.  Importers of plants must obtain an import permit from the CAPQ prior to importation. They are also required to notify the exporting trading partner of the corresponding import regulatory requirements, which are established according to the potential risk associated with pests

3.169.  One of the phytosanitary measures recently adopted is the temporary suspension of the importation of ornamental plants and seedlings of fruit trees from countries where Xylella fastidiosa is present.[120] Other recent measures include: a Joint Decree between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Trade and Industry regarding the amendments to the system of production, preparation, and inspection of exported potatoes (Ministerial Decree No. 223/2012); Ministerial Decree No. 339/2013 amending the fees of procedures applied on import and export consignments; Ministerial Decree No. 1669/2016 on phytosanitary requirements and specifications for the importation of seed potatoes for growing year 2016/17; and Joint Ministerial Decree No. 670/2017 on the new system for the production and exportation of agricultural products of export importance

3.170.  The GOVS is in charge of setting SPS measures to protect human or animal life or health from food-borne risks (risks arising from additives, contaminants, toxins or disease-causing organisms in foods, beverages or feedstuffs). The GOVS is also responsible for protecting human life or health from diseases carried by animal products, and for protecting animal life or health from the entry, establishment or spread of disease-carrying or disease-causing organisms. In order to better protect the Egyptian territory from other damage arising from the entry, establishment or spread of diseases transmitted by animals, a Risk Assessment Unit geared at the implementation of Article 5 of the SPS Agreement was established in GOVS by Administrative Decree No. 398/2015

3.171.  The Central Administration of Veterinary Quarantine, within the GOVS, is responsible for setting the SPS measures required for the importation of live animals and any products of animal origin and to approve their importation. The Administration is divided into four regional departments or units. The Central Administration of Veterinary Quarantine studies the health status of the exporting countries, and sets SPS measures accordingly based on the recommendations of relevant international organizations such as the OIE and Codex and taking into account their consistency with the SPS Agreement. As a result of this, the SPS measures adopted by the GOVS may differ by country according to the health status of each exporting country at the time of exportation. Imports of live animals require an import permit issued by the Central Administration of Veterinary Quarantine. Decree No. 1647/1997 establishes that importers of live animals must submit an import request to the GOVS specifying the number and type of animals to be imported, the country of origin, the shipping port, the expected arrival date, and the means of transportation. The consignment must be accompanied by a veterinary certificate issued by the competent authority in the country of origin, and notarized at the corresponding Egyptian Consulate. However, partners with which Egypt has trade agreements, such as the European Union and COMESA countries, are exempted from notarization requirements. Upon arrival, further veterinary procedures, including physical inspections, may be applied

3.172.  The GOVS adopted a number of SPS measures during the review period. Some of the measures adopted include the implementation of "zoning" on imports of day-old chicks from countries which have Avian Influenza, and the implementation of SPS measures on the importation of live cattle from countries which have Blue Tongue disease. The latter measures consist in quarantining the animals in a disease-free zone and testing and vaccinating them

3.173.  Importers of meat products and chicken must provide a number of certificates before the product is accepted; these include: a slaughter certificate proving that the animal was slaughtered in accordance with the Islamic ritual (halal), issued by an entity approved by the GOVS through the Commercial Office of the Egyptian Embassy or Consulate in the country of origin[121]; a veterinary certificate, issued in the country of origin, confirming that any animal used in the making of the product was examined before and after slaughter, and is free from contagious diseases; and a certificate of origin indicating the exporting country, number of parcels, type of meat, date of inspection, production and expiration dates, name of the exporter, port of entry, and name of the consignee. Frozen meat products require a further certificate, confirming that a temperature of 18C was maintained before exportation and that each piece was wrapped in accordance with accepted international packaging standards

3.174.  Law No. 48/1941, as amended by Law No. 281/1994, specifies the different types of fraud and sets the corresponding penalties related to adulterations and deception in relation to food, animal feed and medicines. This law prohibits the importation of any spoiled food, animal feed or medicine. Law No. 10/1966 contains the Food Control and Handling Regulations; it specifies the cases in which the handling of food is prohibited, namely when: is does not comply with Egyptian standards; is unfit for human consumption; or is adulterated (containing harmful food additives, toxic substances, etc.) The Regulations also indicate that food must be free from any substances harmful to health in all handling steps and food additives must be within the limits determined by the Minister of Heath

3.175.  Ministerial Decree No. 204/2015 lists food additives allowed in Egypt. The Decree was an important step in the modernization of Egypt's sanitary legislation since it contains all types of food additives, compared to the previous legislation that allowed only three types of additives (colours, preservatives and antioxidants). Moreover, the list of additives is to be updated regularly

3.176.  Presidential Decree No. 106/2000 established that the control over imports and exports of food is the responsibility of the GOEIC, which carries out the inspection of imported and exported food. The GOEIC also participates, together with the EOS, in the amendment of specifications related to imported foodstuffs. The GOEIC maintains an integrated system of information technology to exchange information between testing laboratories and the GOEIC's different branches throughout Egypt. GOEIC's agricultural products traceability system allows the exporter to record all the data from the beginning of the agricultural production process to the exportation of the product

3.177.  The Food Safety and Control Department of the Ministry of Health and Population is responsible for the enforcement of national food laws and regulations and for inspecting all foodstuffs whether imported, exported or locally produced to ensure their fitness for human consumption and compliance with Egyptian standards. The Department, which employs some 1,800 food inspectors across all health offices/units and ports throughout Egypt, also performs controls and inspections of food-handling places to ensure their compliance with health requirements and Egyptian standards; it takes food samples from the food chain to ensure that the food is fit for human consumption

3.178.  The Central Public Health Laboratories (CPHL) are responsible for monitoring and controlling food safety, for both imported and locally manufactured foodstuffs, at all stages of preparation until final consumption. The CPHL has a laboratory network that includes a reference laboratory in Cairo and peripheral laboratories in all governorates. These laboratories conduct microbiological, chemical and toxicological analysis of food samples. The authorities have indicated that about 650,000 samples are analysed per year. The CPHL participate in elaborating and issuing Egyptians standards for the different food items in cooperation with the EOS; they participate in the International Codex Committee

3.179.  The National Nutrition Institute (NNI) is responsible for the registration of foodstuffs for special dietary uses, including infant and follow-up formula, weight control foods, herbal teas, and bottled water, among others. The NNI is responsible for the analysis of imported registered food products to ensure their compliance with registration data; it has reference laboratories for analysis of the chemical, microbiological and toxicological content of food samples. The NNI participates in developing and issuing Egyptian standards for the different food items in cooperation with the EOS and participates in the International Codex Committee. It has a role in research and interventions concerning food and nutrition and is a training centre for nutrition, including clinical nutrition, and runs several clinics for the management of malnutrition and non-communicable diseases (NCD)

3.180.  Egypt currently lacks a comprehensive biosafety regulatory regime. The authorities have indicated that they are currently working on the draft of a National Biosafety Law, which would allow Egypt to have a fully operational National Biosafety Framework (NBF)

3.181.  Egypt submitted it first SPS notification in September 2005; between then and November 2017, it has submitted 80 notifications to the WTO Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (Table A3.4)

3.182.  Egypt maintains some packaging and labelling requirements for SPS reasons. For instance, wood packaging materials entering Egypt must be treated and certified in accordance with the standards established by the relevant International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures ("Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade").[122] Wooden containers must be accompanied by an official certificate declaring the containers to be free of insects and pests. For imported non-food commodities, Decree No. 396/1994 establishes that the remaining shelf-life should be at least half the original shelf-life

3.183.  The Agricultural Pesticides Residue Committee (APC) is in charge of the registration, trading, handling and use of pesticides in Egypt, in accordance with Ministerial Decree No. 974/2017. This decree also introduced legislation regulating the exportation of pesticides by requiring special registration certificates to be able to export pesticides made locally. It also contains provisions regarding the handling and use of pesticides. Export control measures were recently reinforced: for instance, the APC's Resolution of 18 October 2016 emphasizes the importance of assessing all living and non-living contaminants on all food crops prior to exportation

3.137.  The Egyptian Organization for Standardization and Quality (EOS), a semi-autonomous body affiliated with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, is the national authority in all matters related to standardization, quality control, and metrology. While the EOS, with its more than 800 permanent staff members, formulates and sets standards, verification of compliance is the responsibility of agencies affiliated with different ministries, including the Ministries of Agriculture and Health, the Atomic Energy Authority, the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and, for imported goods, the GOEIC. As the national standards body (NSB) in Egypt, the EOS is responsible for: (a) the preparation and issuance of Egyptian Standards; (b) licensing the award of Egyptian quality marks and conformity certificates for various products; (c) providing technical consultancy services in the areas of standards and quality; (d) conducting laboratory inspections and testing; (e) representing Egypt in international and regional organizations in the fields of standards and quality; (f) the calibration of measuring and testing equipment for industrial companies and establishments; (g) providing information in the fields and activities of standards and quality; (h) acting as the national WTO-TBT Enquiry Point and Notification Authority[105]; and (i) providing the Halal Mark according to Ministerial Decree No. 561 of 2012.[106]

3.138.  Egypt has accepted the WTO Code of Good Practice for the Preparation, Adoption and Application of Standards.[107] It is a member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The EOS has signed mutual recognition agreements in the field of standardization and related activities with most Agadir countries, China, France, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia and Uganda

3.139.  Draft standards are developed by EOS technical committees; currently there are 138 committees. Within their scope, technical committees determine their own work programmes to identify the market requirements for individual work items. The committees include representatives from research organizations, control authorities, producers, consumers, and chambers of commerce and industry. A draft standard, once developed by a technical committee, is circulated to all interested persons for comments for a period of at least two months. Once all relevant comments have been incorporated and a final draft has been developed, the standard must be issued by the EOS Council and published. The EOS Council comprises, amongst others, heads of holding companies and control authorities, as well as representatives from the legal profession and the media (Chart 3.4)

3.140.  Egypt's standards do not distinguish between foreign and domestic goods. The majority of the mandatory standards (technical regulations) issued by ministerial decree concern chemicals, food products, engineering goods, measurement and textiles. In the absence of a mandatory Egyptian standard, importers may choose a relevant standard from among seven international standard systems.[108] Importers are usually required to inform the GOEIC of the standards to be applied to imported goods, prior to importation. In the absence of a mutual recognition agreement between Egypt and the exporting country, the imported product is subject to inspection and testing in Egypt, even if covered by a certificate

3.141.  Egyptian standards are reviewed periodically, usually once every five years, to ensure their relevance to current requirements. As at November 2017, Egypt had issued more than 8,500 standards covering six sectors (Chart 3.5). In addition, according to the authorities, more than 7,000 national standards had been aligned with international standards in several sectors (Chart 3.6)

3.142.  Apart from those standards developed by the EOS which become mandatory, and hence are technical regulations, various national line function departments in different ministries are responsible for drafting and implementing technical regulations. A technical regulation is issued by a Ministry when it requires that a product, or a group of products, complies with a particular production method or contains (or does not contain) particular elements such as residues, or food additives

3.143.  As at December 2016, Egypt had more than 860 technical regulations in place covering five sectors, with the largest number pertaining to engineering and chemical products, food, textiles and measurement products (Chart 3.7)

3.144.  Egypt submitted its first TBT notification in 1997; between then and late October 2017, it had submitted 168 new notifications (221 notifications including addenda and corrigenda) to the WTO Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade

3.145.  As per Decree No. 392/1979, the EOS is the national authority for conformity assessment in Egypt. The EOS grants quality and conformity marks as well as conformity certificates for industrial commodities and products according to Egyptian and foreign standards. The main tasks of EOS in respect of quality are determined according to the decree establishing EOS as follows: (a) testing the conformity of raw materials, industrial commodities and products to approved standards including through technical research and studies, inspection, and sampling; (b) evaluating results and granting quality marks for local industrial products in conformity with Egyptian standards; (c) verifying the accuracy of measurement and testing instruments used in industrial units in all sectors; and (d) representing Egypt in international and regional organizations concerned with standards, following up their activities and coordinating quality activities in Egypt with their corresponding bodies abroad.[109]

3.146.  A quality mark is issued by the EOS upon request by a producer and is valid for two years; goods carrying the mark are subject to random testing and must comply with a specified standard

3.147.  In addition to quality marks, the EOS also issues conformity marks after verifying the conformity of a product to the relevant mandatory Egyptian standard (technical regulation). The conformity mark system is of obligatory application on the products for which mandatory Ministerial Decrees have been issued in respect of engineering products. The EOS carries out periodical tests and inspections on those products to verify their conformity to the relevant Egyptian standards

3.148.  The EOS also grants quality conformity certificates to establishments upon the request of the applying establishment, indicating the conformity of a specified amount of a product to the relevant Egyptian standard after conducting the required relevant technical studies. The conformity certificate system aims at providing consumers with the certainty that the products used conform to the relevant Egyptian standards. To obtain a quality conformity certificate, a number of conditions must be met: (a) the establishment must obtain the approval of the GAFI or the IDA as the case may be and be registered in the Industrial Register; (b) a commitment must be made to produce in accordance with Egyptian or foreign standards approved by EOS; (c) the establishment must have manufacturing capabilities with modern and appropriate technology; (d) it must have available laboratory equipment and the capabilities necessary to conduct tests according to the standard specifications of the commodity to be licensed; and (e) there must be an effective control and quality assurance system in place, among others

3.149.  As mandated by Presidential Decree No. 106/2000[110] concerning inspection and control of imported and exported goods procedures, product inspections may be carried out by different authorities under the auspices of the General Organization for Export and Import Control (GOEIC), affiliated with Ministry of Trade and Industry.[111] The GOEIC's main mission is to inspect imported and exported commodities, and/or oversee the inspection of exported and imported commodities subject to specific rules. The GOEIC also carries out optional inspections of commodities upon the request of applicants, and issues certificates of origin for commodities of Egyptian origin or acquiring Egyptian origin

3.150.  Egypt has mandatory quality control requirements for a number of imports listed in Annex 8 of the Executive Regulations (Ministerial Decree No. 770/2005) of the Import and Export Law No. 118/75.[112] These products, which must be inspected by the GOEIC, include foodstuffs, handbags, furniture, electronic products, spare parts, consumer products, live animals, iron tubes and pipes, ceramic sanitary ware, stoves and heaters, steam boilers, washing machines, electrical equipment, motor vehicle parts, pencils, and textiles (Table A3.3). An inspection fee is charged in all cases. The authorities indicated that similar measures are applied to equivalent domestic products

3.151.  If relevant mandatory standards have been issued by the Egyptian authorities, the GOEIC must conduct the inspection in accordance with those standards. However, the GOEIC's inspection can be based on standards from other countries if there is no relevant Egyptian mandatory standard. When products are imported into Egypt, they are required to undergo verification of conformity. Products are held either at customs compounds or sealed on the premises of the importer, until testing is completed

3.152.  The GOEIC conducts the necessary tests on the samples in its laboratories no later than at the time mentioned in the test standard. In general terms, the GOEIC does not accept testing by any other body, except in the case of preshipment inspection. However, the authorities have indicated that 14 companies are registered with the GOEIC allowing them to issue inspection certificates for imports of the products mentioned in Ministerial Decree No. 961/2012. Despite this, the GOEIC has the right to carry out random inspections to ensure that the inspection performed by those companies is appropriate

3.153.  In accordance with Article 79 of Ministerial Decree No. 770/2005, the Egyptian Customs Authority (ECA) shall abide by decisions taken by the GOEIC regarding inspection and control procedures for imported and exported goods. The ECA may not accept requests for inspection or inspection results released by any other entity. Customs is authorized to release exported or imported goods only upon the GOEIC's decision stating that all inspection and control requirements have been adequately met.[113]

3.154.  The exporter or importer may appeal the final inspection results before the Appeals Committee Secretariat no later than one week from the date of being informed of the results. The Committee, which includes representatives from all the regulatory bodies responsible for imports and exports, shall examine the appeal submitted against the final inspection results. The Committee decides whether to accept the results of the final inspection, to amend or annul them, or to re-inspect the consignment or allow treatment.[114] The decision of the Committee is final

3.155.  As at July 2017, the GOEIC had 132 accredited quality testing laboratories (49 for food commodities and 83 for industrial and engineering products); most of these laboratories hold international accreditation. Inspection fees depend on the good. Collected fees per consignment may not exceed LE 10,000. The quality control examination for textiles is executed by a committee that includes representatives of the domestic spinning and weaving industries

3.156.  Accreditation in Egypt is the responsibility of the Egyptian Accreditation Council (EGAC), established by Presidential Decree No. 312/1996 and re-organized by Presidential Decree No. 248/2006. The EGAC is the sole national body for the assessment and accreditation of conformity assessment bodies and laboratories in Egypt performing testing and calibration, inspection and certification activities for products, systems and personnel. The EGAC is headed by the Minister of Trade and Industry and governed by a board of 14 members, representing all stakeholders and concerned bodies.[115] The EGAC is mandated with setting up a system for evaluation of conformity assessment bodies and continuous surveillance of the accredited bodies. The EGAC may issue, suspend, or withdraw accreditation certificates

3.157.  The EGAC provides accreditation services in accordance with accepted established principles of quality assurance and the internationally agreed requirements and recommendations for the operation of accreditation systems. In this respect, the EGAC operates in accordance with International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and International Laboratory Cooperation (ILAC) guidelines and ISO/IEC 17011:2004. The EGAC's target is to establish mutual recognition agreements with accreditation bodies in other countries operating with equivalent standards. The EGAC joined the International Accreditation Forum's (IAF) Multilateral Recognition Arrangement in May 2006 and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation's (ILAC) Mutual Recognition Arrangement in October 2009

3.158.  EGAC accreditation is granted to the conformity assessment bodies (CABS) that meet the requirements of the following international standards: (a) testing and calibration including sampling: ISO/IEC 17025; (b) quality systems certification: ISO/IEC 17021; (c) product certification: ISO/IEC Guide 65; (d) personnel certifiers: ISO/IEC 17024; and (e) inspection bodies: ISO/IEC 17020. The accreditation process for CABS and its renewal follows a specified time schedule (Table 3.22). The process provides time for an assessment visit as well as for proposing and adopting corrective measures

3.159.  The EGAC's application fees are LE 3,000 for testing CABS and for calibration laboratories and LE 5,000 for inspection bodies, certification bodies, and proficiency testing providers

3.160.  The EGAC has signed a Sub Licence Agreement with ILAC to use the ILAC Laboratory Combined Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MRA) Mark. It has also signed an agreement with IAF to use the IAF Combined Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) Mark

3.161.  As at November 2017, there were 12 certification bodies (six Egyptian and six foreign, from Germany, India (4) and Italy) accredited by EGAC; there were also 10 inspection bodies (all Egyptian), 251 testing laboratories (238 Egyptian and 13 foreign), 45 calibration laboratories (all Egyptian), 28 medical laboratories (27 Egyptian and one from the United Arab Emirates), and two proficiency (Egyptian) testing providers accredited.[116]

3.162.  Egypt imposes some labelling requirements. Finished goods imported for retail sale must specify the product's country of origin, the producer's name and must contain the product's description in Arabic in a clearly visible place on the packaging. Special regulations exist for some items, including foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals and textiles. In accordance with Ministerial Decree No. 770/2005, all foodstuff must be labelled with the following information, in Arabic and at least one other language: name of the producer, country of origin, description of the commodity, name and address of the importer, production date, expiry date for consumption, preservation and storing conditions for easily perishable goods, mode of preparation for goods to be prepared before consumption, net and gross weight, and additives and preservatives included

3.163.  Appliances, machinery and equipment must be accompanied by: a manual in Arabic containing illustrative drawings of the parts; assembly and operating instructions; maintenance; details of the electric circuitry for electronically operated appliances; and security precautions. In accordance with Ministerial Decree No. 770/2005, imported fabrics must have the name of the producer, country of origin, fabric type, percent of blend and name of the importer printed on the fabric; in the case of imported readymade garments, the required information (name of importer, type of fabric and country of origin) can be shown woven into the cloth or by a sticker fixed on it, or printed in Arabic, English or French