. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/W/117
14 July 1999
(99-2905)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English
VOLUNTARY SERVICE STANDARDS FOR TBT ENQUIRY POINTS
Communication from Canada
The following communication dated 5 July 1999, has been received from the delegation of
Canada with the request it be circulated to Members of the Committee.
_______________
1. Pursuant to the workshop for representatives of TBT enquiry points held in the fall of 1998,
Canada presented a number of proposals to improve the functioning of the notification system of the
TBT agreement (G/TBT/W/100 of 17 November 1998).   Inter alia , we suggested that Members might
wish to consider establishing voluntary service standards for their enquiry points setting out
acceptable time-frames for acknowledging and providing responses to technical enquiries.
2. For the information of Committee Members, we are pleased to present below the service
standards adopted by Canada’s TBT enquiry point, the Standards Council of Canada (SCC).  Please
note that the SCC enquiry point also handles similar enquiries arising under the North American Free
Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
I. BENCHMARKS/SERVICE STANDARDS FOR THE WTO/NAFTA ENQUIRY
POINT
(a) Notify WTO/NAFTA federal standards-related measures within 24 hours of receipt
of the Federal Gazette, unless access to additional information is required from
external sources.
(b) Notify WTO/NAFTA provincial standards-related measures within 48 hours of
receipt of the provincial gazette, unless access to additional information is requiredfrom external sources.
(c) Transmit foreign requests for extension of deadline date for commenting on Canadian
WTO/NAFTA notifications within 24 hours of arrival at the SCC and follow up with
appropriate Canadian regulatory body if request has not been responded to within24 hours of transmission.
(d) Transmit foreign comments on Canadian WTO/NAFTA notifications to the
appropriate regulatory within 24 hours of receipt of comments and follow up with
regulatory authority if comments have not been responded to within a reasonable
length of time.
∗
                                                     
∗ The average length of time required by Canadian  regulatory authorities to respond to comments will
be tracked over the next yea r to better define when the follow-up process should begin.”G/TBT/W/117
Page 2
(e) Transmit Canadian comments and/or requests for extension on other WTO/NAFTA
notifications to foreign enquiry points within 24 hours of receipt of comments.
(f) Input incoming WTO/NAFTA notifications into the SCC database within 24 hours of
receipt of notifications.
(g) Provide supporting background documentation on notifications within 48 hours of
receipt of request.
(h) Answer enquiries from foreign enquiry points or acknowledge receipt of an enquiry
within 24 hours and complete research enquiries from foreign enquiry points within72 hours of receipt of request.  In cases where a response to an enquiry will not be
forthcoming within 72 hours, provide a status report to the enquiry point to indicate
reason for delay and indicate time-frame as to when final response will be delivered.
(i) Follow up with the WTO Secretariat when Canadian notifications have not been
formally issued as an official WTO notification within five working days in order to
determine whether clarification on notification is required..
__________