Posted on Thu, 22 Nov 2012, 20:01

Following ICPM-7, an Electronic Certification Working Group (ECWG) is to be established to formulate policy recommendations regarding electronic certification to be presented to the CPM in April 2006. The group’s tasks will include developing a statement of basic principles for electronic certification, modelled on the brief statement made by Codex Alimentarius, and identifying any challenges involved in implementing electronic certification from the perspectives of NPPOs, exporters and importers. A meeting of ECWG, hosted by the Netherlands, will take place in January 2006.

Note: “electronic certification" is taken to mean the issuing of phytosanitary certificates by the certifying exporting authorities in electronic form, through publication via a website, via a file loaded to a server which can be accessed securely by importing authorities, or by electronic transfer (via e-mail or over a secure network) to systems run by the relevant importing authorities.

Electronic certification does NOT cover word processing or other electronic generation of paper forms which are then distributed by traditional means.

Nominations are invited for membership of this electronic certification working group. Nominations are to be received at [email protected] by 30 November 2005

Nominees should be proposed by NPPOs of contracting parties and should be of individuals with hands-on knowledge of management of phytosanitary certification, and in particular the introduction of information systems to support certification. A selection will be made for membership of this working group in consultation with the ICPM Bureau: 1. based on relevant knowledge and experience of those nominated, and 2. reflecting, as far as possible, a balance of regional and developed/developing country perspectives.