Lesson 2: What are International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs)?
Topic 1: What is the Purpose of ISPMs?
International standards for phytosanitary measures (ISPMs) provide guidelines for member countries to use when establishing, recognizing, and applying phytosanitary measures or when carrying out plant-health activities.
Objective:
- Describe the purpose of ISPMs
What is the Purpose of ISPMs?
A major focus of the IPPC is to prevent pests from moving with plant products in international trade. Pest movement is prevented by adherence to phytosanitary measures, which, in most cases, are specified by the importing country. The IPPC adopts standards to guide National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs) when they put phytosanitary measures in place or carry out plant health activities. A standard is defined in ISPM 5 (Glossary of Phytosanitary Terms) as follows:
Document established by consensus and approved by a recognized body that provides for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines, or characteristics for activities or their results, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context.
ISPM No. 5 Glossary of Phytosanitary Terms.
The purpose of International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) is to provide rules and guidelines for member countries when establishing, recognizing, and applying phytosanitary measures or when carrying out plant-health activities. In other words, standards provide a harmonization basis for IPPC member countries, a concept that was discussed at length in Lesson 1, Topic 1. As the ISPM 15 wood-packing-material example in Lesson 1 demonstrates, standards can make accepted international plant-health practices clear, facilitate trade, help prevent misunderstandings and disputes between trading partners, and provide a common basis for challenging measures and resolving disputes when they occur.
Standards clarify accepted international plant-health practices, facilitate trade, help prevent misunderstandings and disputes between trading partners, and provide a common basis for challenging measures and resolving disputes when they occur.
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