. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/2/Add.78 
22 March 2004 
 (04-1262) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   Spanish 
  
 
IMPLEMENTATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE AGREEMENT 
ON TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE 
 
Communication from El Salvador
 
 
Addendum  
   The following communication, dated 17 March 2004, is being circulated at the request of the delegation of El Salvador
. 
 
_______________ 
 
 
I. LAWS AND REGULATIONS 
1. The Republic of El Salvador ratified the WTO Agreements on 9 March 1995 after the 
Legislative Assembly had approved the Marrakesh Ag reement by way of Legislative Decree No. 292, 
published in Official Journal No. 78, Volume No. 327,  of 28 April 1995. Accordingly, by virtue of 
being international treaties, the WTO Agreements take precedence over the domestic laws and may be 
invoked before the country's courts. There is con sequently no need in El Salvador for special 
legislation to implement the Agreement. All of El Salvador's state agencies and the national 
authorities responsible for the implementation and ad ministration of technical regulations, standards 
and conformity assessment procedures have received copies of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade and been duly informed of the obligations arising therefrom. 
2. The National Science and Tec hnology Council (CONACYT) of th e Republic of El Salvador 
is a legal body set up under the Law governing the National Science and Technology Council by 
Legislative Decree No. 287, published in Offi cial Journal No. 144, Volume No. 316 of 
10 August 1992, which established a system to standa rdize the preparation of quality standards that 
will serve as a basis for the production of domes tic goods. The Law governing the National Science 
and Technology Council was amended by Legisl ative Decree No. 426 of 17 December 1992, 
published in Official Journal No. 9, Volume No. 318, of 14 January 1993. The review, preparation 
and amendment of official technical standard s are covered by regulations under the Law.  
II. TRANSPARENCY 
3. The technical regulations of El Salvador ar e published in a national newspaper. During the 
preparatory stages (preliminary draft), a period of 60 days as of the date of notification is established 
for the formulation of comments in writing. 
4. The notice of the entry into force of a technical regulation is published only in national 
newspapers. G/TBT/2/Add.78 
Page 2  
 
 5. All technical regulations that were drawn up before 1995 are available and may be obtained 
through the enquiry point. 
III. INSTITUTIONS 
6. The enquiry point, as mentioned in Article 10, pa ragraphs 1 and 3, of the Agreement is as 
follows: 
 
National Science and Technology Council (CONACYT) 
Colonia Médica Avenida Dr. Emilio Álvarez 
Pasaje Dr. Guillermo Rodríguez Pacas #51 
San Salvador, El Salvador 
 Tel.: (503) 226-2800   Fax: (503) 225-6255  E-mail: evaneg as@conacyt.gob.sv 
 
The government institutions which adopt technical regul ations in the Republic of El Salvador are the 
following: 
• National Science and Technology Council (CONACYT) 
• Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources 
• Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock 
• Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance 
• Ministry of Public Works 
 
In accordance with Article 10.11 of the TBT Agreem ent, the institution resp onsible for notification 
procedures is: 
 
Ministry of the Economy Directorate of Trade Treaty Administration Alameda Juan Pablo II y Calle Guadalupe Plan Maestro, San Salv ador, El Salvador 
 Tel.: (503) 231-5788   
 Fax: (503) 231-5789     E-mail: ezelada@minec.gob.sv  Through the intermediary of: 
  
 Permanent Mission of El Salvador to the WTO   65 Rue de Lausanne, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland 
 Tel.: (41) 22 732-7036   Fax: (41) 22 731-1855    E-mail: omc_es@minec.gob.sv 
 
 
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