WORLD TRADE G/TBT/Notif.97.339/Add.1
31July1997
ORGANIZATION(97-3229)
Original: English Committee onTechnical Barriers toTrade
NOTIFICATION
Addendum
ThefollowingcommunicationbyNetherlandsisbeingcirculatedinaccordancewithArticle10.6.
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Thefollowing information should beattached tonotification G/TBT/Notif.97.339.
ANNEX
The1997 Alcohol Tests Decree
Pursuanttothe1994RoadTrafficAct,onwhichthisDecreeisbased,drivingavehiclefollowing
alcohol consumption suchthatthealcohol content ofthebreath isshown "inatest"tobehigher than
220micrograms ofalcohol perlitreofexhaled airisprohibited. Thedriver isobliged tobreathe air
intoabreath analysing appliance "intended forthetest". Suchatestwillbedeemed tohavebeencarried
outonlyifthebreath analysing appliance hasbeendesignated andapproved. Pursuant totheAlcohol
Tests Decree, anappliance ofatypedesignated bytheMinister ofJustice must beusedtoperform
abreath analysis. Appliance types aredesignated onlyiftheyhavebeenapproved onthebasis ofan
inspection carried outbyaninspection institute designated bytheMinister. Furthermore, pursuant
totheDecree, thebreath analysing appliance mustbeaccompanied byavalid certificate ofapproval
tobeissued byaninspection institute designated bytheMinister. Suchacertificate ofapproval isissued
onlyifthebreath analysing appliance hasbeensubjected toanindividual inspection andonthebasis
ofsuchinspection hasbeenapproved bytheinspection institute. Furthermore, theDecree provides
thattheMinister isrequired toimpose allkinds ofother rulesregarding therequirements thatthebreath
analysing appliances mustsatisfy. These areimplementing ruleswhich atpresent arelaiddown inthe
Breath Tests Regulation andtheBreath Analysing Appliance Type Regulation; boththese regulations
arenowbeing notified inthedraft stage bytheDutch Government asthe1997 Breath Analysis
Regulation andthe1997 Breath Analysing Appliance Type Regulation. Inviewoftheserious and
unforeseeable safety aspects, notification istaking place under theprocedure ofArticle 2,paragraph
10,oftheAgreement onTechnical Barriers toTrade.
TheAlcohol Tests Decree contains provisions thatcould beregarded astechnical requirements.
Indeed: fortheperforming ofabreath analysis anappliance must beusedofatypedesignated by
theMinister ofJustice; appliance types aredesignated onlyiftheyhavebeenapproved onthebasis
ofaninspection carried outbyaninspection institute designated bytheMinister; thebreath analysing
appliance mustbeaccompanied byavalidcertificate ofapproval tobeissued byadesignated inspection
./.G/TBT/Notif.97.339/Add.1
Page2
institute; acertificate ofapproval isissued onlyifthebreath analysing appliance hasbeensubjected
toanindividual inspection andonthebasis ofsuchinspection hasbeenapproved bytheinspection
institute. Although these provisions partly form thebasis forfurther implementing rules laiddown
bytheMinister ofJustice (which implementing rulesaretechnical requirements andareembodied in
theBreathAnalysisRegulationandtheBreathAnalysingApplianceTypeRegulation),theymayhowever,
duetotheirnature, inthemselves beregarded astechnical requirements.
Having regard tothenature ofthematter under consideration itis,forreasons ofsafety, of
urgent necessity thattheActbere-enacted andbecome operative immediately. Immediate enactment
andcoming intoeffect isonlypossible where urgent problems ofsafety, health, environmental protection
ornational security ariseorthreaten toarise, mentioned inparagraph 10ofArticle 2oftheAgreement
onTechnical Barriers toTrade. Only intheabove mentioned situations Members mayomitthesteps
enumeratedinparagraph9.Thecircumstancesatpresentobtainingjustifyapleaofimmediateenactment.
Forcitizens uncertainty exists regarding theapplicability ofthepresent Alcohol Tests Decree, after
thedecision oftheECCourt ofJustice incaseC-194/94 (ECR 1996, p.I-2201) inwhich theCourt
considered thelegalconsequences ofthenot-notifying oftechnical requirements. Theunclearness
regarding thequestion towhatextent evidence canbefurnished fortheconsumption nofalcohol in
traffic, hascreated anacute problem inrespect oftheinvestigations inconnection withthecriminal
offence ofdriving under theinfluence ofalcohol, aswellasanacute problem inrespect ofpending
andfuture criminal cases. Thisleads toserious andunforeseeable situations relating topublic health
andsafety. Indeed: driving under theinfluence ofalcohol cancause lifethreatening situations. To
obviate theenormous risksattaching tothissituation oflegaluncertainty, itisofurgent necessity that
the1997 Alcohol Tests Decree beenacted immediately.