The international organization composed of the more than 100 nations that signed the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which was WTO’s predecessor body. WTO permits signatory countries to ban specific imports from other countries in order to protect the health of humans, animals, or plants. Such import bans are allowed based on the (GATT/WTO) Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, which was approved in 1994 by GATT. The WTO’s Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures requires that such import bans must be based on sound internationally-agreed science. WTO recognizes only the following three international science organizations in order to resolve SPS disputes between member nations:
- Codex Alimentarius Commission—for foods and food ingredients
- International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)—for plants
- International Office of Epizootics (OIE)—for animal diseases