2025 Committee Reports

July 2025 CPTPP Environment Committee Meeting Report

The CPTPP Environment Committee met on 30 July 2025, hosted virtually by Australia.

Key Issues for discussion:

• General Review: The Chair provided an update on the General Review process and timing. Parties discussed proposals that could be progressed as part of the General Review for potential updating and enhancing of the Agreement.
• Enhanced implementation activities:
  • The Committee discussed opportunities to (i) highlight the need to address environmental challenges including climate change, and (ii) engage in cooperative activities with respect to such challenges.
  • The Committee noted the proposed technical seminar on the deployment of advanced technology related to climate change and the circular economy to be held in October 2025.
  • Members provided broad support for a draft template fisheries subsidies notification.
• Update on chapter implementation: including:
  • Stocktake on Members' Submission of Fisheries Subsidies Notifications
  • Stocktake on Members' Submission of Public Submissions Notifications
  • Presentation on a multinational cooperative activity to detect and deter illegal, unreported and 
    unregulated fishing.

CPTPP Labour Council Meeting Report

The CPTPP Labour Council met virtually on 22 October 2025.

Key Issues for discussion:

• Public submissions: Council members provided updates on outstanding notifications on contact points and public information on procedures for the receipt and consideration of written submissions as per Articles 19.9.1 and 19.13. 
• Progress on members CPTPP implementation, including transition period reports: Members provided updates on progress on members' CPTPP implementation, including transition period reports.
• New Labour policies and programs: Members provided updates on new labour policies and programs implemented since the last Labour Council meeting in 2023.
• Ratification of ILO conventions: Members provided updates on new ILO ratifications since 2023.
• Priorities and opportunities for Cooperation: Members discuss priorities and opportunities for cooperation to support effective implementation of the Labour Chapter, and opportunities to improve labour standards and further advance common commitments regarding labour matters.  The Council endorsed a proposal to draft a work plan pursuant to article 19.3(c) and to establish a small working group to develop the plan and report back.

July 2025 CPTPP Sanitary and Phytosanitary Committee Meeting Report

The CPTPP Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures held its 7th meeting on 3-4 July 2025, hosted virtually by Australia.

Key Issues for discussion:

• Updates provided on Contact Points and Competent Authorities
• Adaptation to Regional Conditions: Parties noted the importance of adaptation to regional conditions for safe trade and shared information and experiences regarding adaptation to regional conditions.
• Audit: the electronic working group on audit and verification met in October 2024 and discussed options for future work. The Committee noted the high-level results of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) survey of CPTPP Parties on remote audit capabilities and barriers to uptake. Parties exchanged information regarding their experiences with remote audit and verification and the potential work of the eWG.
• Certification: The Committee received an update on next steps for model certificates and electronic certification and noted the work being done on model certificates and schemas to enable digital transmission. The Committee considered a presentation on electronic certification, noting the high-level results of the UNIDO survey, and possible next steps to expand collaboration on electronic certification. The Parties also had a positive exchange on certification, particularly certification principles and electronic certification, sharing their experiences with electronic certification uptake and their support for continuing this work
• Transparency: The Committee received an update on the WTO SPS Committee's Transparency Working Group which will meet at the 93rd WTO SPS Committee Meeting in November 2025.
• Equivalence: The Committee noted the importance of the ongoing work in Codex on equivalence and the value of CPTPP Parties' participation in those discussions, and shared related information. One Party outlined interest in exploring regulatory information sharing amongst CPTPP Parties to improve confidence in national food control systems.
• Matters Relevant to WTO SPS Committee / Codex / WOAH / IPPC Meetings: The Committee noted a presentation on novel food development and establishing new Codex guidelines, the WTO SPS Committee's mentoring program and the current call-out for mentors and mentees, New Zealand's work in Codex as co-chair of a working group on establishment listings, initial Codex work on environmental inhibitors, and Australia's work as Chair of the Codex CCFICS.
• Cooperation: The Committee received an update and presentation on the harmonisation of Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) project, including recent survey findings of CPTPP Parties' import MRL processes and systems, and noted a workshop to be held before the 8th CPTPP SPS Committee meeting to progress work. A presentation was also delivered on the upcoming IPPC workshop on systems approaches to be hosted in Chile (1-5 December).
• General Review: Australia provided an update on the General Review process and timing.
• Costa Rica Accession: Peru provided an update on progress.

July 2025 CPTPP State-Owned Enterprises and Designated Monopolies Committee Meeting Report

The CPTPP State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and Designated Monopolies Committee met on 23 July 2025, hosted virtually by Australia.

Key Issues for discussion:

• General Review: an update was provided on the proposed Market Distorting Practices workplan which was being considered as part of the CPTPP General Review.
• Costa Rica's accession: Members discussed Costa Rica's accession process.
• Threshold calculation: members discussed a non-paper to assist Parties to calculate the 2025 threshold. Members discussed the proposed approach and sought clarifications on the proposal.
• Proposal to amend SOE definition: the Chair noted ongoing discussion on Canada's proposal to amend the SOE definition as part of the CPTPP General Review.
• Transparency: Members provided updates on their notifications pertaining to Article 17.10.1 (a list of their SOEs to be updated annually) and Article 17.10.2 (any designations of a monopoly or expansion of the scope of an existing monopoly and the terms of its designation).
• Cooperative Efforts including Technical Cooperation, Operation and Implementation: the Chair invited members to provide updates on activities including internal review processes, efforts to develop increased advocacy on introducing SOE disciplines into FTA negotiations and outlining new FTAs that include SOE chapters. Members also provided updates on recent policy and cooperation activities.

CPTPP Technical Barriers to Trade Committee Meeting Report

In 2025, the CPTPP TBT Committee (the Committee) held discussions on the status of the chapter under the General Review and maintained an active workplan to discuss issues of interest to the membership. Concurrently, the Committee engaged with Costa Rica's accession process.

This report outlines the Committee's meetings, activities and decisions for inclusion in the 2025 Commission Report. It is current as of 13 November 2025.

Meetings:

In 2025, the Committee held one informal meeting on 28 February (AEST) and one formal meeting on 8 May. The United Kingdom hosted a Marking and Labelling Dialogue on 2 October (AEST).

Key Issues for discussion:

• General Review: On 8 May, the Committee agreed to recommend to Senior Officials that updates to the TBT Chapter not be pursued as part of the General Review.

• Workplan: In 2025, the Committee continued to take forward a range of activities under the workplan. This included proposals for:

  1. Cooperation on marking and labelling to improve members' understanding of each other's marking and labelling requirements and identify opportunities to promote harmonisation
     1. A Marking and Labelling Dialogue was held on 2 October.
  2. Information exchange and dialogue on approaches to energy labelling for alcoholic beverages to encourage greater alignment of regulatory approaches for calculating alcoholic beverage energy values for the purpose of labelling requirements
     1. Members were surveyed to understand their regulatory requirements (if any) for energy labelling for alcoholic beverages.
  3. Information exchange on organics equivalence
     1. A webinar is to be held on organics and equivalence arrangements to deepen cooperation under Annex 8-G of the TBT Chapter (Organic Products).

  Members continue to provide or update their 'Information Exchange Templates' on the implementation of Article 8 of the TBT Chapter.

• Administration: The Committee maintains a contact list and document tracking activities under the workplan. Members have regularly provided updates to ensure the currency of the contact list.