The agreement is overseen by the Committee on Agriculture which reviews progress in the implementation of commitments, and is required to monitor the follow-up on the Ministerial decision relating to the least-developed countries and net-food importing developing countries. "Peace" provisions within the agreement aim to reduce the likelihood of serious disputes or challenges on agricultural subsidies over a period of nine years.
57. The agreement was conceived as part of a continuing process with the long-term objective of securing substantial progressive reductions in support and protection in agriculture. It calls for further negotiations to be initiated before the end of the fifth year of implementation.
58. The Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (植物检疫的) Measures concerns the application of food safety and animal and plant health regulations.
It recognizes governments’ rights to take sanitary and phytosanitary measures but stipulates that they must be based on science, should be applied only to the extent necessary to protect human, animal or plant life or health and should not arbitrarily or unjustifiably discriminate between members where identical or similar conditions prevail.
Members are encouraged to base their measures on international standards, guidelines and recommendations where they exist, 59. However, members may maintain or introduce measures which result in higher standards if there is scientific justification or as a consequence of consistent risk decisions based on an appropriate risk assessment.
60. It is expected that members will accept the sanitary and phytosanitary measures of others as equivalent if the exporting Country demonstrates to the importing country that its measures achieve the importing country’s appropriate level of health protection.