WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/SWE/15
30 October 2002
(02-5984)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   SWEDEN
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:   Ministry of the Environment
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:
Kommerskollegium (National Board of Trade)
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [    ], other:           
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwis e national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   03062910
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Proposal for an
ordinance concerning amendment of the Ordinance on the Protection of Endangered Species
(1998:179)  (2 pages in Swedish)
6. Description of content:   According to the proposal, the import of live freshwater crayfish
to Sweden will be prohibited.  The prohibition applies to imports from EU Member States
as well as countries outside the EU.  The keeping or transportation of live freshwatercrayfish that have been caught or cultivated outside Sweden will also be prohibited.
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
The purpose of the proposal is to protect native Swedish freshwater crayfish
(Astacus Astacus)  from extinction by minimising the risk of spreading of non-native species
in Swedish waters.  Because of competition, alien species of crayfish represent a serious
potential threat to Swedish crayfish.  All imports of live crayfish of non-native species entail
a risk of spreading in Swedish waters.  This may occur because crayfish escape, arecarelessly handled and illegally introduced.
8. Relevant documents:   Ordinance on the Protection of Endangered Species
9. Proposed date of adoption:
Proposed date of entry into force: }1 April 2003
10. Final date for comments:   7 January 2003
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:           