Uzbekistan Updates Phytosanitary Legislation to Align with WTO

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Senate of Uzbekistan has approved a law aimed at bringing national legislation in the field of sanitary and phytosanitary measures into compliance with the World Trade Organization Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures. The document was reviewed at a plenary session and provides for a comprehensive update of the legal framework governing plant quarantine and protection.

During discussions, it was noted that as Uzbekistan progresses in its accession process to the World Trade Organization, there is a need to harmonize national regulations with international standards established under the WTO and the International Plant Protection Convention. In this context, provisions of the Law “On Plant Quarantine” are being aligned with standardized terminology used in phytosanitary concepts.

The document also clarifies the distribution of powers between local state authorities and executive bodies in the field of plant quarantine, defining their functions within the phytosanitary control system.

Special attention is given to expanding the authority of the Agency for Quarantine and Plant Protection. In particular, the agency is granted the right to conduct phytosanitary risk analysis, approve procedures for automated product selection based on a risk-oriented approach, and develop rules and methods for phytosanitary treatment of regulated products and laboratory testing. In addition, the agency will be responsible for establishing licensing requirements for phytosanitary disinfection activities.

The amendments also affect the laws “On State Duty” and “On Licensing, Permitting and Notification Procedures.” These introduce provisions regulating the issuance of licenses for phytosanitary disinfection activities, the duration of such licenses, state duty rates, clarification of types of permitting procedures, and liability measures for violations.

Senators emphasized that the adoption of the law is aimed at aligning the national phytosanitary regulatory system with international requirements, improving the effectiveness of agricultural product quality control, and ensuring smoother access of goods to international markets.