Publication date
24 Nov 2014
<p>The APPPC workshop on Building Understanding and preparedness for Electronic Phytosanitary Certification was convened in Bangkok, Thailand. 28-30 October, 2014 with over 40 participation from 21 countries, IPPC Secretariat and FAO regional office for Asia and the Pacific. It was one of implementation activities of APPPC work plan, which highlights implementation of ISPMs especially ISPM 6, 12, 14 and 15.</p><p>During the workshop participants shared country status on the use of hard copy certificates, and systems developed to use electronic certificate in their countries as well as successes, challenges and new emerging issues.</p><p>The workshop helped participants enhance understanding of ePhyto knowledge in regulatory and technical issues through the updates on developments in harmonisations of phytosanitary certification and the opportunities for electronic data exchange during several specific sessions such as harmonization of data requirements and transmission protocols, legislative, regulatory and infrastructure requirements as well as communication and capacity development requirements.</p><p>Meanwhile participants identified gaps and challenges in development of ePhyto certification as well as the areas to be collaborated during discussions on the analytical result of pre-workshop survey. Potential benefits, obstacles, industry role, constraints to the Hub, elements of model legislation and elements of a generic system for ePhyto, etc were addressed in details.</p><p>A number of recommendations were proposed on possible follow up actions to countries, APPPC, IPPC Steering Group on ePhyto and CPM. It was suggested to create an APPPC working group on ePhyto to coordinate the action plan at the region. It was agreed that the working group will be led by Australia with participation of several countries and will begin to prepare initial arrangements and to play the role of coordination on actions concerned. The proper work plan and members of the working group will be finalized at the next APPPC biennial session in 2015.</p><p>Training material can be downlead from APPPC <a href="http://www.apppc.org/content/ephyto?qt-apppc_news_events_publication_we=0#publication">ePhyto page</a></p>