RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/11
18 February 2002
(02-0812)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade
SEVENTH ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE IMPLEMENTATION AND
OPERATION OF THE AGREEMENT
Background Document by the Secretariat
The Committee will conduct its sixth annual review under Article 15.3 of the Agreement at its
meeting on 15 March 2001.  This document contains information on developments in the
implementation and operation of the Agreement during the period from 1 January to
31 December 2001.
The contents of this document are as follows: Page
I. COMMITTEE ON TECHNICA L BARRIERS TO  TRADE .............................................................2
1. Composition of the Committee................................................................................................. .............2
1.2 Main developments of the Commi ttee during the current period ..........................................................3
II. IMPLEMENTATION AND ADMINISTRATION .............................................................................4
2.1 Statements on Implementation and Administration of the Agreement (Article 15.2) ...........................4
III. NOTIFI CATIO NS.............................................................................................................. ....................4
3.1 Notifications made in the current year and since the entry into force of the Agreement by Members 
and by the relevant Artic les of the Agreement .................................................................................. ....4
3.1.1 Objectives and rationale s stated in notifications......................................................................... ...........7
3.1.2 Observation of the recommended comment period by Members in the current year ............................8
3.2 Notifications under Article 10.7 – bilateral or multilateral agreements reached by Members on
issues related to technical regulations, standards and conformity assessment procedures ..................10
IV. PUBLICATIONS AND ENQUIRY POINTS ....................................................................................10
4.1 Publications used to announce that work is  proceeding on draft technical regulations and
conformity assessment procedures under Articles 2.9.1 and 5.6.1 of the Agreement..........................10
4.2 Publications in which the final texts of technical regulations and conformity assessment
procedures are published under Articles 2.11 and 5.8 of the Agreement.............................................10
4.3 Enquiry points under Article 10 of the Agreement............................................................................ ..10
V. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND SPECIAL AND DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT...............10
VI. DISPUTE SETTLEMENT UNDER ARTICLE 14...........................................................................11
VII. CODE OF GOOD PRACTICE FO R THE PREPARATION, ADOPTION AND
APPLICATION OF STANDARDS ....................................................................................................11
VIII. WORKING AND SPECIAL DOCUMENTS ISSUED DURING THE CURRENT
PERIOD ......................................................................................................................... .......................12G/TBT/11
Page 2
I. COMMITTEE ON TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE
1. Composition of the Committee
Chairpersons: Mr. John Adank  (New Zealand)
Mr. Joshua Phoho Setipa (Lesotho)
Members1
                                                          
1 Members on 31 December 2001.Albania
Angola
Antigua and BarbudaArgentina
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
BangladeshBarbados
Belgium
Belize
Benin
BoliviaBotswana
Brazil
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
CameroonCanada
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
ChinaColombia
Congo
Congo, Democratic Rep of the
Costa Rica
Côte d'IvoireCroatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czech Republic
DenmarkDjibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
EgyptEl Salvador
Estonia
European CommunityFiji
Finland
France
Gabon
GambiaGeorgia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
GrenadaGuatemala
Guinea
Guinea Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong, ChinaHungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
IrelandIsrael
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
JordanKenya
Korea, Rep. of
Kuwait
Kyrgyz Republic
LatviaLesotho
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau, ChinaMadagascar
Malawi
MalaysiaMaldives
Mali
Malta
Mauritania
MauritiusMexico
Moldova
Mongolia
Morocco
MozambiqueMyanmar
Namibia
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
NigeriaNorway
Oman
Pakistan
Panama
Papua New GuineaParaguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
PortugalQatar
Romania
Rwanda
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint LuciaSaint Vincent & Grenadines
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovak RepublicG/TBT/11
Page 3
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
SurinameSwaziland
SwedenSwitzerland
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Trinidad and Tobago
TunisiaTurkey
UgandaUnited Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Venezuela
ZambiaZimbabwe
Observer Governments
2
Algeria
Andorra
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
BelarusBhutan
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Cambodia
Cape VerdeEthiopia
Former Yugoslav Rep. of
Macedonia
Kazakstan
Lao
LebanonLithuania
Nepal
Russian Federation
SamoaSaudi Arabia
Seychelles
Sudan
Chinese Taipei
Tonga
UkraineUzbekistan
Vanuatu
Viet Nam
Yemen
Observer Organizations
ACP3, ALADI,3 EFTA,3 FAO, IEC, IMF, ISO, ITC, OECD, OIE, OIML,3 UNCTAD, UN/ECE,
UNIDO,3  WHO, WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius  Commission and the World Bank.
1.2 Main developments of the Committee during the current period
The Committee held its twenty-fourth, twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth meetings on 30 March,
29 June and 9 October (G/TBT/M/23-25) respectively.  At those meetings, the Committee heardstatements concerning the implementation and administration of the Agreement, technical assistance
and observer status.  A number of Members informed the Committee of measures taken to ensure the
implementation and administration of the Agreement.  Several measures were brought to the attention
of the Committee by Members who raised concerns about the potential adverse trade effects or
inconsistency with the Agreement of those measures.   A number of observers (ISO, ITC, UNIDO,FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius, IEC, OIML and the World Bank) updated the Committee on their
technical assistance activities and on the ways in which they sought to ensure effective participation
of Members, in particular developing country Members in their activities.
At its twenty-fourth meeting, the Committee carried out its Sixth Annual Review of the
Implementation and Operation of the Agreement under Article 15.3 (G/TBT/10) and its Sixth Annual
Review of the Code of Good Practice for the Pr eparation, Adoption and Application of Standards in
Annex 3 (G/TBT/CS/1/Add.5, G/TBT/CS/2/Rev.7 and WTO TBT Standards Code Directory –
Sixth addition).
                                                          
2Observers on 31 December 2001.
3Observer status on an ad hoc basis.G/TBT/11
Page 4
In order to give Members the opportunity to discuss the activities and problems relating to
information exchange and to review how well notification procedures work, a special meeting on
procedures for information exchange was held on 28 June.  A number of proposals to improve
information exchange were made at the meeting for the consideration of the Committee.
As a result of the Second Triennial Review of the Agreement, at its twenty-fourth,
Twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth meetings, the Committee held discussions to develop a demand driven
TBT-related Technical Cooperation Programme.
II. IMPLEMENTATION AND ADMINISTRATION
2.1 Statements on Implementation and Admini stration of the Agreement (Article 15.2)
Table 1  – Statements on Implementation and Administration of the Agreement received in 2001
Members Date of entry into force Documents containing Members'
Statements on Implementation and
Administration of the Agreement
DOMINICA 1 January 1995 G/TBT/2/Add.62
OMAN 9 November 2000 G/TBT/2/Add.63
LITHUANIA 31 May 2001 G/TBT/2/Add.64
III. NOTIFICATIONS
3.1 Notifications made in the current year and since the entry into force of the Agreement
by Members and by the relevant Articles of the Agreement
In 2001, Members submitted 5384 notifications. Since the entry into force of the Agreement
on 1 January 1995 up to 31 December 2001, 4085 notifications have been made by 65 Members.
Articles 2.9, 2.10, 3.2, 5.6, 5.7 and 7.2 were specified in 3623, 142, 3, 296, 49 and 3 notifications
respectively.  117 notifications did not refer to any Articles.
Table 2  – Notifications made by Members and by relevant Articles of the Agreement in the current
year and since the entry into force of the Agreement
Number of notifications made under the relevant Articles in 2001MembersNumber of
notifications
made in 2001 2.9 2.10 3.2 5.6 5.7 7.2 Not
specifiedTotal number o f
notifications
made since
1 January 1995
Argentina 28 14 2 0 12 0 0 0 83
A u s t r a l i a 8 80000001 0 6
A u s t r i a 0 0000000 4
B a h r a i n 0 0000000 1
B a r b a d o s 0 0000000 1
Belgium 26 26 0 0 0 0 0 0 193
                                                          
4 Notification G/TBT/N/CZE/3 has been cancelled.G/TBT/11
Page 5
Number of notifications made under the relevant Articles in 2001MembersNumber of
notifications
made in 2001 2.9 2.10 3.2 5.6 5.7 7.2 Not
specifiedTotal number o f
notifications
made since
1 January 1995
B e n i n 0 0000000 2
B o l i v i a 0 0000000 2 2
B o t s w a n a 0 0000000 1
B r a z i l 2 92 4 0020031 4 4
Brunei
D a r u s s a l a m 1 1000000 1
Canada 25 19 0 0 6 0 0 0 160
Chile52 61 8 207000 9 7
C o l o m b i a 1 21 1 001000 5 4
C o s t a  R i c a 1 0100000 1 4
C u b a 4 4000000 4
C y p r u s 0 0000000 1
CzechRepublic 23 23 0 0 0 0 0 0 137
D e n m a r k 7 70000001 6 2
E l  S a l v a d o r 6 5000001 6 1
E g y p t 0 0000000 6
E s t o n i a 0 0000000 1
EuropeanCommunities
57 50040001 9 1
F i j i 0 0000000 1
F i n l a n d 3 3000000 2 7
F r a n c e 9 5000004 7 3
G e r m a n y 0 0000000 8
G u a t e m a l a 2 2000000 9
Hong Kong,C h i n a 9 6003000 3 9
I c e l a n d 0 0000000 2
I n d i a 0 0000000 4 5
                                                          
5 Member notifying under more than one article.G/TBT/11
Page 6
Number of notifications made under the relevant Articles in 2001MembersNumber of
notifications
made in 2001 2.9 2.10 3.2 5.6 5.7 7.2 Not
specifiedTotal number o f
notifications
made since
1 January 1995
Indonesia52 2101100 5
I s r a e l 0 0000000 5 5
J a m a i c a 0 0000000 3 0
Japan532 32 0 0 2 0 0 0 265
Korea527 26 0 0 2 0 0 0 119
L a t v i a 1 1000000 1 7
L i t h u a n i a 1 1000000 1
Macau, China 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5
M a l a y s i a 2 20000001 6 3
M e x i c o 8 71000001 9 0
Netherlands 40 40 0 0 0 0 0 0 570
N e w  Z e a l a n d 4 4000000 3 2
Nicaragua61 1 8301000 1 1
N o r w a y 1 1000000 5 9
P e r u 0 0000000 2
P h i l i p p i n e s1 31 3 000000 6 8
P o l a n d 2 1000001 5
S e n e g a l 0 0000000 4
S i n g a p o r e 0 0000000 1 6
Slovak
R e p u b l i c 1 1000000 3 4
S l o v e n i a 3 3000000 1 3
S o u t h  A f r i c a 9 9000000 5 7
S p a i n 9 9000000 4 9
S r i  L a n k a 1 61 6 000000 3 0
S w e d e n 8 80000001 0 1
S w i t z e r l a n d 1 61 6 000000 8 7
                                                          
6 Member notifying under more than one article.G/TBT/11
Page 7
Number of notifications made under the relevant Articles in 2001MembersNumber of
notifications
made in 2001 2.9 2.10 3.2 5.6 5.7 7.2 Not
specifiedTotal number o f
notifications
made since
1 January 1995
Thailand 75 74 1 0 0 0 0 0 183
Trinidad and
T o b a g o 8 8000000 1 5
T u n i s i a 7 0007000 8
T u r k e y 0 0000000 4
United
K i n g d o m 1 1000000 2 0
United States 14 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 215
U r u g u a y 0 0000000 1
V e n e z u e l a 1 1000000 1
TOTAL 538 479 11 0 44 0 0 9 4085
3.1.1 Objectives and rationales stated in notifications7
Table 3  – Objectives and Rationales stated in Notifications in 2001
Objectives and Rationales Notifications received in 2001
National Security Requirements 1
Consumer Information, Labelling 66
Prevention of Deceptive Practices & Consumer
Protection100
Protection of Human Health or Safety 221
Protection of Animal or Plant Life or Health 6
Protection of the Environment 45
Quality Requirements 48
Harmonization 72
Adoption to New Domestic Law and
Technology94
Lowering or Removal of Trade Barriers 7
Trade Facilitation 15
                                                          
7 The following classification of objectives and rationales is based on the criteria laid down in document
G/TBT/W/18G/TBT/11
Page 8
Objectives and Rationales Notifications received in 2001
Others 23
Not Specified 7
Total 7058
3.1.2 Observation of the recommended comment period by Members in the current year9
The Committee has recommended 60 days as a minimum length of time to be allowed for the
presentation of comments from other Members (G/TBT/1/Rev.7).  In 2001, Members allowed an
average of 53.34 calendar days for comments. 143 notifications did not specify a comment period,
stated as non applicable or had a lapsed comment period. The table on the following pages gives the
relevant data on the observation of the recommended comment period by each Member in 2001.
Table 4  – Observation of the recommended comment period by Members in 2001
Number of notifications made with comment period
Members Less than 45
days45-90 days 60 days or
moreNot specified,
lapsed or
stated as non-
applicableof which
notified under
Articles 2.10
and 5.7Total
Argentina 28 2 28
A u s t r a l i a 2132 8
Belgium 26 26
Brazil 22 3 4 29
Brunei
Darussalam11
Canada 10 4 9 2 25
C h i l e 1 51 73 2 2 6
C o l o m b i a 2451 1 2
Costa Rica 1 1
Cuba 4 4
Czech Republic 9 10 4 23
D e n m a r k 1312 7
El Salvador 1 5 6
                                                          
8 Among the 538 notifications submitted, 131 have two or more objectives stated.
9 Calculated on the basis that the date of issue of the notification (in English) by the WTO Secretariat is
the first day.G/TBT/11
Page 9
Number of notifications made with comment period
Members Less than 45
days45-90 days 60 days or
moreNot specified,
lapsed or
stated as non-
applicableof which
notified under
Articles 2.10
and 5.7Total
European
Communities151 7
Finland 3 3
France 3 1 5 9
Guatemala 2 2
Hong Kong,
China27 9
Indonesia 2 2
Japan 3 7 22 32
K o r e a 1 5 912 2 7
Latvia 1 1
Lithuania 1 1
Malaysia 1 1 2
Mexico 7 1 1 8
Netherlands 7 15 18 40
New Zealand 2 2 4
Nicaragua 2 9 2 11
Norway 1 1
P h i l i p p i n e s5116 1 3
Poland 2 2
Slovak Republic 1 1
Slovenia 3 3
South Africa 2 7 9
Spain 7 2 9
Sri Lanka 16 16
Sweden 1 3 4 8
Switzerland 6 5 5 16G/TBT/11
Page 10
Number of notifications made with comment period
Members Less than 45
days45-90 days 60 days or
moreNot specified,
lapsed or
stated as non-
applicableof which
notified under
Articles 2.10
and 5.7Total
Thailand 2 53 20 75
Trinidad and
Tobago143 8
Tunisia 3 1 3 7
United Kingdom 1 1
United States 1 1
TOTAL 119 88 188 143 7 538
3.2 Notifications under Article 10.7 – bilateral or multilateral agreements reached by
Members on issues related to technical regulations, standards and conformity assessmentprocedures
In 2001, six notifications were made under  Article 10.7 (G/TBT/10.7/30-35), notifying
respectively the mutual recognition agreement reached by Australia and Singapore;  Canada and
Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway;  Colombia and Ecuador;  Bolivia, Colombia, Equator, Peru and
Venezuela;  the European Community and Hungary;  and the European Community and theCzech Republic.
IV. PUBLICATIONS AND ENQUIRY POINTS
4.1 Publications used to announce that work is proceeding on draft technical regulations
and conformity assessment procedures under Articles 2.9.1 and 5.6.1 of the Agreement
Relevant information is contained in documents G/TBT/2 and addenda.
4.2 Publications in which the final texts of t echnical regulations and conformity assessment
procedures are published under Articles 2.11 and 5.8 of the Agreement
Relevant information is contained in documents G/TBT/2 and addenda.
4.3 Enquiry points under Article 10 of the Agreement
The updated list of WTO TBT Enquiry Points under Articles 10.1 and 10.2 is contained in
document G/TBT/ENQ/19.
V. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND SPECIAL AND DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT
In 2001, the Secretariat held and participated in seminars on the Agreement and its related
matters with the cooperation of the Codex, Energy Charter Secretariat, Inter-American Development
Bank, ISO, ITC, UNIDO, World Trade Institute and Swiss government.  They were held in Austria,Chinese Taipei, Colombia, Ethiopia, Kuwait, Oman, Switzerland, Vietnam and Yugoslavia for
Andean and Central American, Asian, Central and Eastern European, Eastern African, Gulf and aG/TBT/11
Page 11
number of other developing countries.  Funds were provided by the WTO to finance participants
attending the Seminar in Ethiopia.
VI. DISPUTE SETTLEMENT UNDER ARTICLE 14
Dispute Request for
ConsultationsRequest to
Join
ConsultationsRequest for
the Establish-
ment of a
PanelMutually
Agreed
SolutionPanel
EstablishedPanel
ReportNotice of
AppealAppellate
Report
Circulated
EuropeanCommunities
-
MeasuresAffecting
Asbestos and
Productscontaining
Asbestos3 June 1998
Canada
(WT/DS135/1)
(G/TBT/D/15)12 June 1998
Brazil
(WT/DS135/2)9 Oct. 1998
Canada
(WT/DS135/3)25 Nov. 1998
(WT/DSB/M/
51)18 Sept.
2000
(WT/DS135/
R and Add.1)23 Oct. 2000
(WT/DS135/8)12 March
2001
(WT/DS
135/AB/R)
Belgium –
Administra-
tion of
MeasuresEstablishing
Customs
Duties forRice19 Oct. 2000
United States
(WT/DS210/1)
(G/TBT/D/21)19 Jan. 2001
United States
(WT/DS210/2)
and 1 March2001
(WT/DS201/2/
Rev.1)12 March 2001
(WT/DSB/M/
101)
EuropeanCommunities
-Trade
Description
of Sardines23 April 2001
Peru
(WT/DS231/1)(G/TBT/D/22)3 May 2001
Venezuela
(WT/DS231/2)7 May 2001
Chile
(WT/DS231/3)8 May 2001
United States
(WT/DS231/4)9 May 2001
Ecuador
(WT/DS231/5)7 June 2001
Peru
(WT/DS231/6)24 July 2001
(WT/DSB/M/
107)
Mexico –
Measures
affecting theImport of
Matches28 May 2001
Chile
(WT/DS232/1)(G/TBT/D/23)8 June 2001
EC
(WT/DS232/2)
Argentina –Measures
affecting the
Import ofPharmaceuti-
cal Products30 May 2001
India
(WT/DS233/1)
(G/TBT/D/24)
VII. CODE OF GOOD PRACTICE FOR THE PREPARATION, ADOPTION AND
APPLICATION OF STANDARDS
Since the entry into force of the Agreement, 138 standardizing bodies from 94 Members have
adhered to the Code of Good Practice.  Notificatio ns of acceptance of the Code by standardizing
bodies of Members are contained in documents G/TBT/CS/N/1-14010.  Document G/TBT/CS/2/Rev.8
contains the complete list by Member of standardizing bodies that have accepted the Code since
1 January 1995.  A list of standardizing bodies adhered to the Code in 2001 is contained in document
G/TBT/CS/1/Add.6.  In 2001, 14 standardizing bodies from 13 Members have accepted the Code.
The seventh edition of the WTO TBT Standards Code Directory will be published by the
ISO/IEC Information Centre in February 2001.
                                                          
10 Notifications G/TBT/CS/N/118 and 138 have been cancelled.G/TBT/11
Page 12
VIII. WORKING AND SPECIAL DOCUMEN TS ISSUED DURING THE CURRENT
PERIOD
Document
referenceDate of issue Title and content of documents Number of
pages
G/TBT/W/153 29 January 2001 Notification Procedures – Note by the Secretariat 4
G/TBT/W/154 2 February 2001 European Council Resolution on the Precautionary
Principle – Communication from the EC5
G/TBT/W/155 15 March 2001 Communication from Tanzania 4
G/TBT/W/156 26 April 2001 Technical Assistance and Technical Cooperation
Programme – Proposal from Brazil4
G/TBT/W/157 19 April 2001 Communication from Mexico 1
G/TBT/W/158 18 May 2001 Development within the ISO that are related the
Second Triennial Review of the TBT Agreement  –Communication from the ISO5
G/TBT/W/159 28 May 2001 ASEAN Concerns regarding the Proposed Belgian
Law for the Promotion of Socially ResponsibleProduction – Communication from the ASEAN1
G/TBT/W/160 15 June 2001 Japan's Experience on Technical Assistance in the
area of TBT – Communication from Japan4
G/TBT/W/161 19 June 2001 UN/ECE Project for an International Model for
Technical Harmonization – Communication from
the UN/ECE12
G/TBT/W/162 19 June 2001 Marking and Labelling Requirement –
Communication from Switzerland5
G/TBT/W/163 22 June 2001 Technical Assistance and Capacity Building in the
Field of Technical Barriers to Trade – Submissionby the EC4
G/TBT/W/164 26 June 2001 Technical Assistance and Technical Cooperation
Programme – Submission from Indonesia4
G/TBT/W/165 25 June 2001 Labelling – Submission from the US 2
G/TBT/W/166 26 June 2001 Philippines Experience in the Implementation of the
TBT Agreement – Communication from thePhilippines6
G/TBT/W/167 27 June 2001 A Policy Framework for Mutual Recognition
Activities – Submission from Canada5
G/TBT/W/168 8 August 2001 Technical Assistance and Capacity Building
Activities Related to the TBT Agreement –
Communication from UNIDO7
G/TBT/W/169 4 October 2001 List of Standards and Related Texts adopted or
revoked by the Twenty-fourth Session of the CodexAlimentarius Commission – Communication fromthe Codex Alimentarius Commission5
G/TBT/W/170 8 October 2001 Dissemination Activities in relation with the
Decision on Principles for the Development ofInternational Standards – Communication from the
EC9
G/TBT/SPEC/18 4 April 2001 TBT Technical Cooperation Programme:  Request
for Information from Members – Communicationfrom the Chairman1
__________