Amendments to the RTCA on fertilizers and agricultural soil amendmentsResolución N° 479-2023 (COMIECO-EX) de fecha 16 de noviembre de 2023, que

7638 of October 30, 1996; the Organic Law of the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce, Law No. 6054 of June 14, 1977; the Law for the Promotion of Competition and Effective Consumer Protection, Law No. 7472 of December 20, 1994; the Law of the National Quality System, Law No. 10473 of April 24, 2024; the Law for the Promotion of Agricultural Production (FODEA) and the Organic Law of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), Law No. 7064 of April 29, 1987; the Phytosanitary Protection Law, Law No. 7664 of April 8, 1997; articles 1, 3, 5, 7, 15, 26, 30, 36, 37, 38, 39, 46, 52 and 55 of the Protocol to the General Treaty on Central American Economic Integration, Approval Law No. 7629 of September 26, 1996; and

I.That the Council of Ministers for Economic Integration (COMIECO), through Resolution No. 479-2023 (COMIECO-EX) dated November 16, 2023, approved partial modifications to the "Central American Technical Regulation RTCA 65.05.54:15 Fertilizers and Amendments for Agricultural Use. Registration Requirements", in the form that appears in numeral I of the operative part of said Resolution.

II.That Costa Rica, through Executive Decree No. 39733-COMEX-MEIC-MAG of April 21, 2016, published in Supplement No. 98 to the Official Gazette La Gaceta No. 115 of June 15, 2016; promulgated Resolution No. 374-2015 (COMIECO-LXXIV) of the Council of Ministers for Economic Integration dated December 4, 2015 and its Annex: "Central American Technical Regulation RTCA 65.05.54:15 Fertilizers and amendments for agricultural use. Registration requirements", so that, in accordance with numeral 1 of the operative part of Resolution No. 479-2023 (COMIECO-EX) dated November 16, 2023, it is necessary to adapt the national legal system to the regional norms; therefore, the cited Executive Decree must be modified.

III.That in compliance with what is indicated in numeral 2 of the operative part of Resolution No. 479-2023 (COMIECO-EX) dated November 16, 2023, its publication proceeds. Therefore,

They Decree:

Publication of Resolution No. 479-2023 (COMIECO-EX) dated November 16, 2023, which approved partial modifications to the "Central American Technical Regulation RTCA 65.05.54:15 Fertilizers and Amendments for Agricultural Use. Registration Requirements"

479-2023 (COMIECO-EX) dated November 16, 2023, which approved partial modifications to the "Central American Technical Regulation RTCA 65.05.54:15 Fertilizers and Amendments for Agricultural Use. Registration Requirements", be published, which is transcribed below:

(COMIECO-EX) THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS FOR ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

That in accordance with articles 38, 39 and 55 of the Protocol to the General Treaty on Central American Economic Integration (Guatemala Protocol), modified by the Amendment of February 27, 2002, the Council of Ministers for Economic Integration (COMIECO), has under its purview the matters of Central American Economic Integration and, as such, it is responsible for approving the administrative acts applicable in the States Party to the Economic Subsystem; That through Resolution No. 314-2013 (COMIECO-EX), of July 5, 2013, the Central American Technical Regulation RTCA 65.05.54:09 FERTILIZERS AND AMENDMENTS FOR AGRICULTURAL USE. REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS was approved, which was modified by total substitution, by the Central American Technical Regulation RTCA 65.05.54:15 FERTILIZERS AND AMENDMENTS FOR AGRICULTURAL USE. REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS, through Resolution No. 374-2015 (COMIECO-LXXIV), of December 4, 2015 and modified by Resolution No. 415-2019 (COMIECO-LXXXVIII), of October 25, 2019; That the competent authorities of the States Party have identified the need to update some provisions of the aforementioned Central American Technical Regulation, and have submitted for consideration to this Forum a proposal for partial modification; That the COMIECO may meet virtually, in which case, the signing of the decisions adopted shall be carried out a posteriori, without affecting their validity, and the Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration (SIECA) is responsible for following up on the signing of the administrative acts by the members of the Council,

Based on the provisions in articles 1, 3, 5, 7, 15, 26, 36, 37, 38, 39, 46, 52 and 55 of the Guatemala Protocol, and 26, 28, 40 and 41 of the Regulation of Organization and Functioning of the Councils: of Ministers for Economic Integration, Intersectorial of Ministers for Integration and Sectorial of Ministers for Economic Integration,

a. Subsection 5.1, Note 6:

"5.1 Note 6. The fertilizer composition indicated on the label must be consistent with what is declared in subsection 5.1. c." b. Subsection 5.2, subparagraph a.8:

"a.8 If the product contains chelated nutrients, chemically identify the chelating agent and its % in mass/volume." c. Subsection 6.1, subparagraph d.1.1:

"d.1.1 The components must be expressed in mass/mass and mass/volume percentages, according to their physical state, in their elemental form." d. Subsection 6.1, subparagraph d.2:

"d.2 For inorganic amendments, the guaranteed minimum concentration must be expressed in the following form:

| d.2.7 Declaration of the presence or absence of heavy metals (Cadmium, Chromium, Arsenic, Mercury and Lead) and their maximum concentration in parts per million (ppm) or other substances that may transform into harmful metabolites in the soil." | e. Note 12:

"Note 12. The amendment's composition indicated on the label must be consistent with what is declared in subsection 6.1. c." f. Annex 2 (Normative) LABEL INFORMATION FOR SOLID FERTILIZERS AND AMENDMENTS, Part I LABEL INFORMATION FOR FERTILIZERS, subparagraph e):

"e) Composition and concentration expressed in mass/mass percentages." g. Annex 2 (Normative) LABEL INFORMATION FOR SOLID FERTILIZERS AND AMENDMENTS, PART II LABEL INFORMATION FOR AMENDMENTS, subparagraph g):

"g) Composition and concentration expressed in mass/mass percentages. Indicate the components and their percentages." h. Annex 3 (Normative) LABEL INFORMATION FOR LIQUID FERTILIZER AND AMENDMENTS, subsection 5:

"5. Composition, concentration expressed in mass/mass and mass/volume percentages, as applicable."

The undersigned Secretary General of the Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration (SIECA) CERTIFIES: That the three (3) photocopies preceding this sheet of bond paper, printed only on the front side, all initialed and stamped with the seal of the SIECA, faithfully reproduce Resolution No. 479-2023 (COMIECO-EX), adopted by the Council of Ministers for Economic Integration, on November sixteenth, two thousand twenty-three, in a virtual meeting, from whose originals they were reproduced. And for submission to the States Party for their corresponding publication, I issue this certified copy in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on January twenty-fifth, two thousand twenty-four.

39733-COMEX-MEIC-MAG of April 21, 2016, which published Resolution No. 374-2015 (COMIECO-LXXIV) of the Council of Ministers for Economic Integration of December 4, 2015 and its Annex: "Central American Technical Regulation RTCA 65.05.54:15 Fertilizers and amendments for agricultural use. Registration requirements", be modified in accordance with numeral I of the operative part of Resolution No. 479-2023 (COMIECO-EX) dated November 16, 2023.

Issued at the Presidency of the Republic, San José, on the sixteenth day of May of the year two thousand twenty-four.

(COMIECO-EX) EL CONSEJO DE MINISTROS DE INTEGRACIÓN ECONÓMICA

Que de conformidad con los artículos 38, 39 y 55 del Protocolo al Tratado General de Integración Económica Centroamericana (Protocolo de Guatemala), modificado por la Enmienda del 27 de febrero de 2002, el Consejo de Ministros de Integración Económica (COMIECO), tiene bajo su competencia los asuntos de la Integración Económica Centroamericana y, como tal, le corresponde aprobar los actos administrativos aplicables en los Estados Parte del Subsistema Económico; Que mediante la Resolución N° 314-2013 (COMIECO-EX), del 5 de julio de 2013, se aprobó el Reglamento Técnico Centroamericano RTCA 65.05.54:09 FERTILIZANTES Y ENMIENDAS DE USO AGRÍCOLA. REQUISITOS PARA EL REGISTRO, el cual fue modificado por sustitución total, por el Reglamento Técnico Centroamericano RTCA 65.05.54:15 FERTILIZANTES Y ENMIENDAS DE USO AGRÍCOLA. REQUISITOS PARA EL REGISTRO, mediante la Resolución N° 374-2015 (COMIECO-LXXIV), del 4 de diciembre de 2015 y modificado por la Resolución N°. 415-2019 (COMIECO-LXXXVIII), del 25 de octubre de 2019; Que las autoridades competentes de los Estados Parte han identificado la necesidad de actualizar algunas disposiciones del Reglamento Técnico Centroamericano mencionado, y han elevado a consideración de este Foro una propuesta de modificación parcial; Que el COMIECO se puede reunir de manera virtual, en cuyo caso, la firma de las decisiones adoptadas se realizará a posteriori, sin afectar su validez y le corresponde a la Secretaría de Integración Económica Centroamericana (SIECA), dar seguimiento a la firma de los actos administrativos por los miembros del Consejo,

Con fundamento en lo dispuesto en los artículos 1, 3, 5, 7, 15, 26, 36, 37, 38, 39, 46, 52 y 55 del Protocolo de Guatemala, y 26, 28, 40 y 41 del Reglamento de Organización y Funcionamiento de los Consejos: de Ministros de Integración Económica, Intersectorial de Ministros de Integración y Sectorial de Ministros de Integración Económica,

a. El numeral 5.1, Nota 6:

"5.1 Nota 6. La composición del fertilizante indicada en la etiqueta debe ser concordante con lo declarado en el numeral S.l. c." b. El numeral 5.2, literal a.8:

"a.8 Si el producto contiene nutrientes quelatados, identificar químicamente el agente quelatante y su % en masa/volumen." c. El numeral 6.1, literal d.1.1:

"d.1.1 Los componentes deben su forma elemental." d. El numeral 6.1, literal d.2:

"d.2 Para enmiendas inorgánicas debe expresarse la concentración mínima garantizada de la siguiente forma:

d.2.1 Carbonato de Calcio CaCO3.. % m/m d.2.2 Oxido de Calcio CaO.. % m/m d.2.3 Carbonato de Magnesio MgC03.. % m/m d.2.4 Oxido de Magnesio MgO.. % m/m d.2.5 Sulfato de Calcio CaSO4.. % m/m d.2.6 Porcentaje de humedad.. % m/m d.2.7 Declaración de la presencia o ausencia de metales pesados (Cadmio, Cromo, Arsénico, Mercurio y Plomo) y su concentración máxima en partes por millón (ppm) u otras substancias que puedan transformarse en el suelo en metabolitos dañinos." e. La Nota 12:

"Nota 12. La composición de la enmienda indicada en la etiqueta debe ser concordante con lo declarado en el numeral 6.1. c." f. El Anexo 2 (Normativo) INFORMACION DE ETIQUETADO PARA FERTILIZANTES Y ENMIENDAS SÓLIDAS, Parte I INFORMACIÓN DE ETIQUETADO PARA FERTILIZANTES, literal e):

"e) Composición y concentración expresada en porcentajes masa/masa." g. El Anexo 2 (Normativo) INFORMACIÓN DE ETIQUETADO PARA FERTILIZANTES Y ENMIENDAS SÓLIDAS, PARTE ll INFORMACION DE ETIQUETADO PARA ENMIENDAS, literal g):

"g) Composición y concentración expresada en porcentajes masa/masa. Indicar los componentes y sus porcentajes." h. El Anexo 3 (Normativo) INFORMACION DE ETIQUETADO PARA FERTILIZANTE Y ENMIENDAS, numeral 5:

"5. Composición, concentración expresada en porcentajes masa/masa y masa/volumen, según corresponda."

infrascrito Secretario General de la Secretaría de Integración Económica Centroamericana (SIECA) CERTIFICA: Que las tres (3) fotocopias que anteceden a la presente hoja de papel bond, impresas únicamente en su anverso, todas rubricadas y selladas con el sello de la SIECA, reproducen fielmente la Resolución N° 479-2023 (COMIECO-EX), adoptada por el Consejo de Ministros de Integración Económica, el dieciséis de noviembre de dos mil veintitrés, en reunión virtual, de cuyos originales se reprodujeron. Y para remitir a los Estados Parte para su correspondiente publica, extiendo la presente copia certificada en la Ciudad de Guatemala, Guatemala, el veinticinco enero de dos mil veinticuatro.

Dado en la Presidencia de la República, San José a los dieciséis días del mes de mayo del año dos mil veinticuatro.