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The Mauritian agriculture, which plays an important role in the socio-economic context, is being called upon to face increasing challenges both within the country and on the international front. (…) In this connection, issues like food security, quality management, and sustainability have to be embraced to better confront oncoming challenges. To this effect it is imperative to identify the appropriate vehicles that would provide an innovative and constructive way of carrying forward these themes.

Table 2.1 RTAs in force, 2014
RTAs
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Free Trade Area
Coverage (selected features): Common external tariff (yet to be implemented); competition; government procurement; intellectual property rights; investment; cooperation on environment; harmonization of standards, SPS measures and customs procedures; regional payment and settlement system; and monetary union (yet to be implemented).
Protocol on the Free Movement of Persons, Labour, Services, Right of Establishment and Residence adopted in 2001 but only ratified by Burundi. Regulations on trade in services adopted by COMESA Council of Ministers and request-offer exercise for market access liberalization is ongoing. COMESA Common Investment Areas (CCIA) adopted by the COMESA Council. However, no member state has yet ratified it.

Table 2.1 RTAs in force, 2014
RTAs
European Union - Eastern and Southern African States Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (IEPA)
Selected features: Bilateral safeguard; fisheries; economic development cooperation; private-sector development; infrastructure; natural resources and environment. Services are not covered

(…) The importation for resale of used, scrapped, and second-hand goods other than essential second-hand motor-vehicle parts and accessories is prohibited for reasons of security and environmental protection.

Permit requirements for controlled imports under the Consumer Protection (Control of Imports) Regulations affect 307 tariff lines, and are issued by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Consumer Protection. According to the authorities, these are in place for reasons of health, safety, security, sensitivity, environmental protection, and strategy. Over the review period, several permit requirements have been removed from the list of controlled items. These are: (…) diagnostic materials of biological origin; plastic bags; life jackets; used pneumatic tyres of rubber; syringes with or without needles; sutures and ligatures; sirolimus and other drug-eluting stents and brooms. (…)

Technical regulations are prepared and issued by ministries, government departments, and regulators within their respective areas of responsibility. According to the authorities, the entities most active in this area are those responsible for commerce, industry, health, agri-industry, energy, and the environment. (…)

Table 3.9 Export permit requirements, 2014
H.S. Code: 01.01-01.06
Description of goods: Live animals (all species, including birds)
Controlling agencies/documents required: (1) Approval from the Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security; (2) Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) for monkey and for other endangered species.
Rationale: Conservation of endangered species

H.S. Code: 67.01
Description of goods: Birds' feathers
Controlling agencies/documents required: Authorization from the Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security
Rationale: Conservation of endangered species

HKC notified 8 regular SPS measures to the WTO between January 2010 and April 2014; no notifications of emergency measures were submitted. The regular notifications covered, inter alia, foodstuffs, dairy products, sweeteners, genetically modified organisms, and horses from certain countries.

Since the last TPR, new laws and amendments to SPS legislation were passed and became effective. The Food Safety Ordinance entered into force on 1 February 2012; the Genetically Modified Organism Ordinance on 1 March 2011; (…)

HKC notified 11 technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures to the WTO in the period January 2010 to April 2014. The notifications cover as foodstuffs, dairy products, genetically modified organisms, (…)