. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/N/NLD/21
13 July 2001
(01-3488)
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:   THE NETHERLANDS
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:           
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:   National Enquiry
Point – EC WTO TBT Enquiry Point
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, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   Voting machines for use
during the elections of generally representing bodies.
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Draft Regulation
Amending the Regulation on the Conditions and Approval of Voting Machines 1997
(approval of voting machines for more than one vote simultaneously)
6. Description of content:   In the Netherlands, during elections, it is only possible to cast your
vote by means of voting machines which have been approved by the Minister for theInterior and Kingdom Relations.  For the benefit of this approval, conditions have been laid
down for voting machines in the Elections Act, the Elections Decree and the Regulation on
the Conditions and Approval of Voting Machines 1997 based thereon.  In this connection, a
number of functional requirements are prescribed in terms of reliability and
user-friendliness, and to guarantee the confidential nature of the vote.  It is not stipulated in
what way these conditions must be met from a technical point of view.  That is therefore left
at the discretion of the manufacturers.
Under current legislation, voting machines can be approved for use during (maximum)
two ballots simultaneously.  An amendment to the Elections Decree is pending, which aims
to gain approval of voting machines for use at more than two ballots simultaneously.
The draft Regulation, which further details the aforementioned amendment to the Elections
Decree, possibly contains technical regulations in Article I, Sections B and C.
The Regulation on the Conditions and Approval of Voting Machines 1997 was notified in
1997 (G/TBT/Notif.97.0172).G/TBT/N/NLD/21
Page 2
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
Various types of voting machines are technically  already prepared for use at more than two
ballots simultaneously.  However, on the basis of current legislation, voting machines canonly be approved for use at no more than two ballots simultaneously.  At present, a proposal
for an Interim Referendum Act is pending in the First Chamber.  If this proposal were to be
passed and entered into force, an increase can be expected in the number of times more thantwo ballots can take place simultaneously.  It is desirable that voting machines can be used
on those occasions.  The present draft Regulation, in conjunction with the already notified
draft Decree amending the Elections Decree, aims to achieve approval of voting machinesfor that use.  Since the elections procedure is specific, an appointed body shall judge
whether voting machines meet the requirements laid down in the Elections Act, the
Election Decree and the Regulation on the Conditions and Approval of Voting Machines1997.  On this basis, approval can be issued by the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom
Relations.
8. Relevant documents:   Regulation on the Conditions and Approval of Voting Machines
1997.  The draft Regulation is connected with a draft Decree amending the Elections
Decree.
9. Proposed date of adoption:  20 September 2001
Proposed date of entry into force:  1 October 2001
10. Final date for comments:   14 September 2001
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: