WORLD TRADE G/TBT/Notif.97.452
22September 1997
ORGANIZATION
(97-3841)
Committee onTechnical Barriers toTrade
NOTIFICATION
Thefollowing notification isbeing circulated inaccordance withArticle 10.6.
1. Member toAgreement notifying: NETHERLANDS
Ifapplicable, name oflocalgovernment involved (Articles 3.2and7.2):
2. Agency responsible: Ministry ofJustice
Agency orauthority designated tohandle comments regarding thenotification canbe
indicated ifdifferent from above: National Enquiry Point
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X],2.10.1 [],5.6.2 [],5.7.1 [],other:
4. Products covered (HSorCCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICSnumbers maybeprovided inaddition, where applicable): Pistol
5. Title, number ofpages andlanguage(s) ofthenotified document: Regulation ofthe
Minister ofJustice fortheAppointment ofPersons Employed bytheNSSecurity
Services asSpecial Criminal Investigators (1995 Decree Relating toSpecial Criminal
Investigators withtheNSSecurity Services)
6. Description ofcontent: Thecode ofCriminal Procedure indicates those who are
authorized toinvestigate punitive actions. They are,inaddition tothe"traditional"
criminal investigators (such aspolice officers andPublic Prosecutors) alsotheso-called
"special criminal investigator". They areinteraliapersons whobelong tocategories or
bodies appointed bytheMinister ofJustice (e.g.specific persons employed byCustoms
ortheDutch Railways security department). The1993 Police Actprovides some
general rules relating totheduties exercised bythese criminal investigators. Pursuant to
Article 8.7ofthe1993 Police Act,theMinister ofJustice mayupon appointment of
persons asspecial criminal investigators alsoauthorise thattheymayuseforce when
carrying outtheirduties. Hemaytherefore provide them withspecific means offorce.
Thegeneral banforbidding thepossession oruseofsuchweapons doesnotinthiscase
apply tosaidpersons (Article 3a,Para. 3,Weapons andMunitions Act). Thedraft
Regulation referred toinpoint 5appoints officers employed bytheDutch Railways
Security Service asspecial criminal investigators. According totheDutch government,
thisRegulation probably contains technical regulations within themeaning ofthe
Agreement onTechnical Barriers toTrade. Anindicative summary ofthese technical
regulations appears below.
./.G/TBT/Notif.97.452
Page2
6. Description ofcontent: (cont'd)
Article 6.2(a)specifies thatthespecial criminal investigators employed bythe
above department maycarry asemi-automatic pistol bearing theWalther mark etc.
Those typeapprovals referred toinArticle 6.2(a)and(c)donot(yet)exist. These will
benotified assoonastheyhavebeendrafted. Similar regulations which arealsobeing
notified include: 1995 Decree relating tospecial criminal investigators with the
Tax/Customs Office, 1995 Decree relating tospecial criminal investigators with
Amsterdam Policing, Security andTransport Department, 1995 Decree relating to
special criminal investigators withtheECD, 1995 Decree relating tospecial criminal
investigators withtheFIOD/Tax Department, 1997 Decree relating tospecial criminal
investigators withtheNational Transport Department ofJustice, 1995 Decree relating to
special criminal investigators withtheHDTP andthe1995 Decree relating tospecial
criminal investigators withtheNational Special Service fortheProvision ofAssistance.l
criminal investigators withtheFIOD/Tax Department, 1997 Decree relating tospecial
criminal investigators withtheNational Transport Department ofJustice, 1995 Decree
relating tospecial criminal investigators withtheHDTP andthe1995 Decree relating to
special criminal investigators with theNational Special Service fortheProvision of
Assistance.
7. Objective andrationale: Insofar asthedraft Regulation contains technical barriers to
trade, these measures arejustified intheinterests ofensuring thatpublic order is
maintained. Theregulations concerning those weapons tobeused have particular
consideration fortheadequate arming ofspecial criminal investigators toensure both
effective action andoffer protection tothose officers concerned.
8. Relevant documents: Art.141andArt.142Code ofCriminal procedure, Art.7to11
ofthe1993 Police Act,Art.3aoftheWeapons andMunitions Act(anexplanatory note
totheoriginal Decree doesnotexist).
9. Proposed dateofadoption:
Proposed dateofentry intoforce:26October 1997
10. Final dateforcomments: 25October 1997
TheNetherlands willproceed toimplement theproposed measure after45days
ifnocomments orrequests forextension ofthetimelimithavebeenreceived from other
Members within thattime.
11. Texts available from: National enquiry point [X]oraddress andtelefax number ofother
body: