G/TBT/1/Rev. 14 
 
24 September 2019  
(19-6148) Page: 1/89 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade    
 
  
DECISIONS AND RECOMM ENDATIONS ADOPTED BY  THE  
WTO COMMITTEE ON TEC HNICAL BARRIERS TO T RADE  
SINCE 1 JANUARY 1995  
 
NOTE BY THE SECRETAR IAT1 
Revision  
 
 
The present document contains the fourteenth  revision of the compilation of the TBT Committee's 
Decisions and Recommendations. This revision, which supersedes all previous G/TBT/1  documents, 
is in two parts. Part 1 contains the Committee's decisions and recommendations adopted since 
1 January 1995. Part 2 contains the Committee's Rules of Procedure including Guidelines for 
Observer Status for Governments and International Intergovernmental Organizations.  
 
_______________  
                                                
1 This document has been prepared under the Secretariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the positions of Members or to their rights and obligations under the WTO.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  Contents  
PART 1: DECISIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ADOPTED BY THE COMMITTEE ON 
TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE  ................................ ................................ ....................  6 
1   GOOD REGULATORY PRACTICE  ................................ ................................ ...................  6 
1.1   Decisions and recommendations  ................................ ................................ ...................  6 
1.2   Events  ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  9 
2   REGULATORY COOPE RATION BETWEEN MEMBE RS ................................ ...................  10 
2.1   Decisions and recommendations  ................................ ................................ .................  10 
2.2   Events  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................  11 
3   TECHNICAL REGULATIONS  ................................ ................................ .......................  11 
3.1   Decisions and Recommendations  ................................ ................................ ................  11 
4   CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT  ................................ ................................ ......................  11 
4.1   Decisions and recommendations  ................................ ................................ .................  12 
4.2   Events  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................  17 
5   STANDARDS  ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  18 
5.1   Decisions and recommendations  ................................ ................................ .................  18 
5.2   Events  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................  22 
6   TRANSPARENCY  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 23 
6.1   General  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  23 
6.1.1    Decisions and recommendations  ................................ ................................ ..............  23 
6.2   Statement on Implementation and Administration of the TBT Agreement (Article  15.2)  ..... 23 
6.2.1    Decisions and recommendations  ................................ ................................ ..............  24 
6.2.2    Documents  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  25 
6.2.3    Events  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  25 
6.3   Notifications of Technical R egulations and Conformity Assessment Procedures  .................  25 
6.3.1    Decisions and recommendations  ................................ ................................ ..............  26 
6.3.1.1    General  ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  26 
6.3.1.2    "Significant effect on trade of other Members"  ................................ ........................  26 
6.3.1.3    Timing of Notifications  ................................ ................................ .........................  27 
6.3.1.4    Submission of Notifications (Format and Guidelines)  ................................ ...............  27 
6.3.1.5    Notification of Labelling requirements  ................................ ................................ .... 29 
6.3.1. 6   Notifications of Proposed Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment  
Procedures of Local Governments at the Level Directly Below that of the Central Government  ... 29 
6.3.1.7    Regional approaches to notification of technical regulations and conformity  
assessment procedures ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 30 
6.3.1.8    Length of time allowed for comments  ................................ ................................ .... 30 
6.3.1.9    Handling of comments  ................................ ................................ .........................  31 
6.3.1.10    Timing of Entry into Force of Technical Regulations and Understanding of  
"Reasonable Interval" under Article 2.12  ................................ ................................ .............  32 
6.3.1.11    Follow -up ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  33 
6.3.1.12    Monthly Listing of Notifications Issued by the WTO Secretariat  ................................  34 G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  6.3.2    Documents  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  34 
6.3.3    Events  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  34 
6.4   Notifications related to Standards  ................................ ................................ ...............  35 
6.4.1    Decisions and recommendations  ................................ ................................ ..............  35 
6.4.1.1    Notification of the Acceptance of, or Withdrawal from, the C ode of Good Practice 
(Paragraph C)  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  35 
6.4.1.2    Notification of the Existence of a Work Programme (Paragraph J)  .............................  35 
6.4.1.3    Publishing of a Notice (Paragraph L)  ................................ ................................ ...... 36 
6.4.2    Documents  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  37 
6.4.3    Events  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  37 
6.5   Notification under Article 10.7 of the TBT Agreement  ................................ ....................  38 
6.5.1    Decisions and recommendations  ................................ ................................ ..............  38 
6.5.2    Documents  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  38 
6.6   Dissemination of Information  ................................ ................................ .....................  38 
6.6.1    Publication  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  38 
6.6.1.1    Decisions and recommendations  ................................ ................................ ...........  38 
6.6.1.2    Documents  ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  38 
6.6.1.3    Events  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  38 
6.6.2    Texts of Notified Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment Procedures  ............  39 
6.6.2.1    Decisions and recommendations  ................................ ................................ ...........  39 
6.6.3    Provision of Translations  ................................ ................................ .........................  40 
6.6.3.1    Decisions and recommendations  ................................ ................................ ...........  40 
6.6.3.2    Documents  ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  42 
6.6.3.3    Events  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  42 
6.6.4    Online Tools  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  42 
6.6.4.1    Decisions and recommendations  ................................ ................................ ...........  42 
6.6.4.2    Events  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  43 
6.7   Enquiry Points  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  44 
6.7.1    Establishment of Enquiry Points  ................................ ................................ ...............  44 
6.7.1.1    Decisions and recommendations  ................................ ................................ ...........  44 
6.7.1.2    Documents  ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  44 
6.7.2    Functioning of Enquiry Points  ................................ ................................ ..................  45 
6.7.2.1    Decisions and recommendations  ................................ ................................ ...........  45 
6.7.2.2    Events  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  46 
6.7.3    Booklets on Enquiry Points  ................................ ................................ ......................  47 
6.7.3.1    Decisions and recommendations  ................................ ................................ ...........  47 
6.7.3.2    Events  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  47 
6.8   Special Meetings on Procedures for Information Exchange  ................................ .............  48 
6.8.1    Decisions and recommendation s ................................ ................................ ..............  48 
6.8.2    Events  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  48 G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  7   TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE  ................................ ................................ ..........................  49 
7.1   Decisions and recommendations  ................................ ................................ .................  49 
7.2   Documents  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  53 
7.3   Events  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................  53 
8   SPECIAL AND DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT  ................................ ................................  54 
8.1   Decisions and recommendations  ................................ ................................ .................  54 
8.2   Events  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................  55 
9   OPERATION OF THE COMMITTEE  ................................ ................................ ..............  55 
9.1   Review of Specific Trade Concerns  ................................ ................................ ..............  55 
9.1.1    Decisions and recomm endations  ................................ ................................ ..............  56 
9.1.2    Documents  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  59 
ANNEXES TO PART 1  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 60 
1   INDICATIVE LIST OF APPROACHES TO FAC ILITATE ACCEPTANCE O F THE  
RESULTS OF CONFORMIT Y ASSESSMENT  ................................ ................................ ...... 60 
2   DECISION OF THE COMMITTEE ON PRINCIP LES FOR THE DEVELOPM ENT OF 
INTERNATIONAL STANDA RDS, GUIDES AND RECO MMENDATIONS WITH REL ATION  
TO ARTICLES 2, 5 AND  ANNEX 3 OF THE AGRE EMENT  ................................ ...................  62 
3   FORMAT AND GUIDE LINES FOR NOTIFICATI ON PROCEDURES FOR TE CHNICAL 
REGULATIONS AND CONF ORMITY ASSESSMENT PR OCEDURES  ................................ ..... 65 
3.1   Recommendation of the Committee on Coherent Use of Notification Formats  ...................  65 
3.2   Format and Guidelines for New Notificati on (of draft technical regulations and conformity 
assessment procedures)  ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 66 
3.3   Format for Addenda  ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 70 
3.4   Format for Corrigenda  ................................ ................................ ...............................  71 
3.5   Format for Revision  ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 72 
3.6   Format for Supplements (Unofficial Translations)  ................................ ..........................  73 
4   NOTIFICATION FOR MAT UNDER ARTICLE 10 .7 ................................ .........................  75 
5   BOOKLETS ON ENQU IRY POINTS  ................................ ................................ ..............  76 
5.1   Objective, name, address, telephone number, fax number, and e -mail and Internet 
addresses, if available, of WTO TBT enquiry point(s)  ................................ ............................  76 
5.2   Who can use the enquiry point(s)  ................................ ................................ ...............  76 
5.3   Information available from enquiry point(s)  ................................ ................................ . 76 
5.4   Facilities offered (including charges, if any) ................................ ................................ . 76 
6   FORMAT FOR THE V OLUNTARY NOTIFICATIO N OF SPECIFIC TECHNI CAL  
ASSISTANCE NEEDS OR RESPONSES  ................................ ................................ .............  77 
7   FORMAT FOR NOTIF ICATIONS RELATED TO THE CODE OF GOOD PRA CTICE  
FOR THE PREPARATION,  ADOPTION AND APPLIC ATION OF STANDARDS  
CONTAINED IN ANNEX 3  OF THE WTO TBT AGRE EMENT  ................................ ...............  79 
7.1   Notification of acceptance of the WTO TBT Code of Good Practice (Paragraph C) to  
the WTO Secretariat  ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  79 
7.2   Notification of acceptance and of existence of work programme under the WTO TBT  
Code of Good Practice (Paragraph C and J) to the ISO/IEC Information Centre  .......................  80 G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  PART 2: RULES OF PROCEDURE FOR THE MEETINGS OF THE WTO COMMITTEE ON 
TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE AND GUIDELINES FOR OBSERVER STATUS FOR 
GOVERNMENTS AND INTERNATIONAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZ ATIONS  ..........  83 
Annex A  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........................  88 
Annex B  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........................  89 
 G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  PART 1: DECISIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ADOPTED BY THE COMMITTEE ON 
TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE  
1  GOOD REGULATORY PRAC TICE  
1.1.  Good Regulatory Practice (GRP) can contribute to the improved and effective implementation 
of the substantive obligations under the TBT Agreement. Effective implementation through best 
practices is seen as an important means of avoiding unnecessary obstacles to trade. 
Institutionalizing the various mechanisms, processes and procedures of GRP through laws, 
regulations and guidance, as well as through the creation and designation of institutions within 
Member governments to oversee regulatory processes, is seen as a means of giving effect to GRP. 
Effective internal policy c oordination, including among regulators, standardizing bodies and trade 
officials implementing the TBT Agreement, is stressed. Additionally, regulatory cooperation between 
Members is an effective means of disseminating GRP.2 
1.1  Decisions and r ecommendation s 
1.2.  Since the entry into force of the Agreement, the Committee has engaged in an in -depth 
exchange of experiences on various aspects of GRP in order to foster a common understanding of 
the issues involved.3  
a. In 1997, in order to assist the implementation of the  relevant provisions of the Agreement, 
the Committee agreed to the following4: 
i. when considering the preparation of a technical regulation, it is important for Members 
first to identify the related problem, including its magnitude and the legitimate 
objecti ve; and then consider all options available consistent with the Agreement, 
bearing in mind that in accordance with Articles 2.2 and 2.3 a technical regulation shall 
not be more trade restrictive than necessary to fulfil a legitimate objective, and shall 
not be maintained if the circumstances or objectives giving rise to its adoption no long 
exist or if the changed circumstances or objectives can be addressed in a less trade -
restrictive manner. If a technical regulation is required, it shall comply with the 
relevant provisions of the Agreement, including Articles 12.3 and 12.7;  
ii. to avoid duplication of work and to ensure effective implementation of the Agreement, 
coordination between governmental regulatory authorities, trade officials and national 
standardizi ng bodies is essent ial; 
iii. to invite Members, on a voluntary basis, to submit descriptions of their approach to 
technical regulations; and  
iv. to examine the various approaches to the preparation, adoption and application of 
technical regulations and their conse quences for market access, with a view to 
assisting regulatory authorities through promoting awareness of their rights and 
obligations under the Agreement.  
b. In 2000, in order to assist the implementation of the relevant provisions of the Agreement, 
the Com mittee agreed  to reiterate points 1.2 a. (iii) and (iv) above.5 
                                                
2 G/TBT/26, 13 November 2009, paras. 8 -9, and 14.  
3 G/TBT/5 , 19 November 1997, paras.  23-24; G/TBT/9 , 13 November 2000,  para. 37 ; G/TBT/13 , 
11 November 2003, para. 14; G/TBT/19 , 14 November 2006, paras. 19 -20; G/TBT/26 , 13 November 2009, 
para. 11; G/TBT/32 , 29 N ovember 2012, paras. 3 -4; G/TBT/37 , 3 December 2015, paras.  1.1-1.7. 
4 G/TBT/5 , 19 No vember 1997, para. 24 (a) -(b). 
5 G/TBT/9 , 13 November 2000,  para. 37 . G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  c. In 2003, noting that the issue of GRP is important, evolving, and worthy of further 
discussion in the TBT Committee, to further its work on GRP, the Committee agreed6: 
i. to invite Members to exchange experiences related to the identification of elements of 
GRP at the domestic level;  
ii. to continue its exchanges on Members' experiences and focus its discussion on, inter 
alia, choice of policy instruments, mandatory versus voluntary measures, and t he use 
of regulatory impact assessments to facilitate GRP; and  
iii. to initiate a process of sharing experiences on equivalency in the Committee 
particularly with regard to how the concept is implemented in practice.  
d. In 2006, with a view to deepening understand ing of the contribution GRP can make to the 
implementation of the TBT Agreement, the Committee agreed to share experiences on7:  
i. factors used by regulators to determine whether there is a need to regulate in a given 
situation or whether other instruments a re better suited to fulfil the legitimate 
objective sought;  
ii. the use of tools, such as regulatory impact assessment, to assist regulatory decision -
making (including with respect to (i) above);  
iii. the use of performance -based regulations by Members;  
iv. how GRP h ave been integrated into Members' regulatory structures, including the use 
of mechanisms to ensure openness, transparency and accountability of the regulatory 
processes;  
v. the establishment of domestic administrative mechanisms to facilitate cooperation and  
coordination between competent authorities and co -ordination with other 
stakeholders;  
vi. how regulatory cooperation between Members has contributed to the avoidance of 
unnecessary regulatory differences;  
vii. steps taken and criteria used to arrive at an equiva lency decision between Members 
(Article 2.7), or harmonization on the basis of international standards (Article 2.6); 
and 
viii. to hold a workshop on GRP addressing, among other topics, regulatory impact 
assessment.  
e. In 2009, with the purpose of enabling Members to ensure improved compliance with the 
obligations set out in the TBT Agreement in the preparation of technical regulations and 
conformity assessme nt procedures, the Committee agreed8: 
i. to compile a list of guidelines for GRP taking into account Members' experiences and 
existing relevant work of other organizations;  
ii. to prepare an illustrative list of mechanisms used for the implementation of GRP based  
on contributions from Members including, for instance, mechanisms used for: public 
consultation; use of RIA tools; use of performance -based regulations; use of relevant 
international standards, guides or recommendations as a basis for technical 
                                                
6 G/TBT/13 , 11 November 2003, para. 14. 
7 G/TBT/19 , 14 November 2006, para. 19. 
8 G/TBT/26 , 13 November 2009, para. 11.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  regulation s and conformity assessment procedures; and methods of referencing 
standards in regulations; and  
iii. to continue to share views and experiences on aspects of regulatory coordination and 
administrative mechanisms to facilitate internal coordination between comp etent 
authorities, including between trade policy and regulatory authorities, and interested 
parties.  
f. In 2012, with a view of furthering its work in the area of GRP, the Committee agreed9:  
i. to identify a non -exhaustive list of voluntary mechanisms and rela ted principles of GRP 
and to guide Members in the efficient and effective implementation of the TBT 
Agreement across the regulatory lifecycle, including, but not limited to, the following 
areas:  
- transparency and public consultation mechanisms;  
- mechanisms f or assessing policy options, including the need to regulate (e.g. 
how to evaluate the impact of alternatives through an evidence -based process, 
including through the use of regulatory impact assessment (RIA) tools);  
- internal (domestic) coordination mechani sms; 
- approaches to minimizing burdens on economic operators (e.g. how to 
implement mechanisms that ensure reflection of the TBT Agreement's 
substantive obligations in the design and development of regulations);  
- implementation and enforcement mechanisms (e. g. how to provide practical, 
timely and informative guidance needed for compliance);  
- mechanisms for review of existing technical regulations and conformity 
assessment procedures (e.g. how to evaluate the effectiveness and continued 
adequacy of existing me asures, including with a view to assessing the need for 
amendment, simplifi cation or possible repeal); and  
- mechanisms for taking account of the special development, financial and trade 
needs of developing Members in the preparation and application of measures, 
with a view to ensuring that they do not create unnecessary obstacles to 
exports from developing Members.  
g. In 2015, with a view to furthering its work in the area of GRP, the Committee agreed10: 
i. to continue  to exchange information on  mechanisms of GRP adopted by WTO Members 
that facilitate the implement ation of the TBT Agreement; and   
ii. to hold  a thematic session in March 2016 on RIAs, including discussion of:  
- the extent to which RIAs could facilitate the implementation of the TBT 
Agreement, considering the constraints facing developing countries in carrying 
out RIAs; and  
- how trade impacts and TBT Agreement obligations could be taken into account 
in the preparation of RIAs.  
                                                
9  G/TBT/32 , 29 November 2012, para. 4.  
10 G/TBT/37 , 3 December 2015, para. 1.8.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  h. In 2018, with a view to furthering its work in the area of GRP,  the Committee agreed11: 
i. to continue to exchange information on mechanisms of GRP adopted by WTO Members 
that facilitate the implementation of the TBT Agreement and, in this vein:  
- to dedicate, unless otherwise agreed, the first thematic session of the TBT 
Committee each year to the topic of GRP;  
- to hold a thematic session on the role and function of domestic committees, 
and other administrative mechanisms, that facilitate internal coordination on 
TBT;  
ii. to encourage those Members that conduct RIA or similar initiatives as part of their 
regulatory process to provide, to the extent feasible, a hyperlink to the studies (ex ante) 
in the pertinent notification to the TBT Committee, as well as to notify on a regular basis 
or publish on a publicly accessible website  the subsequent related assessments (ex 
post) in the national language12; 
1.2  Events  
a. On 18 -19 March 2008, with a view to advancing its work on GRP, the Committee held a 
Workshop on GRP, which addressed, among other topics, regulatory impact assessment.13 
b. On 5 Ma rch 2013, the Committee held a Thematic Session on GRP.14  
c. On 17 June 2013 the Committee held a second Thematic Session on GRP.15 
d. On 18 March 2014, the Committee held a third Thematic Session on GRP.16 
e. On 17 March 2015, the Committee held a first Thematic Ses sion on the Seventh Triennial 
Review, covering, inter alia , GRP.17 
f. On 16 June 2015, the Committee held a second Thematic Session on the Seventh Triennial 
Review, covering, inter alia , GRP.18 
g. On 8 March 2016, the Committee held a Thematic Session on GRP.19 
h. On 28 March 2017, the Committee held a Thematic Session on GRP.20 21 
i. On 5 March 2019, the Committee held a Thematic Session on GRP.22 23 
                                                
11 G/TBT/41 , 19 November 2018, para. 1.7.  
12 In line with a previous recommendation by the TBT Committee, for ex ante  RIAs, this information 
could be made available through a hyperlink to the assessment in Box 8 of the notification template or by 
including the assessment in the draft measure itself ( G/TBT/1/Rev.13 , Section 5.6.2.1.d. on p.35).  
13 The Summary Report of the Workshop is contained in G/TBT/W/287 , 6 June 2008 . The Chairman's 
Report of the Workshop to the TBT Committee is contained in G/TBT/M/44 , 10 June 2008, Annex 1. The 
Workshop was held in response to the recommendation  contained in G/TBT/19 , 14 November 2006,  para. 20. 
14 The Moderator's summary and the final programme are contained in G/TBT/GEN/143 , 11 March 2013 .  
15 The Chairman's report is contained in  G/TBT/GEN/143/Add.1 , 25 June 2013.  
16 The Chairman's report and the final programme are contained in  G/TBT/GEN/143/Add.2 ,  
26 March 2014.  
17 The Chairman's report is contained in JOB/TBT/125 , 25 March 2015 , paras. 1.1 -1.2. 
18 The Chairperson's report is co ntained in JOB/TBT/134 , 26 June 2015 , para. 1.1 . 
19 The Chairperson's repor t is contained in G/TBT/GEN/191 , 17 March 2016.  
20 The Moderator's report  is contained in G/TBT/GEN/214 , 5 April 2017.  
21 https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tbt_e/th_sess_gpr_280317_e.htm  
22 The Moderator's report is contained in G/TBT/GEN/256 , 14 March 2019.  
23 https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tbt_ e/thematicsession5319_e.htm  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  2  REGULATORY COOPERATI ON BETWEEN MEMBERS  
2.1.  The Committee notes that regulatory cooperation between Members is an effective means of 
disseminating GRP.  It can also build confidence between trading partners through enhancing mutual 
understanding of regulatory systems, thereby supporting efforts that aim at removing unnecessary 
barriers to trade. A fundamental component to regulatory c ooperation is the promotion of dialogue 
between Members, including at senior level. A wide variety of approaches can be employed by 
regulators to collaborate with each other – from information sharing to negotiating specific 
agreements.24 
2.1  Decisions and r ecommendations  
a. In 2006, with a view to deepening understanding of the contribution GRP can make to the 
implementation of the TBT Agreement, the Committee agreed , inter alia , to share 
experiences on25:  
i. how regulatory cooperation between Members has contributed to the avoidance of 
unnecessary regulatory differences.  
b. In 2009, in order to further enhance information on regulatory cooperation between 
Members, the Committee agreed26: 
i. to exchange information  on the different approaches to regulatory coopera tion 
between Members that aim at, inter alia , enhancing mutual understanding of 
regulatory systems and identifying, where possible, avenues for greater regulatory 
convergence; and  
ii. to hold a workshop on regulatory cooperation.  
c. In 2015, with a view to furthe ring its work and raising awareness of the importance of 
regulatory cooperation between Members, the Committee agreed27:  
i. to deepen and broaden  its information exchange in the area of regulatory cooperation 
between Members, based on topics identified by Mem bers. The purpose of this 
information exchange is to:  
- provide Members with an opportunity to share factual information and 
experiences with respect to ongoing, new or emerging regulatory issues, 
including in specific sectors, without duplicating regulator y cooperation work in 
other technical bodies28;  
- discuss possible elements of regulatory cooperation between Members with the 
aim of making regulatory cooperation initiatives more effective; and  
ii. to hold thematic sessions on regulatory cooperation between Me mbers in June and 
November 2016. The Committee will organize these sessions based on proposals from 
Members.   
                                                
24 G/TBT/26 , 13 November 2009, paras. 14 -15. 
25 G/TBT/19 , 14 November 2006, para. 19.  
26 G/TBT/26 , 13 November 2009, para. 16.  
27 G/TBT/37 , 3 December 2015, para. 23(b).  
28 In line with Article 13.3 of the TBT Agreement.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  d. In 2018, building on this exchange as well as on previous decisions and recommendations 
of the Committee, and with a view to furthering its work a nd raising awareness of the 
importance of regulatory cooperation between Members, the Committee agree d29:  
i. to continue its information exchange in the area of regulatory cooperation between 
Members, based on topics identified by them.  
2.2  Events  
a. On 8 -9 November 2011, recognizing the benefits of regulatory co -operation for the 
dissemination of GRP, the Committee held a Workshop on regulatory co -operation between 
Members.30  
b. On 17 March 2015, the Committee held a first Thematic Session on the Seventh Trienn ial 
Review, covering, inter alia , regulatory cooperation between Members.31 
c. On 16 June 2015, the Committee held a second Thematic Session on the Seventh Triennial 
Review, covering, inter alia , regulatory cooperation between Members.32 
d. On 14 June 2016, the Committee dedicated a Thematic Session on regulatory cooperation 
between Memb ers to the topic of energy efficiency.33 34 
e. On 9 November 2016, the Committee dedicated a Thematic Session on regulatory 
cooperation between Members to the topic of food labelling.35 36 
3  TECHNICAL REGULATIONS  
3.1  Decisions and Recommendations  
a. In 2018, with a view t o furthering its work in the area of mandatory marking and labelling 
requirements, the Committee  agreed37: 
i. to hold a discussion of how to facilitate compliance with mandatory marking and 
labelling requirements on products, and consider the need for further work in the 
Committee on this topic, including on a sectoral basis, as appropriate.  
4  CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT  
4.1.  Five articles of the TBT Agreement address conformity assessment procedures, and establish 
obligations of a substantive and procedural nature. Articles 5 and 6 contain disciplines applying to 
central government bodies. Articles 7, 8 and 9 relate to conformity ass essment procedures of local 
government bodies, non -governmental bodies and international and regional systems. The definition 
of a conformity assessment procedure is contained in Annex 1, Paragraph 3 of the Agreement.  
                                                
29 G/TBT/41 , 19 November 2018, para. 2.18.  
30 The Summary Report of the Workshop is contained in G/TBT/W/348 , 14 February 2012. A background 
note by the Secretariat, circulated be fore the Workshop, is cont ained in document G/TBT/W/340 , 7 September 
2011.   
31 The Chairman's report is contained in JOB/TBT/125 , 25 March 2015 , para s. 2.1 -2.2 and 4.1 . 
32 The Chairperson's report is contained in JOB/TBT/134 , 26 June 2015 , para. 1.1 and 5.1 -5.2. 
33 The moderators' report is contained in G/TBT/GEN/198 , 23 June 2016.  
34 https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tbt_e/tbtcomjune16_e.htm  
35 The moderators' report is contained in G/TBT/GEN/205 , 22 November 2016.  
36 https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tbt_e/tbtnov16_e.htm  
37 G/TBT/41 , 19 November 2018, para . 3.2. G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  4.1  Decisions and r ecommendations  
4.2.  The Comm ittee has regularly engaged in information exchange on the use of conformity 
assessment procedures with a view to improving Members' implementation and understanding of 
Articles 5 -9.38  
a. In 1997, in order to further the objectives of Articles 5 and 6, includ ing in particular the 
need to avoid the creation of unnecessary obstacles to international trade due to 
conformity assessment procedures, and with a view to making recommendations to 
remove any unnecessary duplication of conformity assessment, the Committe e agreed to 
the following39: 
i. the Committee will pursue further discussions on ISO/IEC Guides. Members are 
invited, on a voluntary basis, to continue providing information on their experience in 
using relevant international guides and recommendations on conf ormity assessment, 
and the extent to which these guides and recommendations have served as a basis for 
the recognition of conformity assessment procedures adopted by bodies in their 
territories and in regional and international conformity assessment system s, or as a 
harmonized approach to conformity assessment. In the light of this exercise, the 
Committee will consider ways and means for better implementation of Articles 5  
and 6;  
ii. for transparency purposes and to support the work of the Committee, a list of  relevant 
international guides and recommendations related to conformity assessment 
procedures will be consolidated, circulated and updated regularly by the Secretariat 
for the information of Members;  
iii. the Committee will review the role of regional and int ernational systems for conformity 
assessment as covered by Article 9 and how these systems could contribute to solving 
the problems of multiple testing and certification/registration for traders and 
industries, including in particular small and medium size  enterprises. This exercise will 
also address the extent to which international guides and recommendations contribute 
to the establishment of these systems, and the possible technical assistance needed 
for developing countries to develop operational confor mity assessment procedures 
within the context of Articles 11.6, 11.7 and 12.5; and  
iv. the Committee will review the operation of Articles 6, 10.7 and other relevant 
provisions which contain disciplines with respect to recognition of the results of 
conformity assessment procedures. In this regard, Members are invited, on a voluntary 
basis, to exchange information. The review will also address the possible difficulties 
and problems associated with MRAs. In the light of this exercise, the Committee may 
consider t he usefulness of drafting guidelines, inter alia  for MRAs.  
b. In 1997, in order to further the objectives of Articles 5 and 6, including in particular the 
need to avoid the creation of unnecessary obstacles to international trade due to 
conformity assessment procedures, and with a view to making recommendations to 
remove any unnecessary duplication of conformity assessment, the Committee agreed to 
invite Members, on a voluntary basis:  
i. to exchange information on their experience in the various types of conformi ty 
assessment procedures and their conditions of application. In the light of this exercise, 
the Committee will consider making recommendations aimed at ensuring that 
                                                
38 G/TBT/5 , 19 November 1997, para. 29(c .); G/TBT/9 , 13 November 2000, paras. 28 and 33; 
G/TBT/13 , 11 November 2003, para. 40;  G/TBT/19 , 14 November 2006, para. 46;  G/TBT/26 , 13 November 
2009, para. 19, G/TBT/32 , 29 November 2012, para. 5 ; G/TBT/37 , 3 December 2015, paras. 3. 1-3.8. In 1996, 
the Committee established  a Technical Working Group to examine certain ISO/IEC Guides on conformity 
assess ment procedures ( G/TBT/M/6 , 6 December 1996, para. 14). The Working Group me t three times and the 
Reports are c ontained in G/TBT/M/7 , G/TBT/M/8  and G/TBT/M/10  (1997).  
39 G/TBT/5 , 19 November 1997, para. 29(a), (b), (d) and (e).  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  procedures for the assessment of conformity avoid the creation of unnecessary 
obstacles t o international trade40; and  
ii. to exchange information on th e operation of Articles 6, 10.7 (Section  4.2.  a.iv) and 
other relevant provisions which contain disciplines with respect to recognition of the 
results of conformity assessment procedures.41 
c. In 2000, the Committee developed an indicative list describing different approaches to 
facilitate acceptance of results of conformity assessment. This list is contained in Annex  1 
(on page 60 of this document) . The Committee noted the following in respect of this list42: 
i. the list was not intended to prescribe particular approaches that Members might 
choose to adopt as it was recognized that the application of different approaches would 
depend on the situation of Members  and the specific sectors involved; and  
ii. governments and non -governmental bodies might choose to apply different 
approaches across different sectors, or apply more than one procedure within 
individual sectors, taking into account variations in procedures in  different Members 
and perceived levels of risk in the acceptance of results in different sectors.  
d. In 2000, the Committee agreed to invite Members, on a voluntary basis:  
i. to supply further information on the different mechanisms used in their jurisdiction f or 
acceptance of results of conformity assessment and further discuss the different 
approaches with a view to analysing them in the light of Articles 5 and 643; and 
ii. to further exchange information on their experience in the use of supplier's declaration 
of conformity (SDoC). Such experience could include the following:  an indication of the 
sectors/product categories where supplier's declaration of conformity is used in 
relation to technical regulations and standards;  a further definition of the conditions 
supporting effective use of such an approach and the costs of these conditions; 
considerations that may deem such an approach inappropriate from a regulatory 
perspective; and an identification of technical infrastructure to support reliance on this 
approach .44 
e. In 2003, with a view to improving Members' implementation of Articles 5 -9 of the 
Agreement and promoting a better understanding of Members' conformity assessment 
systems, the Committee agreed to a work programme45: 
i. to exchange information and experiences on existing conformity assessment 
procedures and practices, the use of relevant international standards, guides and 
recommendations, and the participation of Members in national, regional and 
international accreditation schemes;  
ii. to exchange information and  experiences and hold a workshop on SDoC covering 
issues such as: the regulatory authorities, sectors and suppliers which use SDoC; the 
surveillance mechanism, liability law and penalties used to ensure that products 
comply with requirements; the incentive s for suppliers to comply with requirements; 
and the legislation that underpins the relationship between buyers and sellers;  
iii. to invite representatives from relevant international and regional accreditation fora to 
provide information on their operation and  the participation of Members, in particular, 
                                                
40 G/TBT/5 , 19 November 1997, para. 29(c .). 
41 G/TBT/5 , 19 November 1997, para. 29(e .). 
42 G/TBT/9 , 13 November 2000, para. 27 and Annex 5.  
43 G/TBT/9 , 13 November 2000, para. 28. 
44 G/TBT/9 , 13 November 2000, para. 33. 
45 G/TBT/13 , 11 November 2003, paras.  40 and 41.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  developing country Members, in their systems. Moreover, users, such as certification 
bodies, should also be invited to share their experiences in this respect;  
iv. to hold a workshop on the different approaches to conformity assessment, including 
on the acceptance of conformity assessment results; and  
v. to take stock of the progress made on this Work Programme and reflect it in its Annual 
Report to the Council for Trade in Goods.  
f. In 2006, with a view to furthering the  understanding of the implementation of Articles  5-9 
of the Agreement, the Committee agreed to continue sharing experiences on46: 
i. approaches to conformity assessment, and in particular on:  
- various considerations that are relevant when deciding on the need f or a 
conformity assessment procedure and on the type of procedure, including the 
level of risk associated with products;  
- the use of different types of conformity assessment procedures;  
- the design and implementation of SDoC and situations for which SDoC may  be 
a suitable conformity assessment procedure; and  
- the use of accreditation to qualify the technical competence of conformity 
assessment bodies.  
ii. the use of international standards, guides or recommendations in Members' domestic 
conformity assessment proce dures;  
iii. recognition of conformity assessment results, and in particular on:  
- unilateral recognition of results of foreign conformity assessment, including on 
existing government designation schemes in relation to Article  6.1.2;  
- the participation of foreign c onformity assessment bodies in domestic 
conformity assessment procedures pursuant to Article 6.4;  
- the operation of existing MRAs, including cases where implementation has not 
been deemed satisfactory; and their cost -effectiveness; and  
- voluntary mutual reco gnition arrangements and on the extent to which results 
of conformity assessment are accepted by regulators.  
g. In 2009 , with a view to facilitating trade, the Committee agreed47: 
i. to continue to exchange information on different approaches to facilitating acceptance 
of conformity assessment results;  
ii. to exchange information on the criteria, methods of analysis and concepts used by 
Members to inform their evaluation of the range of choices in conformity assessment 
procedures, including in the con text of a risk management framework;  
iii. based on these exchanges, and those referred to on page 10 of this document 
(Section  2.1  b, above ), to initiate work  on developing practical guidelines on how to 
choose and design efficient and effective mechanisms aimed at strengthening the 
implementation of the TBT Agreement, inc luding the facilitation of acceptance of 
                                                
46 G/TBT/19 , 14 November 2006, para. 46.  
47 G/TBT/26 , 13 November 2009, para. 19. G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  conformity assessment results ( inter alia  MRAs, equivalence agreements and 
Supplier's Declaration of Conformity (SDoC)); and  
iv. to consider, in light of the above work, the need to build on the current "Indicative List  
of Approaches to Facilitate the Acceptance of the Results of Conformity Assessment".  
h. In 2012, in order to initiate work on developing practical guidance on the choice and design 
of mechanisms aimed at strengthening the implementation of the TBT Agreement,  
including the facilitation of acceptance of conformity assessment results, the Committee 
agreed to organize its work in three thematic areas48:  
i. Approaches to conformity assessment. With respect to the choice and design of 
conformity assessment procedures,  Members will exchange information on criteria and 
methods of analysis used to inform their evaluation of the range of choices in 
conformity assessment procedures. This exchange may include, for instance, how the 
assessment and management of risk affects t he choice of conformity assessment 
procedure, and how Members' approach to market surveillance may affect this choice. 
A possible output of this work could be the development of an illustrative list of 
principles to guide the selection of conformity assess ment procedures;  
ii. Use of relevant international standards, guides or recommendations. Members will 
exchange information on how they use relevant existing international standards, 
guides or recommendations, or the relevant parts of them, as a basis for their  
conformity assessment procedures. To this end, relevant bodies involved in the 
development of such instruments may be invited to inform the Committee of the 
current status of their work; and  
iii. Facilitating the recognition of conformity assessment results. B uilding on the 
"Indicative List" (Second Triennial Review), Members will continue their exchange of 
information on approaches that may facilitate the acceptance of conformity 
assessment results. For instance, Members may explore how international and regio nal 
systems for conformity assessment (e.g. regional and intergovernmental initiatives, 
voluntary cooperation arrangements between accreditation bodies, and voluntary 
cooperation arrangements between conformity assessment bodies) can contribute to 
building  globally robust and trade facilitative schemes (as envisaged under Article 9 of 
the TBT Agreement). To this end, relevant bodies involved in the development of such 
instruments may be invited to inform the Committee of the current status of their 
work.  
i. In 2015, with a view to furthering its work in the area of conformity assessment 
procedures, and in particular with respect to the recommendation from the Fifth Triennial 
Review to initiate work on developing practical guidance on the choice and design of 
mechanisms aimed at strengthening the implementation of the TBT Agreement, including 
the facilitation of acceptance of conformity assessment results49, the Committee agreed50: 
i. to continue to exchange information in respect of the three areas of work identified  in 
the Sixth Triennial Review (namely: Approaches to conformity assessment; Use of 
relevant international standards, guides or recommendations; and, Facilitating the 
recognition of conformity assessment results)51; 
ii. to exchange information on initiatives of  Members to enhance regulators ' reliance on 
international and/or regional systems for conformity assessment, including sectoral 
schemes, aimed at facilitating the recognition of conformity assessment results;  
                                                
48 G/TBT/32 , 29 November 2012, para. 5.  
49 G/TBT/26 , para. 19(c).  
50 G/TBT/37 , para. 3.9. 
51 G/TBT/32 , para. 5.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  iii. to discuss approaches to the use of quality inf rastructure, both national and regional, 
for facilitating trade in respect of standards, technical regulations and conformity 
assessment procedures;  
iv. to discuss factors that Members consider relevant when deciding whether to accept 
tests and other conformit y assessment results in other Members. For example, 
relevant factors could be: the existence of international schemes, or mutual 
recognition agreements, for the acceptance of tests and other conformity assessment 
results; or reliance on accreditation to de monstrate technical competence of 
conformity as sessment bodies; and  
v. to hold a thematic session in March 2016 on developments in international and regional 
systems, and regional trade agreements (RTAs), relating to the recognition and 
acceptance of conformi ty assessment results.  
j. In 2018, building on this exchange as well as on previous decisions and recommendations 
of the Committee, in particular the mandate from the Fifth Triennial Review52, and with a 
view to furthering its work in the area of conformity assessment procedures, the 
Committee agreed53: 
i. to continue to exchange information  in respect of the three areas of work identified in 
previous reviews (namely: Approaches to conformity assessment; Use of relevant 
international standards, guides or recommendations; and Facilitating the recognition 
of conformity assessment results);  
ii. with respect to "Approaches to conformity assessment" to initiate work  on developing 
non-prescriptive practical guidelines  to support regulators in the choice and desig n of 
appropriate and proportionate conformity assessment procedures, including, but not 
limited to, the following areas:  
• criteria related to risk assessment and other relevant factors, including for 
identification of lower and higher risk products;  
• the ra nge of approaches to conformity assessment available to regulators within 
different regulatory frameworks;  
• elements of conformity assessment that regulators can use in designing 
appropriate procedures;  
• legal and administrative frameworks that enable regula tors to confidently rely on 
a particular conformity assessment regime (for example, SDoC may need to be 
supported by appropriate product recall, product liability laws and consumer 
protection legislation);  
iii. in parallel to the above work, to hold thematic sessions on:  
• risk assessment, including: categorization of risks, and methods of risk 
assessment;  
• post market controls (e.g. market surveillance) and other pre -market controls;  
• "Certificates of Free Sale", without prejudice to their use by Members, including 
on: the range of appropriate and less trade restrictive available alternatives; 
related challenges faced by regulators and exporters, including with respect to 
producing certificates when they are not in  use in the exporting market; and how 
these apply to re -exports;  
                                                
52 G/TBT/26 , para. 19(c).  
53 G/TBT/41 , 19 November 2018, para. 4.17. G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  • the development of National Quality Infrastructure (NQI), including metrology, 
standardization, conformity assessment, and accreditation, and its use by 
regulators;  
• the use of international  and/or regional systems for conformity assessment by 
regulators in both national and regional regulatory regimes; and,  
• case studies of practical examples of how Members arrive at the acceptance of 
conformity assessment results (including by using the appr oaches mentioned in 
the Committee's "Indicative List"54).  
4.2  Events  
a. A Symposium on Conformity Assessment Procedures was held on 8 -9 June 1999.55  
b. A Special Meeting dedicated to Conformity Assessment Procedures was held on 
29 June 2004.56 
c. A Workshop on Supplier' s Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) was held on 21  March  2005.57 
d. A Workshop on the Different Approaches to Conformity Assessment, including on the 
Acceptance of Conformity Assessment Results, was held on 16 -17 March 2006.58 
e. A Thematic Session on Conformity As sessment Procedures took place on 
29 October  2013.59 
f. A Thematic Session on Conformity Assessment Procedures took place on 
4 November  2014.60 
g. On 16 June 2015, the Committee held a second Thematic Session on the Seventh Triennial 
Review, covering, inter alia , Conformity Assessment Procedures.61 
h. A Thematic Session on Conformity Assessment Procedures took place on 8 March 2016.62 
i. A Thematic Session on Conformity Assessment Procedures took place on 28 March 2017.63 
64 
j. On 13 June 2017, a Thematic Session was held on Risk Assessment.65 66 
k. A Thematic Session on Conformity Assessment Procedures  was held on 5 March 2019 .67 68 
l. On 18 June 2019, a Dedicated Informal meeting on Guidelines for Conformity Assessment 
Procedures was held.  
                                                
54 The "Indicative List" refers to the Indicative List of Approaches to Facilitate the Accep tance of the 
Results of Conformity Assessment: Annex 1 of G/TBT/1/Rev.1 3 (p.52).   
55 G/TBT/9 , 13 November 2000,  Annex 1.  
56 The Report of the special m eeting is contained in G/TBT/M/33/Add.1 , 21 October 2004 . 
57 The Repor t of the workshop is contained in Annex 1 of G/TBT/M/35 , 24 May 2005 . 
58 The Report of the workshop is contained in G/TBT/M/38/Add.1 , 6 June 2006 . 
59 The Chairman's report and the final pr ogramme are contained in G/TBT/GEN/155 , 4 November 2013.  
60 The Chairman' s report and the final programme are contained in G/TBT/GEN/174 , 
11 November 2014.  
61 The Chairperson's report is contained in JOB/TBT/134 , 26 Jun e 2015 , paras. 2.1 -2.5. 
62 The Chairperson's report is contained in G/TBT /GEN/190 , 17 March 2016.  
63 The Moderator's report is contained in G/TBT/ GEN/213 , 5 April 2017.  
64 https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tbt_e/th_sess_280317_e.htm  
65 The Moderator's report is contained in G/TBT/GEN/226 , 19 June 2017.  
66 https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tbt_e/tbtrisk13617_e.htm  
67 The Moderator's report and the final programme are contained in G/TBT/GEN/257 , 14 March 2019.  
68 https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tbt_e/thematicsessioncap5319_e.htm  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  5  STANDARDS  
5.1.  The provisions concerning the prepa ration, adoption and application of standards are contained 
in Article 4 of the TBT Agreement and in the Code of Good Practice for the Preparation, Adoption 
and Application of Standards (the "Code of Good Practice"). In addition, Articles 2.4, 2.5, 5.4, an d 
Paragraph F of Annex 3 of the Agreement promote the use of relevant international standards, guides 
and recommendations as a basis for standards, technical regulations and conformity assessment 
procedures. Articles 2.6, 5.5 and Paragraph G of Annex 3 emp hasize the importance of Members' 
participation in international standardization activities related to products for which they have either 
adopted, or expect to adopt, technical regulations.69 
5.2.  In 2000, at the Second Triennial Review of the Agreement, the Co mmittee noted that in order 
for international standards to make a maximum contribution to the achievement of the trade 
facilitating objectives of the Agreement, it was important that all Members had the opportunity to 
participate in the elaboration and ado ption of international standards. Adverse trade effects might 
arise from standards emanating from international bodies as defined in the Agreement which had 
no procedures for soliciting input from a wide range of interests. Bodies operating with open, 
impartial and transparent procedures, that afforded an opportunity for consensus among all 
interested parties in the territories of at least all Members, were seen as more likely to develop 
standards which were effective and relevant on a global basis and woul d thereby contribute to the 
goal of the Agreement to prevent unnecessary obstacles to trade. In order to improve the quality of 
international standards and to ensure the effective application of the Agreement, the Committee 
agreed that there was a need to develop principles concerning transparency, openness, impartiality 
and consensus, relevance and effectiveness, coherence and developing country interests that would 
clarify and strengthen the concept of international standards under the Agreement and contr ibute 
to the advancement of its objectives. In this regard, the Committee adopted a Decision containing 
a set of principles it considered important for international standards development.70 These principles 
were seen as equally relevant to the preparation of international standards, guides and 
recommendations for conformity assessment procedures. The dissemination of such principles by 
Members and standardizing bodies in their territories would encourage the various international 
bodies to clarify and stren gthen their rules and procedures on standards development, thus further 
contributing to the advancement of the objectives of the Agreement.71 
5.1  Decisions and r ecommendations  
a. In 1995, the Committee noted that the Agreement contains a number of provisions on 
regional standardizing bodies and systems for conformity assessment. In order to keep 
abreast of the activities of such bodies and systems, the Committee agreed72: 
i. that representatives of regional standardizing bodies and systems for conformit y 
assessment may be invited to address the Committee on their procedures and how 
they relate to those embodied in the Agreement, on the basis of agreed lists of 
questions.  
b. In 1997, with a view to developing a better understanding of international standards  within 
the Agreement, the Committee agreed73: 
i. to explore ways and means of improving the implementation of Articles 2.6, 5.5, 11.2, 
12.5 and paragraph G of the Code with a view to enhancing Members' awareness of, 
and participation in, the work of internati onal standardizing bodies. As appropriate, 
the Committee will consider the usefulness of communicating its views to the relevant 
international standardizing bodies for their considerat ion. 
                                                
69 G/TBT/2 6, 13 November 2009, para. 20.  
70 This Decision is contained in Annex 2  (on page 62 of this document).  
71 G/TBT/9 , 13 Nov ember 2000, para. 20 . 
72 G/TBT/M/3 , 5 January 1996, para. 15; G/TBT/W/14 , 29 September 1995, p. 4.  
73 G/TBT/5 , 19 November 1997, para. 22(a).  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  c. In 1997, the Committee agreed to seek information from internationa l standardizing 
bodies regarding their procedures to ensure cooperation with their national members and 
regional standardizing bodies and to consider the usefulness of communicating the 
Committee's views to the relevant international standardizing bodies.74 Also, with a view 
to developing a better understanding of international standards within the Agreement, the 
Committee agreed75: 
i. to invite Members, on a voluntary basis, to submit specific examples to the Committee 
addressing the difficulties and problems t hey encounter in relation to international 
standards, including those mentioned in paragraph 18 (of G/TBT/5 ), taking into 
account Article 12.4. This information exchange process, as well as the indications 
obtained through the notifications of draft regulations and conformity assessment 
procedures, would provide relevant informatio n on the national practices of Members, 
and on the manner in which international standardizing bodies developed standards. 
In the light of this experience sharing exercise, the Committee may consider the 
usefulness of communicating its views to relevant in ternational standardizing bodies 
for their consideration;  
ii. to consider the appropriate means for the Committee to express its views to relevant 
international standardizing bodies regarding the preparation of international 
standards, and to invite internatio nal standardizing bodies to follow the relevant 
principles of the Code of Good Practice; and  
iii. in accordance with the rules of procedures of the Committee and on an ad hoc basis 
as agreed, relevant international standardizing bodies will be invited to meetin gs of 
the Committee to enable them to take into account the on -going discussions in the 
WTO, and to increase Members' awareness of the activities of these organizations. 
Relevant international standardizing bodies will be invited to provide prior informati on 
concerning their activities.  
d. In 2000, the Committee adopted a Decision on Principles for the Development of 
International Standards, Guides and Recommendations with Relation to Articles 2, 5 and 
Annex 3 of the TBT Agreement. This Decision is contained i n Annex 2  (on page 6 2 of this 
document) .76  
e. In 2006, with regard to the acceptance of the Code of Good Practice by regional 
standardizing bodies, the Committee agreed77: 
i. to encourage regional standardizing bodies to accept  the Code of Good Practice and to 
notify their acceptance of the Code to the ISO/IEC Information Centre.  
f. In 2009, the Committee recognized the need for international standards to be relevant 
and effectively respond to regulatory and market needs, as well a s scientific and 
technological developments, while not creating unnecessary obstacles to international 
trade. In light of the above, the Committee78:  
i. encouraged Members, Observer organizations and relevant bodies involved in the 
development of standards to  exchange experiences and circulate case studies – or 
other research – on the impacts of standards on economic development and 
international trade;  
                                                
74 G/TBT/5 , 19 November 1997, para. 13. 
75 G/TBT/5 , 19 November 1997, para. 22 (b)-(d). 
76 G/TBT/9 , 13 November 2000, para. 20 and Annex 4.  
77 G/TBT/19 , 14 November 2006, paras. 66 -67 and 68(g)(i).  This recommendation is also reproduced in 
this docu ment on page 35, see para. 6.4.1.1.(b.) .  
78 G/TBT/26 , 13 November 2009, para. 25.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  ii. stressed the importance of ensuring the effective application of the Code of Good 
Practice for the Preparat ion, Adoption and Application of Standards (Annex 3 of the 
TBT Agreement); and  
iii. encouraged the full application of the six principles set out in the above -mentioned 
Decision, and the sharing of experiences in respect of their use.  
g. In 2009, the Committee not ed that several Members had raised concerns regarding 
"private standards" and trade impacts thereof, including actual or potential unnecessary 
barriers to trade. The Committee also noted that other Members considered that the term 
lacks clarity and that it s relevance to the implementation of the TBT Agreement had not 
been established. Without prejudice to the different views expressed, the Committee 
recalled that Article 4.1 of the TBT Agreement requires that Members shall take such 
reasonable measures as m ay be available to them to ensure that standardizing bodies 
accept and comply with the Code of Good Practice. The Committee further expressed the 
need to strengthen implementation of Article 4. In view of this, the Committee79: 
i. recalled its discussion in th e Third Triennial Review80 regarding standards developed 
by bodies that are not commonly considered standardizing bodies;  
ii. reiterated its 1997 invitation to Members to share their experiences with respect to 
steps taken to fulfil their obligations under Art icle 4, and to exchange information 
regarding the reasons some standardizing bodies have not yet accepted the Code of 
Good Practice81; and  
iii. with a view to facilitating an informed discussion on the development and use of 
standards in general, including with regard to standards developed by non -
governmental bodies, Members were invited to share their experiences related to the 
implementation of the TBT Agreement, including the Code of Good Practice. 
Discussions would neither prejudge the role of the TBT Commit tee nor the scope of 
the TBT Agreement with respect to any issue that may arise.  
h. In 2009, the Committee recognized the advances made in increasing meaningful 
participation by developing country Members in standardizing activities in areas of interest 
to them, but noted that for many developing country Members challenges remain, both 
financially and technically. In view of achieving further progress, the Committee82: 
i. encouraged Members, Observer organizations and relevant bodies involved in the 
development of  standards, to exchange information on initiatives implemented, 
successes achieved and obstacles encountered.  
i. In 2012, with a view to furthering its work in the area of standards, the Committee agreed 
to undertake work in the following three thematic areas83: 
i. The Code of Good Practice  
The Committee reiterates the importance of ensuring the effective application of the 
Code of Good Practice for the Preparation, Adoption and Application of Standards 
(Annex 3 of the TBT Agreement, hereafter the "Code of Good Practice"), and the 
importance of strengthening the implementation of Article  4 of the TBT Agreement. It 
is recalled that in the context of the Fifth Triennial Review, several Members raised 
concerns regarding "private standards" and the trade impact thereof, while other 
Members conside red that the term lacked clarity and that its relevance to the 
                                                
79 G/TBT/26 , 13 November 2009, para. 26. 
80 G/TBT/13 , 11 November 2003, para. 25.  
81 G/TBT/5 , 19 November 1997, para. 12(a). This recommendation is also reproduced in this document  
on page 35, see para 6.4.1.1.(a.).  
82 G/TBT/26 , 13 November 2009, para. 27.  
83 G/TBT/32 , 29 November 2012, paras. 6 -9.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  implementation of the TBT Agreement had not been established.84 During the review 
period, the Committee reverted to this discussion. The Committee hereby reiterates 
the recommendations made at t he Fifth Triennial Review85 and, in view of the need to 
further strengthen implementation of Article 4, agrees:  
- to exchange information and experiences on reasonable measures taken by 
Members to ensure that local government and non -governmental standardizin g 
bodies involved in the development of standards within their territories, accept 
and comply with the Code of Good Practice.  
ii. The "Six Principles"  
The Committee reiterates the importance of ensuring the full application of the six 
principles set out in the  Committee's 2000 Decision (the "Six Principles"86) on the 
development of international standards, and the sharing of experiences in respect of 
their use. In this respect, the Committee agrees:  
 
- to exchange information on efforts to promote the full applica tion of the Six 
Principles set out in the 2000 Committee Decision. The Committee may also 
invite relevant bodies involved in the development of international standards, 
guides or recommendations to share their experiences with the us e of these 
same princip les; and  
- in the deliberations on the Six Principles, to give particular attention to how 
the "Development Dimension" is taken into consideration.  
iii. Transparency in standard -setting87 
During the review period, the Committee emphasized, in particular, the impor tance of 
transparency in the development of standards.88 It is recalled in this regard that 
several paragraphs of the Code of Good Practice are relevant to transparency in 
standard -setting, including paragraphs J through Q.89 With respect to the development 
of international standards, the Principle on Transparency contained in the 2000 
Committee Decision states, inter alia , that transparency procedures should, at a 
minimum, provide an "adequate period of time for interested parties in the territory of 
at leas t all members of the international standardizing body to make comments in 
writing and take these written comments into account in the further consideration of 
the standard". In light of this, the Committee agrees:  
- To exchange information on how relevant bo dies involved in the development 
of standards – whether at the national, regional or international level – provide 
opportunity for public comment.  
                                                
84 These concerns are reflected in the Fifth Triennia l Review Report ( G/TBT/26 , 13 November 2009, 
para. 26). 
85 The three recommendations contained in G/TBT/26 , 13 November 2009, para. 26(a) –(c). 
86  The full text of this Decision (hereafter the "2000 Committee Decision")  is contained in Annex 2  
(page 62  of this document ). 
87 Relevant existing decisions and recommendations are contained in G/TBT/1/Rev.10 , 9 June 2011, 
Section IV.C.2.(iii) on page 29. 
88 The G/TBT/GEN/39/  - series of doc uments includes information on Members' publications in relation 
to technical regulations, conformity assessment procedures and standards.  It is also recalled that Members 
have previously agreed that statements under Article 15.2 of the Agreement should s pecify the names of 
publications that are used to announce work relevant to Paragraphs J, L and O of Annex 3 of the Agreement 
(G/TBT/1/Rev.10 , page 17).  
89 For example, Paragraph L of the Code  of Good Practice  states, inter alia , that "before adopting a 
standard, the standardizing body shall allow at least 60 days for the subm ission of comments on the draft 
standard by interested parties within the territory of a Member of the WTO".  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  j. In 2015, with a view to furthering its work  standards, as well as  in the area of transparency 
in standard -setting , the Committee agreed90: 
i. consistent with paragraph J of the Code, to encourage Members' central government 
standardizing bodies, and non -governmental bodies that have accepted the Code, to 
publish their work programmes on websites and notif y the specific website addresses 
where the work programmes are published to the ISO/IEC Information Centre;  
ii. consistent with paragraph L of the Code, to encourage Members' central government 
standardizing bodies, and non -governmental bodies that have accept ed the Code, to 
share information about the publication of a notice announcing the period for 
commenting on a draft standard (e.g. title and volume of pub lication, website 
address);  
iii. to discuss ways of improving Members' access to the information mentioned  in i and ii 
above91; 
iv. to hold  a thematic session in June 2016 on methods of referencing standards in 
regulation, including Members' initiatives or policies that seek to utilize international 
standards in regulation;  and 
v. to exchange information  and experienc es on reasonable measures taken by Members 
to ensure that local government and non -governmental standardizing bodies involved 
in the development of standards within their territories, accept and comply with the 
Code.  
k. In 2018, building on this exchange as w ell as on previous decisions and recommendations 
of the Committee, and with a view to furthering its work in the area of standards, the 
Committee agreed92: 
i. to hold a thematic session on incorporating standards by reference in regulations with 
a view to disc ussing and possibly collecting best practices and which would take into 
account existing guidelines and policy considerations on referencing standards; and,  
ii. to hold a workshop on the role of gender in the development of standards.  
5.2  Events  
a. An Information Session of Bodies Involved in the Preparation of International Standards 
was held on 19 November 1998.93 
b. A Workshop on the Role of International Standards in Economic D evelopment was held on 
16-17 March 2009.94 
c. The Sixth Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange, held on 22  June 2010, 
included a session on Transparency in Standard Setting.95  
d. A Thematic Session on Standards was held on 5 March 2013.96 
                                                
90 G/TBT/37 , 3 December 2015, para. 4.10(a), (b) and (c).  
91 In 2016, the "WTO ISO Standards Information Gateway" was launched. The Gateway can be accessed 
at https://tbtcode.iso.org/sites/wto -tbt/home.html  and provides information on standardizing bodi es that have 
accepted the Code of Good Practice and, if available, their work programmes. The notification formats for the 
acceptance of and withdrawal from the Code of Good Practice as well as to notify work programmes, can also 
be found on the gateway.  
92 G/TBT/41 , 19 November 2018, para. 5.8.  
93 G/TBT/9 , 13 November 2000, Annex 1 . 
94 G/TBT/M/47 , 5 June 2009, pp. 81 -83. 
95 G/TBT/M/51 , 1 October 2010, pp. 82 -88. 
96 The Moderator's summary and the final programme are available in G/TBT/GEN/144 , 11 March 2013.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  e. A Themati c Session on Standards was held on 18 March 2014.97 
f. A Thematic Session on Transparency, held on 17 June 2014, included a session on 
Transparency in Standard Setting.98 
g. On 16 June 2015, the Committee held a second Thematic Session on the Seventh Triennial 
Review, covering, inter alia , Standards.99 
h. A Thematic Session on Standards was held on 14 June 2016.100 101 
6  TRANSPARENCY  
6.1.  The TBT Agreement contains transparency provisions in : Articles 2 and 3 (technical 
regulations); Articles 5, 7, 8 and 9 (conformity assessment procedures); Annex 3, paragraphs J, L, 
M, N, O & P (standards); and Articles 10 (general transparency provision) and  15 (final provisions). 
A number of decisions and recommendations have been made with a view to facilitating access to 
information and further improving the implementation of transparency procedures under the 
Agreement.  
6.1  General  
6.1.1   Decisions and r ecommendation s 
a. In 2009 and 2012, the Committee reiterated the importance of Members fully complying 
with their transparency obligations under the TBT Agreement and in particular those 
related to the notification of technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures, 
as required under Articles 2.9, 2.10, 5.6, 5.7 and 10.7. The Committee stressed that 
transparency is a fundamental pillar in the implementation of the TBT Agreement and a 
key element of GRP.102 The Committee noted the significant stock of decisions and 
recommendations that it has developed since 1995 , and agreed103: 
i. to stress the importance of full implementation of this existing body of decisions and 
recommendations by Members.  
6.2  Statement on Implementation and Administration of the TBT Agreement 
(Article  15.2)  
6.2.  Pursuant  to Article 15.2, Members have an obligation to submit a statement on the measures 
in existence or taken to ensure the implementation and administration of the Agreement, including 
the provisions on transparency. Such statements, to be made by a Member promptly after the date 
on which the WTO Agreement enters into force for it, give a brief overview of how individual Members 
implement the TBT  Agreement. Since the establishment of the Committee, Members have 
emphasized the importance of fulfilling their obligations under Article 15.2.104  
                                                
97 The Chairman's report and the final programme are available in G/TBT/GEN/144/Add.1 , 26 March 
2014.  
98 The Moderator's report  and the final programme are contained in G/TBT/GEN/167 , 24 June 2014.  
99 The Chairperson's report is contained in JOB/TBT/134 , 26 June 2015 , para.  3.1. 
100 The Moderator's report is contained in G/TBT/GEN/199 , 23 June 20 16. 
101 https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tbt_e/tbtcomjune16_e.htm  
102 G/TBT/26 , 13 November 2009, para. 29.  
103 G/TBT/26 , 13 November 2009, para. 32 and G/TBT/32 , 29 November 2012, para. 11.  
104 G/TBT/5 , 19 November 1997 , para. 7; G/TBT/9 , 13 November 2000, para.  9; G/TBT/13 , 
11 November 2003 , para. 7; G/TBT/19 , 14 November 2006, para. 6.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  6.2.1   Decisions and recommendations  
a. In 1995, with respect to the contents of Article 15.2 statements, the Committee agreed105: 
i. the statement should cover the legislative, regulatory and administrative action taken 
as a result of the negotiation of the Agreement or currently in existence to ensure that 
the provisions of the Agreement are applied. If the Agreement itself has been 
incorporated into domestic law, the statement should indicate how this has been done. 
In other cases, the statement should desc ribe the content of the relevant laws, 
regulations, administrative orders, etc. All necessary references should also be 
provided.  
ii. in addition, the statement should specify:  
- the names of the publications used to announce that work is proceeding on 
draft tec hnical regulations or standards and procedures for assessment of 
conformity and those in which the texts of technical regulations and standards 
or procedures for assessment of conformity are published under Articles 2.9.1, 
2.11; 3.1 (in relation to 2.9.1 a nd 2.11); 5.6.1, 5.8; 7.1, 8.1 and 9.2 (in 
relation to 5.6.1 and 5.8); and paragraphs J, L and O of Annex 3 of the 
Agreement;  
- the expected length of time allowed for presentation of comments in writing on 
technical regulations, standards or procedures for assessment of conformity 
under Articles 2.9.4 and 2.10.3; 3.1 (in relation to 2.9.4 and 2.10.3); 5.6.4 
and 5.7.3; 7.1, 8.1 and 9.2 (in relation to 5.6.4 and 5.7.3); and paragraph L 
of Annex 3 of the Agreement;  
- the name and address of the enquiry point(s) f oreseen in Articles 10.1 and 
10.3 of the Agreement with an indication as to whether it is/they are fully 
operational; if for legal or administrative reasons more than one enquiry point 
is established, complete and unambiguous information on the scope of 
responsibilities of each of them;  
- the name and address of any other agencies that have specific functions under 
the Agreement, including those foreseen in Articles 10.10 and 10.11 of the 
Agreement; and  
- measures and arrangements to ensure that national and s ub-national 
authorities preparing new technical regulations or procedures for assessment 
of conformity, or substantial amendments to existing ones, provide early 
information on their proposals in order to enable the Member in question to 
fulfil its obligat ions on notifications under Articles 2.9, 2.10, 3.2, 5.6, 5.7 and 
7.2 of the Agreement.  
b. In 1997, in order to ensure the submission of statements under Article 15.2 and to improve 
the implementation and administration of the Agreement, the Committee agreed106: 
i. with due consideration to the obligations under Article 15.2 to inform the Committee 
of measures in existence or taken to ensure the implementation and administration of 
the Agreement, Members who have not submitted such information are expected to 
do so  without further delay. They are invited to indicate any difficulties and needs in 
this respect, so that technical assistance may be provided as appropriate;  and 
                                                
105 G/TBT/M/2 , 4 October 1995 , para. 5, G/TBT/W/2/Rev.1 , 21 June 1995, p. 2 . 
106 G/TBT/5, 19 November 1997, para. 7.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  ii. for the purpose of information exchange, Members are invited, on a voluntary basis, 
to make or al presentations to further elaborate on the arrangements they have in 
place to achieve an effective implementation and administration of the provisions of 
the Agreement, including those under Article 12. This exercise would be a useful means 
of sharing in formation with respect to good practices and in meeting the needs of those 
Members that may be seeking assistance.  
c. In 2000, the Committee agreed107: 
i. to encourage Members to continue sharing their experiences on the arrangements they 
had in place to achieve a n effective implementation and administration of the 
provisions of the Agreement.  
d. In 2003, in order to assist Members in meeting their obligations under Articles 15.2 and 
10.1, the Committee108: 
i. invited Members to seek assistance from other Members that had  met their 15.2 
obligations to share their knowledge and experience in this regard.  
6.2.2   Documents  
a. Members' Statements on Implementation and Administration of the Agreement are 
contained in the G/TBT/2/Add  - series.109 
b. A list of Members having submitted their 15.2 Statements is maintained in the 
G/TBT/GEN/1/  - series.  
6.2.3   Event s 
a. On 8 November 2007, the WTO Secretariat organized a Workshop on the Statement on 
Implementation and Administration of the TBT Agreement under Articl e 15.2.110 
6.3  Notifications  of Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment Procedures  
6.3.  Articles  2, 3, 5, and 7 of the TBT Agreement contain the notification obligations related to 
technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures. In addition, the TBT Committee has 
put in place detailed procedures for the implementation of these provisions (set out below), which 
have been refined over the years. The importance of fulfilling notification provisions has been 
regularly reiterated by the TBT Committee, as notifications can make an important contribution 
towards avoiding unnecessary obstacles to trade and provide Members with the opportunity to 
influence the development of technical requirements of other Members.  
6.4.  Article  2.9 of the TBT Agreement provides that Members have an obligation to notify a proposed 
technical regulation whenever a relevant international standard does not exist or when the technical 
content of the proposed technical regulation is not in accordance with the technical content of 
relevant international standards and if the technical regulation may have a significant effect on tr ade 
of other Members. Similarly, Article 5.6 of the TBT Agreement provides that Members have an 
obligation to notify a proposed conformity assessment procedure whenever a relevant international 
guide or recommendation issued by international standardizing bodies does not exist or the technical 
content of the proposed conformity assessment procedure is not in accordance with relevant 
international guides or recommendations issued by international standardizing bodies and if the 
conformity assessment procedur e may have a significant effect on trade of other Members.  
                                                
107 G/TBT/9 , 13 November 200 0, para. 9. 
108 G/TBT/13 , 11 November 2003 , para. 7.  
109 This information can be downloaded from the  TBT IMS, at : http://tbtims.wto.org . See Section 
"Online Tools " for further details.  
110 G/TBT/M/43 , 21 January 2008 , para. 3-5. G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  6.3.1   Decisions and r ecommendation s 
6.3.1.1   General  
a. In 2009, based on experience shared between Members on the implementation of 
notification obligations, the Committee agreed111: 
i. to reiterate the importance of en suring that Members comply fully with the notification 
requirements in Articles 2.9 and 5.6 of the TBT Agreement ; 
ii. to encourage Members to endeavour to submit those notifications at an early stage, 
when measures are still in draft form, to ensure time and a dequate opportunity for 
comments, for comments to be taken into account and for proposed measures to be 
modified; and  
iii. to reaffirm the importance of establishing mechanisms to facilitate internal 
coordination for the effective implementation of the TBT Agre ement's notifications 
obligations.  
6.3.1.2   "Significant effect on trade of other Members"  
a. In 1995, with a view to ensuring a consistent approach to the selection of proposed 
technical regulations and procedures for assessment of conformity to be notified, the 
Committee established the following criteria112:  
i. for the purposes of Articles 2.9 and 5.6, the concept of "significant effect on trade of 
other Members" may refer to the effect on trade:  
- of one technical regulation or procedure for assessment of conformity onl y, or 
of various technical regulations or procedures for assessment of conformity in 
combination;  
- in a specific product, group of products or products in general; and  
- between two or more Members;  
ii. when assessing the significance of the effect on trade of te chnical regulations, the 
Member concerned should take into consideration such elements as:  
- the value or other importance of imports in respect of the importing and/or 
exporting Members concerned, whether from other Members individually or 
collectively;  
- the potential growth of such imports; and  
- difficulties for producers in other Members to comply with the proposed 
technical regulations.  
iii. the concept of a significant effect on trade of other Members should include both 
import -enhancing and import -reducing e ffects on the trade of other Members, as long 
as such effects are significant.  
                                                
111 G/TBT/26 , 13 November 2009, para. 34.  
112 G/TBT/M/2 , 4 October 1995, para. 5 ; G/TBT/W/2/Rev.1 , 21 June 1995 , p. 7. G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  b. In 2012, with a view to enhancing the practical application of the concept of "significant 
effect on trade of other Members", the Committee agreed113: 
i. to encourage Members, for th e purpose of enhancing predictability and transparency 
in situations where it is difficult to establish or foresee whether a draft technical 
regulation or conformity assessment procedure may have a "significant effect on trade 
of other Members", to notify such measures.  
6.3.1.3   Timing of Notifications  
a. In 1995, the Committee agreed that when implementing the provisions of Articles 2.9.2, 
3.2 (in relation to Article 2.9.2), 5.6.2 and 7.2 (in relation to Article 5.6.2), a notification 
should be made when a draft with the complete text of a proposed technical regulation or 
procedures for assessment of conformity is available and when amendments can still be 
introduced and taken into account. 114 
6.3.1.4   Submission of Notification s (Format and Guidelines)  
a. The agreed  version o f the Format and Guidelines for the submission of notifications is  
contained in Annex 3.2  (on page 66 of this document) .115 
b. In 1995, the Committee recommended that information contained in the notification form 
should be as complete as possible and no section should be left blank. Where necessary, 
"not known" or "not stated" should be indicated.116  
c. In 2000, the Committee noted that enhancement of Internet usage can facilitate access 
to and exchan ge of information by Members. This would also facilitate and provide the 
maximum time possible for receiving notifications, obtaining and translating of relevant 
documents, and the presentation of comments. With a view to facilitating access to 
information  by Members, as well as to strengthen the notification process, including the 
time needed for the publication and circulation of notification by the Secretariat, the 
Committee117: 
i. agreed that whenever possible Members should file notifications by downloading , filling 
out and returning the complete form by e -mail to the Secretariat. The Committee will 
continue to explore ways to shorten the time for the submission, publication and 
circulation of notifications, as well as to examine the steps that would be need ed to 
facilitate the electronic transmission of information among Members to complement 
the hard copy information exchange.118 
ii. requested that Members transmit their notifications to the Secretariat electronically 
via the Central Registry of Notifications (CR N) at crn@wto.org in order to accelerate 
their processing.119 
                                                
113 G/TBT/32 , 29 November 2012, para. 12.  
114 G/TBT/M/2 , 4 October 1995 , para. 5; G/TBT/W/2/Rev.1 , 21 June 1995 , p. 7. 
115 G/TBT/M/2 , 4 October 1995 , para. 5; G/TBT/W/2/Rev.1 , 21 June 1995 , p. 3-6. 
116 G/TBT/M/2 , 4 October 1995 , para. 5; G/TBT/W/2/Rev.1 , 21 June 1995 , p. 3. 
117 G/TBT/9 , 13 November 2000,  paras. 13, 15 and Annex 3 . 
118 The TBT NSS was launched in October 2013, and provides Members with an alternative (voluntary) 
online method for submitting TBT notifications. See Section " Online Tools " for further details.  
119 G/TBT/M/15 , 3 May 1999, paras.  43 and 45; G/TBT/9 , 13 November 2000,  paras. 13, 15 and 
Annex  3; G/TBT/13 , 11 November 2003 , para. 26 .  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  d. In 2003, with regard to the electronic transmission of information on proposed standards, 
technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures, the Committee agreed120:  
i. to examine the feasibi lity of creating a central depository for notifications on the WTO 
website, which would enable Members to complete notification forms on line. This 
would complement, not replace, the submission of notifications to the CRN.  
e. In 2009, the Committee noted that , in practice, for the sake of greater transparency, some 
Members choose to notify draft measures when they are in accordance with relevant 
international standards, guides or recommendations. With a view to increasing 
transparency on the use of internation al standards, the Committee agreed121: 
i. to encourage Members, whenever possible and on a voluntary basis to indicate in Box 
8 of the notification format whether or not they consider that a relevant international 
standard exists and, if appropriate, to provide  information about deviations; and  
ii. to note the provisions contained in Articles 2.9.3 and 5.6.3 of the TBT Agreement 
stating that Members, upon request, provide other Members with particulars or copies 
of a proposed technical regulation or conformity asse ssment procedure and, whenever 
possible, identify the parts which, in substance, deviate from relevant international 
standards or from relevant guides and recommendations issued by international 
standardizing bodies.  
f. In 2012, with respect to the online sub mission of notifications, the Committee agreed122: 
i. to request the rapid development of a TBT on -line Notification Submission System 
(TBT NSS) to foster more expedient processing and circulation of notifications by the 
Secretariat.123 
g. In 2014, with a view to fa cilitating the traceability of information pertaining to a given 
notification (e.g. amendments, availability of the adopted text, entry into force), and 
avoiding confusion between new notifications and previously notified measures, the 
Committee agreed124: 
i. to a recommendation on the coherent use of notification formats (new notification, 
addenda, corrigenda, revision and supplement).  
h. In 2015, the Committee agreed125: 
i. to encourage Members to follow the recommendation on coherent use of notification 
formats.126 
i. In 2018, building on this exchange as well as on previous decisions and recommendations 
of the Committee, and with a view to furthering its work in the area of transparency, the 
Committee agreed127, with respect to the submission of notifications:  
i. to exchange information , for the purposes of enhancing predictability and 
transparency, on practices used in situations where a Member considers it is difficult 
to establish whether a draft technical regulation or conformity assessment procedure 
                                                
120 G/TBT/13 , 11 November 2003 , para. 27. 
121 G/TBT/26 , 13 November 2009, para. 36.  
122 G/TBT/32 , 29 November 2012, para. 18.  
123 The TBT NSS was launched in October 2013, and is available at: https://nss.wto.org/tbtmembers. 
Members may request access to the system through the WTO Secretariat, by sending an email to: 
tbtnss@wto.org . See Section " Online Tools " for further details.  
124 G/TBT/35 , 24 June 2014. The recommendation also appears  under Section 6.3.1.11 (d) "Follow -up", 
page 33, and is reproduced in full in Annex 3.1  (on page 65 of this document).  
125 G/TBT/ 37, 3 December 2015, para. 5.12(b).  
126 G/TBT/35 , 24 June 2014.  
127 G/TBT/41 , 19 November 2018, para. 6.19(d).  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  may fall unde r the TBT and/or the SPS Agreement. This exchange may be organized 
as an information session in cooperation with the SPS Committee;  
ii. to encourage  Members to provide maximum specific information on the products 
potentially impacted by notified measures (in Box 4 of the notification format). In this 
connection, to hold an initial discussion on how to improve – and what challenges exist 
for – the iden tification of products including with respect to the use of ICS and/or HS 
codes and/or product names where precise codes do not apply;  
iii. to discuss  challenges in identifying deviations from relevant international standards, 
guides or recommendations;  
iv. to encourage  Members, where possible, to provide a website address giving access to 
the text of the "relevant documents" in Box 8 of the notification format; and  
v. to consider , in light of the above, the need to review and update the Committee's 
Format and Guideli nes for New Notification128. Consideration could also, at that point, 
be given to the development of a keyword list and mechanism for assigning relevant 
keywords for TBT notifications.  
6.3.1.5   Notification of Labelling requirements  
a. In 1995, with the purpose of clar ifying the coverage of the Agreement with respect to 
labelling requirements, the Committee took the following decision129: 
i. In conformity with Article  2.9 of the Agreement, Members are obliged to notify all 
mandatory labelling requirements that are not based substantially on a relevant 
international standard and that may have a significant effect on the trade of other 
Members. That obligation is not dependent upon the kind of information which is 
provided on the label, whether it is in the nature of a technica l specification or not.  
6.3.1.6   Notifications of Proposed Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment 
Procedures of Local Governments at the Level Directly Below that of the Central 
Government  
a. In 2006, with regard to the notification of proposed technical regu lations and conformity 
assessment procedures of local governments at the level directly below that of the central 
government, the Committee agreed130: 
i. to invite Members to indicate the local government bodies in their jurisdiction that are 
subject to the not ification obligations contained in Articles 3.2 and 7.2.  
b. In 2009, the Committee noted, despite an increase in the number of measures notified 
under Articles 3.2 and 7.2, that this level remained generally low. In light of this, the 
Committee agreed131: 
i. to re commend that Members continue to discuss possible ways to improve 
coordination between relevant authorities at the central level and the local level 
directly below the central level with respect to notifications under Articles 3.2 and 7.2, 
including throug h dissemination of good practices; and  
ii. to request the Secretariat to remain engaged in providing statistical information with 
respect to Articles 3.2 and 7.2.  
                                                
128 G/TBT/1/Rev.13 , Annex 3.2, pp. 58 -61.  
129 G/TBT/M/2 , 4 October 1995 , para. 5; G/TBT/W/2/Rev.1 , 21 June 1995 , p. 10. 
130 G/TBT/19 , 14 November 2006, paras. 52 and 68(b)(i).  
131 G/TBT/26 , 13 November 2009, para. 38.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  c. In 2012, the Committee agreed132: 
i. to reaffirm the importance of establishing mechanisms to facilita te internal 
coordination for the effective implementation of the TBT Agreement's notification 
obligations, including with respect to the notification of  measures in line with 
Articles  3.2 and 7.2.133 
6.3.1.7   Regional approaches to notification of technical regulatio ns and conformity 
assessment procedures  
a. In 2015, with a view to providing greater transparency and meaningful opportunity for 
comment on regional experiences, the Committee agreed : 
i. to discuss the notification of regional technical regulations and conformit y assessment 
procedures and to recommend best practices.134 
6.3.1.8   Length of time allowed for comments  
a. In 2000 and 2003, with respect to time limits for presentation of comments on notified 
technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures , the Committee agreed:  
i. the normal time limit for comments on notifications should be 60 days. Any Member 
which is able to provide a time limit beyond 60 days, such as 90 days, is encouraged 
to do so and should in dicate this in the notification135; and   
ii. in order to improve the ability of developing country Members to comment on 
notifications, and consistent with the principle of special and differential treatment, 
developed country Members are encouraged to provide more than a 60 -day comment 
period.136 
b. In 2009, the Com mittee agreed137: 
i. to recall its earlier recommendation that the normal time limit for the presentation of 
comments should be at least 60 days, and its encouragement to Members to provide, 
whenever possible, a time limit beyond 60 days, such as 90 days;  
ii. to recall that developed country Members are encouraged to provide more than a  
60-day comment period, to improve the ability of developing country Members to make 
comments on notifications consistent with the principle of special and differential 
treatment; a nd  
iii. to reiterate that an insufficient period of time for presentation of comments on 
proposed technical regulations and conformity assessment may prevent Members from 
adequately exercising their right to submit comments.  
                                                
132 G/TBT/32 , 29 No vember 2012, para. 14.  
133 It was noted that the establishment of internal coordination mechanisms is also an important 
element of GRP. See Section 1.1 (on pages 6 -9 of this document). See also : G/TBT/32 , 29 November 2012, 
para. 14, footnote 28.   
134 G/TBT/37 , 3 December 2015, para. 5.12(e).  
135 G/TBT/9 , 13 November 2000 , para. 13 and Annex 3, p.  22. 
136 G/TBT/13 , 11 November 2003 , para. 26 . 
137 G/TBT/26 , 13 November 2009, paras. 39 -40. G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  6.3.1.9   Handling of comments  
a. In 1995, in or der to improve the handling of comments on proposed technical regulations 
and procedures for assessment of conformity submitted under Articles 2.9.4, 2.10.3, 3.1 
(in relation to 2.9.4 and 2.10.3), 5.6.4, 5.7.3 and 7.1 (in relation to 5.6.4 and 5.7.3) of 
the Agreement, the Committee agreed on the following procedures138: 
i. each Member should notify the WTO Secretariat of the authority or agency (e.g. its 
enquiry point) which it has designated to be in charge of handling of comments 
received; and  
ii. a Member receivi ng comments through the designated body should without further 
request:  
- acknowledge the receipt of such comments;  
- explain within a reasonable time to any Member from which it has received 
comments, how it will proceed in order to take these comments into a ccount 
and, where appropriate, provide additional relevant information on the 
proposed technical regulations or procedures for assessment of conformity 
concerned; and  
- provide to any Member from which it has received comments, a copy of the 
corresponding te chnical regulations or procedures for assessment of 
conformity as adopted or information that no corresponding technical 
regulations or procedures for assessment of conformity will be adopted for the 
time being.  
b. In 2003, the Committee agreed139: 
i. to invite Me mbers to formulate their requests to enquiry points, on comment periods 
or on any other matter, in one of the three official languages of the WTO;  
ii. to encourage Members to voluntarily respond to comments in writing if so requested, 
and to share their respon ses with the TBT Committee. Members are also encouraged 
to draft their responses in one of the three official languages of the WTO;  and 
iii. to invite Members, on a voluntary basis, to disseminate their comments and responses 
by means of national websites and t o draw the Committee's attention to these.  
c. In 2006, with a view to facilitating the implementation of transparency procedures under 
the Agreement, the Committee agreed140: 
i. to encourage Members to provide sufficient time between the end of the comment 
period and the adoption of the notified technical regulations and conformity 
assessment procedures for the consideration of comments made and the preparation 
of subsequent responses;  
ii. to encourage Members to exchange comments and to provide information on website s 
on which comments received from Members and replies thereto are posted, taking into 
account the fact that some bilateral communications between Members could be of a 
confidential nature; and  
iii. to request the Secretariat to prepare a list of these websites,  based on the information 
provided by Members.  
                                                
138 G/TBT/M/2 , 4 October 1995 , para. 5; G/TBT/W/2/Rev.1 , 21 June 1995 , p. 9. 
139 G/TBT/13 , 11 November 2003 , para. 26.  
140 G/TBT/19 , 14 November 2006, paras. 58  and 68(d)(i) -(iii). G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  d. In 2009, the Committee agreed141: 
i. to stress the importance of an efficient and effective handling of comments on notified 
measures and, in this respect, to reiterate its previous recommendations on the 
handling of comments, including the recommendation to voluntarily respond to 
comments in writing, if so requested, and to share these replies with the TBT 
Committee and to encourage Members to draft their responses in one of the three 
official languages of the WTO;   
ii. to note the importance of domestic coordination to ensure that comments received are 
followed up and taken into account in finalizing the draft measure;  
iii. to recall its earlier recommendations about the sharing, on a voluntary basis, of 
comments on notifie d draft measures and replies thereto, including through the use of 
websites; and  
iv. to recommend that the Committee continues to discuss ways to improve the effective 
implementation of the provisions of the TBT Agreement on handling of comments, 
including assessing the feasibility of utilizing the TBT Information Management System 
(TBT IMS) as a platform where comments on notified measures, and replies thereto, 
could be posted on a voluntary basis.  
e. In 2018, the Committee decided142, with respect to the handling of comments : 
i. to reiterate  previous recommendations143 to encourage  Members to disseminate 
comments received on notified draft measures and substantive replies, on a voluntary 
basis; and  
ii. to discuss , in the context of the Ninth S pecial Meeting on Procedures for Information 
Exchange, the dissemination of comments received on notified draft measures and 
substantive replies on a voluntary basis, possibly via existing online tools such as 
ePing.  
6.3.1.10   Timing of Entry into Force of Technical  Regulations and Understanding of 
"Reasonable Interval" under Article 2.12  
6.5.  In the  2001 Ministerial Decision on Implementation -related Issues and Concerns, Ministers 
stated that "Subject to the conditions specified in paragraph 12 of Article 2 of the Agreem ent on 
Technical Barriers to Trade, the phrase 'reasonable interval' shall be understood to mean normally 
a period of not less than 6 months, except when this would be ineffective in fulfilling the legitimate 
objectives pursued."144  
a. In 2002, the Committee t ook note of the above -mentioned Ministerial Decision regarding 
the implementation of Article 2.12 of the Agreement, and decided  as follows145: 
i. Subject to the conditions specified in paragraph 12 of Article 2 of the Agreement on 
Technical Barriers to Trade, t he phrase "reasonable interval" shall be understood to 
mean normally a period of not less than six months, except when this would be 
ineffective in fulfilling the legitimate objectives pursued.  
                                                
141 G/TBT/26 , 13 November 2009, para. 42.  
142 G/TBT/41 , 19 November 2018, para. 6.19(f).  
143 G/TBT/1/Rev.13 , Section 5.3.1.9, p. 28.  
144 WT/MIN(01 )/17, 20 November 2001, para. 5.2. 
145 G/TBT/M/26 , 6 May 2002 , para. 15; WT/MIN(01 )/17, 20 November 2001, para. 5.2. G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  b. In 2006, with a view to facilitating the implementation of tra nsparency procedures under 
the Agreement, the Committee agreed146: 
i. to encourage Members to provide an interval of more than six months, when possible, 
between the publication of technical regulations and their entry into force.  
6.3.1.11   Follow -up 
a. In 2003, in order to  facilitate the follow -up on Members' technical regulations and 
conformity assessment procedures brought to the attention of the Committee, the 
Committee agreed147:  
i. to have amendments to notifications carry the same document symbol as that of the 
original n otification to allow them to be adequately traced;  
ii. to encourage Members to share, on a voluntary basis, with the Committee any follow -
up information on issues that have been previously brought to its attention.  
b. In 2009, the Committee agreed148: 
i. to recall its  earlier recommendation encouraging Members to notify the availability of 
the adopted final text as an addendum to the original notification and to provide 
information on where the final text can be obtained, including website address;  
ii. to stress the impor tance of making such addenda when a proposed regulation is either 
adopted, published or enters into force and especially in cases where the relevant 
dates have not been provided in the original notification or have been changed; and  
iii. to recommend that the C ommittee establish common procedures on how and under 
which format (addendum, corrigendum, revision) to notify modifications or any other 
information relevant to previously notified measures.  
c. In 2012, with a view to advancing the work of establishing commo n procedures for the 
use of notification formats the Committee agreed149: 
i. To exchange experiences on Members' use of notification formats (addendum, 
corrigendum, revision, new notification).150 
d. In 2014, with a view to facilitating the traceability of informati on pertaining to a given 
notification (e.g. amendments, availability of the adopted text, entry into force), and 
avoiding confusion between new notifications and previously notified measures, the 
Committee agreed151: 
i. to a recommendation on the coherent use o f notification formats (new notification, 
addenda, corrigenda, revision and supplement).  
e. In 2015, the Committee agreed152 to encourage Members to follow the recommendation 
on coherent use of notification formats.153 
                                                
146 G/TBT/19 , 14 November 2006, paras. 61-63 and 68(e)(i).  
147 G/TBT/13 , 11 November 2003 , para. 28.  
148 G/TBT/26 , 13 November 2009, para. 43.  
149 G/TBT/32 , 29 November 2012, para. 15.  
150 It was noted that one possible starting point could be the recommendations developed by the SPS 
Committee and contained in Section F on "Addenda, Revisions and Corrigenda" of G/SPS/7/Rev.3 . See 
G/TBT/32 , 29 November 2012, para. 15, footnote 30.  
151 G/TBT/35 , 24 June 2014 and is reproduced in full in Annex 3.1  (on page 65 of this document) . 
152 G/TBT/37 , 3 December 2015, para. 5.12(b).  
153 G/TBT/35 , 24 June 2014.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  6.3.1.12   Monthly Listing of Notifications Issued by the WTO Secretariat  
a. In 2000, the Committee agreed  on the following with a view to providing a brief indication 
of the notifications issued154: 
i. the Secretariat is requested to prepare a monthly table of notifications issued, 
indicating the notification numbers, notifying Members, Articles notified under, 
products covered, objectives and final dates for comments.155  
6.3.2   Documents  
a. Notifications under Article 2, 3, 5, and 7 are circulated in the document series 
G/TBT/N/[Member]/[Number ]. 
6.3.3   Events  
a. A Workshop and the Second Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange was 
held on 14  September  1998, which included discussion on notification practices.156 
b. The Third Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange was held on  
28 June 2001, which included discussion on notification practices.157 
c. On 21 -22 October  2003, with the objective of improving Members' understanding of the 
preparation, adoption and application of labelling requirements in the context of the 
implementation of the Agreement, as well as of the impact of such requirements on market 
access, the Committee held a Learning Event on Labelling, which focused on developing 
country Members' concerns.158 
d. The Fourth Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchanges was held on  
2-3 November 2004, which included discussion on notification practices.159 
e. The Fifth Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange was held on 
7-8 November 2007, which included discussion on notification practices.160 
f. The Sixth Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange was held on 22 June 
2010, which included d iscussion on good practices in notification.161 
g. The Seventh Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange was held on 18  June 
2013, which included discussion of good practices in the use of notification formats.162 
h. On 16 June 2015, the Committee held a second Thematic Session on the Seventh Triennial 
Review, covering, inter alia , discussion of regional experiences.163 
                                                
154 G/TBT/9 , 13 November 2000,  para. 13 and Annex 3 , p. 22.  
155 These reports can be downloaded from the TBT IMS: http://tbtims.wto.org . This information can also 
be access through ePing, the TBT and SPS notification alert system: www.epingalert.org . See Section 
"Online  Tools" for further details.  
156 G/TBT/9 , 13 November 2000,  Annex 1.  
157 The Chairman's Rep ort is contained in Annex 1 of G/TBT/M/24 , dated 14 August 2001 . 
158 G/TBT/13 , 11 November 2003 , para. 3. 
159 The Summary Report of the meeting is con tained in Annex 2 of G/TBT/M/34 , dated 5 January 2005 . 
160 The Summary Report  as well as the Chairman's Report are contained in Annex 1 and 2, respectively, 
of G/TBT/M/43 , dated 21 January 2008.  
161 The Summary Report as well as the Chairman's Report are contained in Annex 1 and 2, respectively, 
of G/TBT/M/51 , dated 1 October 2010.  
162 The Summary Report is contained in the Annex of G/TBT/M/60 , 23 September 2013.  
163 The Chairperson's report is contained in JOB/TBT/134 , 26 June 2015 , paras. 4.1 -4.6. G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  6.4  Notif ications related to  Standards  
6.6.  Article 4  of the Agreement establishes a "Code of Good Practice for the Preparation, Adoption 
and Application of Standards" (the "Code"). The text of the Code is contained in Annex 3 of the TBT 
Agreement. The Code provides that, inter alia , Members shall ensure tha t their central government 
standardizing bodies accept and comply with the Code, and to take such reasonable measures as 
may be available to them to ensure that local government and non -governmental standardizing 
bodies within their territories, as well as  regional standardizing bodies of which they or one or more 
bodies within their territories are members, accept and comply with the Code. The Code is open for 
acceptance to any such bodies (Paragraph B). Standardizing bodies that have accepted or withdrawn  
from the Code shall notify this fact (Paragraph C), as well as the existence of a work programme 
(Paragraph J).  
6.4.1   Decisions and recommendations  
6.4.1.1   Notification of the Acceptance of, or Withdrawal from, the Code of Good Practice 
(Paragraph C)  
a. In 1997, in order  to improve the transparency, acceptance of, and compliance with the 
Code, the Committee agreed164: 
i. to invite Members to share their experience with respect to the steps taken to fulfil 
their obligations under Article 4 and to exchange information on the reasons why 
certain standardizing bodies as identified in Article 4.1 have not yet accepted the Code;   
ii. that Members should take appropriate action to inform standardizing bodies of the 
provisions of the Code and the benefits they would gain from accepting it; and  
iii. that the Secretariat will draw up a list of standardizing bodies on the basis of 
information provided by Members for this purpose.  
b. In 2006, with a view to facilitating the implementation of transparency procedures under 
the Agreement, and with regard to the acceptance of the Code of Good Practice by regional 
standardizing bodies, the Committee agr eed165: 
i. to encourage regional standardizing bodies to accept the Code of Good Practice and to 
notify their acceptance of the Code to the ISO/IEC Information Centre.  
6.4.1.2   Notification of the Existence of a Work Programme (Paragraph J)  
a. In 1997, in order to improve the transparency, acceptance of, and compliance with the 
Code, the Committee agreed166: 
i. to examine any problems faced by Members in the implementation of the provisions 
of the Code, for example, problems encountered in publishing work programs every 
six mont hs as required under paragraph J, so that appropriate technical assistanc e can 
be provided, if necessary.  
b. In 1999, the Committee agreed167:  
i. that the communication of the work programmes of standardizing bodies via the 
Internet would be another possibility to fulfil paragraph J obligations on transparency. 
Hard copies of such work programmes would, nevertheless, always be made available 
on request in accordance with paragraph P of the Code of Code of Good Practice.  
                                                
164 G/TBT/5 , 19 November 1997,  paras. 12(a), (b) and (d).  
165 G/TBT/19 , 14 November 2006, paras. 66 -67 and 68(g)(i ). 
166 G/TBT/5 , 19 November 1997,  para. 12(c) .   
167 G/TBT/M/15 , 3 May 1999, paras. 67 -69.   G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  c. In 2006, with a view to facilitating the i mplementation of transparency procedures under 
the Agreement, the Committee agreed168: 
i. to invite the ISO/IEC Information Centre to provide information to the Committee on 
the status of notifications of the existence of a work programme made under Paragraph 
J when the WTO TBT Standa rds Code Directory is published;  and 
ii. to encourage standardizing bodies that communicate their work programmes via the 
internet to specify the exact web pages where the information on work programmes 
is located under the item "Public ation" of the notification form.  
d. In 2015, with a view to furthering its work in the area of transparency in standard -setting, 
the Committee agreed169: 
i. consistent with paragraph J of the Code, to encourage Members' central government 
standardizing bodies, and  non-governmental bodies that have accepted the Code, to 
publish their work programmes on websites and notify the specific website addresses 
where the work programmes are published to the ISO/IEC Information Centre;  and 
ii. to discuss ways of improving Members ' access to the information mentioned in i above.  
6.4.1.3   Publishing of a Notice (Paragraph L)  
a. In 1997, in order to improve the transparency, acceptance of, and compliance with the 
Code, the Committee agreed170: 
i. without prejudice to the views of Members concerning t he coverage and application of 
the Agreement, the obligation to publish notices of draft standards containing 
voluntary labelling requirements under paragraph L of the Code is not dependent upon 
the kind of information provided on the label.  
b. In 2003, with regard to the electronic transmission of information on proposed standards, 
technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures, the Committee took note of 
Paragraph L of the Code of Good Practice which states that: "No later than at the start of 
the comment period, the standardizing body shall publish a notice announcing the period 
for commenting in the publication referred to in paragraph J," and agreed171:  
i. that the electronic publication of notices announcing the periods for comments can 
constitute  another possibility for the fulfilment of this transparency obligation.  
c. In 2015, with a view to furthering its work in the area of transparency in standard -setting, 
the Committee agreed172: 
i. consistent with paragraph L of the Code, to encourage Members' cent ral government 
standardizing bodies, and non -governmental bodies that have accepted the Code, to 
share information about the publication of a notice announcing the period for 
commenting on a draft standard (e.g. title and volume of pub lication, website 
address); and  
ii. to discuss ways of improving Members' access to the information mentioned in i above.   
                                                
168 G/TBT/19 , 14 November 2006, paras. 64-65 and 68(f)(i) -(ii).   
169 G/TBT/37 , 3 December 2015, para. 4.10(b).  
170 G/TBT/5 , 19 November 1997, para. 12(e).   
171 G/TBT/13 , 11 November 2003 , para. 27. 
172 G/TBT/37 , 3 December 2015, para. 4.10(b).  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  6.4.2   Documents  
a. Notifications under the Code of Good Practice are circulated by the WTO Secretariat in the 
document series G/TBT/CS/N/[Number ].173 The agreed format is contained in Annex  7 (on 
page 7 9 of this document) .  
b. The ag reed format for notification  of the existence of a work programme  to the ISO/IEC 
Information Centre is contained in Annex 7  (on page 80 of this document).  
6.4.3   Events  
a. The Fourth Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchanges was held on  
2-3 November 2004, which included discussion on transparency in standard -setting.174 
b. The Sixth Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange was held on 22 June 
2010, which included discussion on transparency in st andard -setting.175 
c. A Thematic Session on Transparency was held on 17 June 2014, which included discussion 
of transparency in standard -setting.176 
d. On 16 June 2015, the Committee held a second Thematic Session on the Seventh Triennial 
Review, covering, inter ali a, discussion of transparency in standard -setting.177 
e. The Eighth Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange was held on 
8 November 2016, which included discussion of transparency in standard -setting.178 
f. On 18 and 19 June 2019, the Committee held a Thematic Session on Transparency , 
including the Ninth Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange.179 180 
                                                
173 This information can be downloaded from the TBT IMS under "Reports": http://tbtims.wto.org . See 
Section " Online Tools " for further details. See Annex 7  (on page 79 of this document)  for further  information  on 
the notification template . Pursuant to the Ministerial Decision taken in Marrakesh on 15 April 1994 on 
"Proposed Understanding on WTO -ISO Standards Information System", a "Memorandum of Understanding 
(MoU) on WTO Standards Information Service Operated by ISO " was reached between the Secretary -General 
of the ISO Central Secretariat and the Director -General of the WTO.  This MoU established a WTO -ISO 
Information System regarding standardizing bodies under Paragraphs C and J of the Code of Good Practice. 
Pursuan t to Paragraph  2 of the MoU and in order to ensure a uniform and efficient operation of the procedures 
for notifications, the ISO and the WTO Secretariats developed notification formats and related guidelines, which 
were to be used by standardizing bodies accepting the Code of Good Practice  (contained in G/TBT/W/4 ). In 
2016, the "WTO ISO Standards Information Gateway " was launched. The Gateway can be accessed at 
https://tbtcode.iso.org/sites/wto -tbt/home.html  and provides information on standardizing bodies that have 
accepted the Code of Good Practice and, if available, their work programmes. The notification formats  for the 
acceptance of and withdrawal from the Code of Good Practice as well as to notify work programmes , can also 
be found on the gateway.  
174 The Summary Report of the meeting is contained in Annex 2 of G/TBT/M/34 , dated 5 Januar y 2005 . 
175 The Summary Report as well as the Chairman's Report are contained in Annex 1 and 2, respectively, 
of G/TBT/M/51 , dated 1 October 2010.  
176 The Moderator's summary and the final pro gramme are contained in G/TBT/GEN/167 , 24 June 2014.  
177 The Chairperson's  report is contained in JOB/TBT/134 , 26 June 2015 , paras. 4.1 -4.6. 
178 The S ummary Report is contained in the Annex of G/TBT/M/70 , 17 February 2017.  
179 The Moderator's report is contained in G/TBT/GEN/265 , 28 June 2019.  
180 https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tbt_e/thematicsession1819_06_29_e.htm   G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  6.5  Notification under Article 10.7 of the TBT Agreement  
6.7.  The TBT  Agreement contains an obligation to notify agreements between Mem bers on issues 
related to technical regulations, standards or conformity assessment procedures which may have a 
significant effect on trade (Article 10.7).  
6.5.1   Decision s and recommendations  
a. In 1996, the Committee agreed to adopt the  format for notifications u nder Article 10.7 of 
the Agreement contained in Annex 4 (on page 75 of this document) .181 
6.5.2   Documents  
a. Notifications under Article 10.7 are circulated under document symbol 
G/TBT/10 .7/N/[Number].182 
6.6  Dissemination of Information  
6.6.1   Publication  
6.8.  Members  are required to publish a notice of a proposed technical regulation or conformity 
assessment procedure if it may have a significant effect on trade of other Members, and whenever 
a relevant international sta ndard (or, in the case of a conformity assessment procedure, a relevant 
guide or recommendation issued by an international standardizing body) does not exist or the 
proposed measure is not in accordance with the technical content of relevant international standards 
(or, in the case of a conformity assessment procedure, relevant guides or recommendations issued 
by international standardizing bodies) (Articles 2.9.1 and 5.6.1).  
6.6.1.1   Decisions and r ecommendation s 
a. In 2006 and 2009, with regard to the publication of a notice of proposed technical 
regulations and conformity assessment procedures (pursuant to Articles 2.9.1 and 5.6.1), 
the Committee agreed183:  
i. to examine ways in which the publications for such notices – and their content – are 
made availab le, so as to enable all interested parties to become acquainted with them.  
6.6.1.2   Documents  
a. Information on official publications related to technical regulations, standards and 
conformity assessment in the form of a list, including website references, is containe d in 
the document G/TBT/GEN/39/ -series .184 
6.6.1.3   Events  
a. The Fifth Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange was held on 
7-8 November 2007, which included discussion on publication practices .185 
                                                
181 G/TBT/M/5 , 19 September 1996 , para. 15; G/TBT/W/25 , 3 May 1996.  
182 This information can be downloaded from the TBT IMS: http://tbtims.wto.org . See Section " Online 
Tools" for further details.  
183 G/TBT/19 , 14 November 2006, paras.  51 and 68(a)(i) ; G/TBT/26 , 13 November 2009, para. 46 . 
184 This information can be downloaded from the TBT IMS, under report "Publications": 
http://tbtims.wto.org . 
185 The Summary Report as well as the Chairman's Report are contained in Annex 1 and 2, respectively, 
of G/TBT/M/43 , dated 21 January 2008.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  6.6.2   Texts of Notified Technical Regulations and Conformity Asse ssment Procedures  
6.9.  Articles  2.9.3 and 5.6.3 of the TBT Agreement state that Members shall, upon request, provide 
to other Members particulars or copies of the proposed technical regulation or conformity assessment 
procedures, and wherever possible identify the parts which in substance deviate from relevant 
international standards, or relevant guides or recommendations issued by international 
standardizing bodies.  
6.6.2.1   Decisions and recommendations  
a. In 2006, with a view to facilitating the implementation of transpa rency procedures under 
the Agreement, and with regard to texts of notified technical regulations and conformity 
assessment procedures, the Committee agreed186: 
i. to encourage Members to provide:  
- more detailed information on proposed technical regulations and conformity 
assessment procedures in Section 6 "Description of content" of the notification 
form; and  
- the website address where Members can download the full text of the notified 
measure in Section 11 "Text available from" of the notification form or any 
other means to qui ckly and easily access the text;  
ii. to explore ways to attach to the notification form a copy of the text of the notified 
measure; and  
iii. to encourage Members to notify the availability of the adopted final text as an 
addendum to the original not ification and to provide information on where the final 
text can be obtained, including website address.  
b. In 2007, with the purpose of facilitating access to notified draft texts, the Committee 
decided187: 
i. to establish a facility whereby Members may, on a vol untary basis, provide the WTO 
Secretariat with an electronic version of the notified draft text (attachment) together 
with the notification format. (Texts will be stored on a WTO server and accessed 
through a hyperlink in the notification format.)  
c. In 2009,  with a view to improving access to texts of notified measures, the Committee 
agreed188: 
i. to reiterate its earlier recommendation to indicate a website address in Box 11 "Text 
available from" of the notification format; and  
ii. to encourage Members to use the facility provided by the WTO Secretariat and to send 
electronic versions of notified texts together with the notification format to be 
hyperlinked in the notification itself.  
d. In 2012, with a view to increasing transparency across the regulatory lifecycle, and on 
methods Members use to assess the potential impact on trade of draft measures, the 
Committee agreed189: 
i. to encourage Members when notifying draft measures to provide access – on a 
voluntary basis and depending on their individual situations – to asses sments, such as 
                                                
186 G/TBT/19 , 14 November 2006, paras. 68(c)(i) -(iii).   
187 G/TBT/M/43 , 21 January 2008, para.  129.  Guidelines for the use of this facility are contained  in 
document G/TBT/GEN/65 , 14 December 2007.  
188 G/TBT/26 , 13 November 2009, para. 49.  
189 G/TBT/32 , 29 November 2012, para. 13.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  regulatory impact assessment (RIA), that they have undertaken on the potential 
effects of the draft measure, including likely impacts on consumers, industry and trade 
(e.g. a cost -benefit analysis, analysis of alternative measures). This ca n be achieved, 
for instance, through a hyperlink to the assessment in Box 8 of the notification 
template or by including the assessment in the draft measure itself.  
e. In 2018, building on this exchange as well as on previous decisions and recommendations 
of the Committee, and with a view to furthering its work in the area of transparency, the 
Committee agreed190 with respect to adopted final texts:  
i. to recommend  Members to notify the adopted final text of technical regulations and 
conformity assessment procedure s191; 
ii. to modify  the existing addenda notification template192 or to develop  a new addenda 
template specific to adopted final texts so as to provide Members with the ability to 
indicate when  the measure entered – or will enter – into force and provide information 
on where  the final text can be obtained, including website address193;  
iii. to endeavour  to provide the Secretariat, to the extent possible before the June 2019 
TBT Committee meeting, with  up-to-date website information for where adopted final 
texts of technical regulations, as well as applicable conformity assessment procedures, 
can normally be accessed; and  
iv. to request  the Secretariat to maintain an up -to-date and readily available list of  such 
websites, based on information from Members and within the limits of its resources, 
and to publish the list annually in the Annual Review of the Implementation and 
Operation of the TBT Agreement .  
6.6.3   Provision of Translations  
6.10.   Article 10 .5 of the TBT Agr eement states that developed country Members shall, if requested 
by other Members, provide in English, French or Spanish, translations of the documents covered by 
a specific notification, or in case of voluminous documents, of summaries of such documents.  
6.6.3.1   Decisions  and recommendations  
a. In 1995, in order to avoid difficulties that can arise from the fact that the documentation 
relevant to technical regulations, standards and procedures for assessment of conformity 
is not available in one of the WTO working la nguages and that a body other than the 
enquiry point may be responsible for such documentation, the Committee agreed194: 
i. when a translation of a relevant document exists or is planned, this fact shall be 
indicated on the WTO TBT notification form next to the  title of the document. If only a 
translated summary exists, the fact that such a summary is available shall be similarly 
indicated;  
ii. upon receipt of a request for documents, any translated summaries that exist in the 
language of the requester or, as the c ase may be, in a WTO working language, shall 
be automatically sent with the original of the documents requested;  
iii. Members shall indicate under point 11 of the WTO TBT notification form the exact 
address, e -mail address, telephone and fax numbers of the bod y responsible for 
supplying the relevant documents if tha t body is not the enquiry point; and  
                                                
190 G/TBT/41 , 19 November 2018, para. 6.19(e)  
191 Circulated as an addendum to the original notification in line with G/TBT/35 . 
192 G/TBT/1/Rev.13 , Annex 3.3, p. 62; and G/TBT/35 . 
193 G/TBT/1/Rev.13 , Section 5.6.2.1, p. 35; and G/TBT/35 . 
194 G/TBT/M/2 , 4 October 1995 , para. 5; G/TBT/W/2/Rev.1 , 21 June 1995 , pp. 7-8. G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  iv. when a Member seeks a copy of a document relating to a notification which does not 
exist in that Member's WTO working language, it will be advised, on request, by  the 
notifying Member of other Members that have requested, as of that date, a copy of 
the document. The Member seeking a copy of a document relating to a notification 
may then contact such other Members in order to determine whether the latter are 
prepare d to share, on mutually agreed terms, any translation that they have or will be 
making into relevant WTO working language(s).  
b. In 2003, in the context of the handling of comments, the Committee agreed195: 
i. to encourage Members under Article 10.5, to provide t ranslations of the documents 
covered by specific notifications, in any WTO official language of their choosing without 
being requested to do so.  
c. In 2006, with a view to facilitating the implementation of transparency procedures under 
the Agreement, and wit h regard to texts of notified technical regulations and conformity 
assessment procedures, the Committee agreed196: 
i. to explore ways to enhance the sharing of translation of documents referred to in 
notifications, such as posting on Members' websites or develo ping a format to inform 
other Members of the existence of translations of notified  measures.  
d. In 2007, with a view to enhancing the sharing of translation of documents referred to in 
notifications and facilitating information -sharing by Members on the availability of 
unofficial translations on the Internet, the Committee agreed197: 
i. to set up a mechan ism whereby Members are invited, on a voluntary basis, to provide 
information about the availability of unofficial translations of notified measures;  
ii. that this will be done through the circulation by the Secretariat of a supplement to the 
original notific ation submitted by a Member; and  
iii. that such information should be provided to the Central Registry for Notifications 
(crn@wto.org ) in the format contained in Annex 3.6  (on page 73 of this document).198 
e. In 2009, the Committee noted that, in the absence of a translation, Section 6 of the 
notification format "Description of the content", as well as prompt replies to specific 
questions on the content, are important sources of information  for understanding the 
proposed measure and the main basis for comments from interested parties. In light of 
the above, the TBT Committee agreed199: 
i. to reaffirm its recommendation that Members share, on a voluntary basis, unofficial 
translations of documents  referred to in notifications, for example by posting them on 
Members' websites or by providing these unofficial translations to the WTO Secretariat 
for further dissemination through the agreed mechanism; and  
ii. to encourage Members, in cases when a notified document is not in one of the WTO 
official languages, to provide a comprehensive description of the measure in Section  6 
"Description of the content" of the notification format.  
                                                
195 G/TBT/13 , 11 November 2003, para. 26.  
196 G/TBT/19 , 14 November 2006, para. 68(c)(iv).   
197 G/TBT/M/43 , 21 January 2008, para. 131.  Guidelines for the use of the facility are contained  in 
document G/TBT/GEN/66 , 14 December 2007.   
198 The TBT NSS was launched in October 2013, and provides Members with an alternative (voluntary) 
online method for submitting supplement notifi cations . See Section " Online Tools " for further details.  
199 G/TBT/26 , 13 November 2009, para. 52.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  f. In 2015, the Committee agreed  to encourage  Members to provide translations of  draft 
technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures in one of the WTO official 
working languages and make them available to Members and their exporters in an 
effective, efficient and transparent way, taking into account the special difficulti es of 
developing Members.200 
6.6.3.2   Documents  
a. Unofficial translations of notified measures are circulated in the document series 
G/TBT/N/[Member]/[Number]/[Suppl. ]. 
6.6.3.3   Events  
a. On 16 June 2015, the Committee held a second Thematic Session on the Seventh Triennial 
Review , covering, inter alia , discussion of the provision of translations.201 
6.6.4   Online Tools  
6.11.   At the  request of Members, the Secretariat launched the web -based application, the TBT 
Information Management System (TBT IMS)202 in July 2009. The TBT IMS is a comprehensive  source 
of information on TBT notifications and other transparency -related documents. The system contains 
information on all types of notifications under the TBT Agreement, such as notifications of technical 
regulations and conformity assessment procedures , notifications of agreements under Article 10.7 
and notifications made under Paragraph C the Code of Good Practice of the TBT Agreement. The 
system also contains Members' Statements on Implementation and Administration of the TBT 
Agreement made under Arti cle 15.2, the list of TBT National Enquiry Points and information on 
specific trade concerns discussed in the TBT Committee. The TBT IMS allows for advanced searching 
and reporting on notifications based on a variety of criteria, inter alia, product codes,  notification 
keywords, objectives  of the notified measures , geographic grouping, and dates for comments.  
6.12.   Members  are of the view that an efficient and well -functioning WTO -based IT system that 
provides a common platform for available information will cont ribute significantly to an improved 
implementation of the TBT Agreement's transparency provisions, and in particular those relating to 
notification.203  
6.6.4.1   Decisions and r ecommendations  
a. In 2012, in order to develop the existing TBT IMS so that it becomes a more  effective tool 
to assist Members in the implementation of the TBT Agreement's transparency provisions, 
the Committee agreed204: 
i. to request the rapid development of a TBT on -line Notification Submission System 
(TBT NSS)205 to foster more expedient processing a nd circulation of notifications by 
the Secretariat;  
ii. to note that the TBT NSS and TBT IMS should be developed in a flexible manner, to 
accommodate the particularities of the TBT Agreement. There should, for example, be 
scope for: the use of a standardized PDF template for uploading notification forms; the 
development of criteria (e.g. common product categories encompassing different HS 
codes) to facilitate the indication of the products covered by notification; the 
development of "standardized" alert system s (dates, products of interest); and the 
                                                
200 G/TBT/37 , 3 December 2015, para. 5.12(c).  
201 The Chairperson's report is contain ed in JOB/TBT/134 , 26 June 2015 , paras. 4.1 -4.6. 
202 http://tbtims.wto.org   
203 G/TBT/32 , 29 November 2012, para. 17 .  
204 G/TBT/32 , 29 November 2012, para. 18.  
205 The TBT NSS was launched in Octo ber 2013, and is available at: https://nss.wto.org/tbtmembers . 
Members may request access to the system through the WTO Secretariat, by sending an email to: 
tbtnss@wto.org .  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  development of systems that allow for improved links with Members' own websites 
and databases (e.g. web services); and  
iii. to discuss further enhancement of the TBT IMS.  
b. In 2015, the Committee agreed206: 
i. to encourage Members in a position to do so to begin using the TBT NSS to facilitate 
and accelerate the submission and processing of notifications;  
ii. to request the Secretariat to continue to improve the TBT NSS and TBT IMS in line 
with the needs of Members;  
iii. to request the Secretariat to explore the development of an export alert system for 
TBT notifications, in cooperation with other organizations207; and  
iv. to request the Secretariat to report back on ii and iii above at the Eighth Special 
Meeting on Procedures for  Information Exchange (November 2016).  
c. In 2018, building on this exchange as well as on previous decisions and recommendations 
of the Committee, and with a view to furthering its work in the area of transparency, the 
Committee agreed208 with respect to use o f online tools:  
i. to discuss  how to improve the TBT IMS in order to best reflect the status of STCs raised 
in the TBT Committee with a view to modify its format accordingly before the next 
Triennial Review.  
6.6.4.2   Events  
a. The Fourth Special Meeting on Procedures fo r Information Exchanges was held on  
2-3 November 2004, which included discussion of online tools.209 
b. A Thematic Session on Transparency was held on 17 June 2014, which included discussion 
of online tools.210 
c. The Fifth Special Meeting on Procedures for Informa tion Exchange was held on 
7-8 November 2007, which included discussion on the use of electronic tools.211 
d. The Sixth Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange was held on 22 June 
2010, which included discussion on electronic databases.212 
e. The Seven th Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange was held on 18  June 
2013, which included discussion of online tools.213 
                                                
206 G/TBT/37 , 3 December 2015, para. 5.12(d).  
207 The WTO has, in cooperation with UNDESA and ITC, developed a TBT and SPS notification alert 
system, called ePing. ePing allows government agencies and private sector stakeholders, especially SMEs, to 
keep track of notifications affecting foreign markets a nd products of particular interest to them. The system is 
globally accessible and free of charge and is also equipped with an Enquiry Point Management Tool enabling 
registered enquiry points to monitor national activity and custom several settings. The sys tem can be accessed 
on www.epingalert.org . 
208 G/TBT/41 , 19 November 2018, para. 6.19(c)  
209 The Summary Report of the meeting is contained in Annex 2 of G/TBT/M/34 , dated 5 January 2005 . 
210 The Moderator's summary and the final programme are contained in G/TBT/GEN/167 , 24 June 2014.  
211 The Summary Report as well as the Chairman's Report are contained in Annex 1 and 2, respectively, 
of G/TBT/M/43 , dated 21 January 2008.  
212 The Summary Report as well as the Chairman's Report are contained in Annex 1 and 2, respectiv ely, 
of G/TBT/M/51 , dated 1 October 2010.  
213 The Summary Report is contained  in the Annex of G/TBT/M/60 , 23 September 2013.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  f. On 17 March 2015, the Committee held a first Thematic Session on the Seventh Triennial 
Review, covering, inter alia , discussion of online tools.214 
g. On 16 June 2015, the Committee held a second Thematic Session on the Seventh Triennial 
Review, covering, inter alia , discussion of online tools.215 
h. The Eighth Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange was held on 
8 November 2016, which included discussion of online tools.216 
i. The Ninth Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange was held on 18 June 
2019, which included discussion of online tools.217 
6.7  Enquiry Points  
6.7.1   Establishment of Enquiry Points  
6.13.   Under  the TBT  Agreement, two provisions mandate Members to create enquiry points. 
Article  10.1 concerns enquiries regarding, inter alia , technical regulations, conformity assessment 
procedures and standards issued by central or local government bodies, non -governmental  bodies 
which have the legal power to enforce a technical regulation, or regional standardization bodies of 
which such bodies are members or participants. Article 10.3 relates, inter alia , to enquiries on 
standards and conformity assessment procedures issu ed by non -governmental bodies and regional 
bodies of which they are members or participants.  
6.7.1.1   Decisions and r ecommendations  
a. In 1999, the Committee agreed that e -mail addresses of enquiry points should be 
provided, where available, in order to be included in document G/TBT/ENQ/ - series.218 
b. In 2009, in order to improve implementation of provisions related to the work of Enquiry 
Points, the Committee agreed219: 
i. to stress the importance of operational capacity of Enquiry Points, especially with 
respect to the provision of answers to enquiries and the promotion of a dialogue; and  
ii. to recommend that developing country Members identify chal lenges which they face 
with respect to the establishment and operations of their enquiry points and indicate 
the nature of the technical assistance needed to overcome these difficulties.  
6.7.1.2   Documents  
a. A list of national enquiry points is contained in the docum ent G/TBT/ENQ/  - series .220 
                                                
214 The Chairman's report is contained in JOB/TBT/125 , 25 March 2015 , paras. 3.1 -3.3. 
215 The Chairperson's report is contained in JOB/TBT/134 , 26 June 2015 , paras . 4.1-4.6. 
216 The Summary Report is contained in the Annex of G/TBT/M/70 , 17 February 2017.  
217 https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tbt_e/thematicsession1819_06_29_e.htm   
218 G/TBT/M/15 , 3 May 1999, paras. 41 and 45 and Annex 1.  
219 G/TBT/26 , 13 November 2009, para. 54.  
220 This information is now available on the TBT IMS. In addition, a predefined report "Enquiry Point(s) 
List" under "Reports": http://tbtims.wto.org . G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  6.7.2   Functioning of Enquiry Points  
6.7.2.1   Decisions and recommendations  
6.7.2.1.1   Handling and Processing of Requests  
a. In 1995, with the purpose of improving the handling of requests from other Members 
received under Article 10.1 and 10.3, the Committee  agreed221: 
i. an enquiry point should, without further request, acknowledge the receipt of the 
enquiry.  
b. In 1995, with respect to problems of supplying and obtaining requested documentation on 
notified technical regulations and procedures for assessment of conf ormity, the Committee 
agreed222: 
i. requests for documentation should contain all the elements permitting the 
identification of the documents and in particular, the WTO TBT notification number 
symbol to which the requests refer. The same information should appe ar on the 
documents supplied in response to such requests;  
ii. any request for documentation should be processed if possible within five working 
days. If a delay in supplying the documentation requested is foreseen, this should be 
acknowledged to the requester , along with an estimate of when the documents can be 
provided;  
iii. E-mail requests for documentation should include name, organization, address, 
telephone and fax numbers, and e -mail address in the request; and  
iv. electronic delivery of documentation is encoura ged and requests should indicate 
whether an electronic version or hard copy is desired.  
c. In 2012, noting that enquiry points in some contexts faced challenges in responding to 
comments and requests, the Committee agreed223: 
i. to recommend that Members share exp eriences with regard to challenges faced by 
enquiry points in responding to comments and requests, with a view to improving their 
functioning; and  
ii. to discuss the functioning of enquiry points, including with respect to building support 
among interested sta keholders in the private sector for the services of the enquiry 
points.  
d. In 2015 , the Committee agreed  to continue  discussing the role of enquiry points in 
facilitating internal coordination and in the handling of comments, and explore ways to 
improve their functioning, including through the use of online tools and by addressing 
capacity building needs of developing Members.224 
e. In 2018, building on this exchange as well as on previous decisions and recommendations 
of the Committee, and with a view  to furthering its work in the area of transparency, the 
Committee agreed225 with respect to functioning of enquiry points:  
                                                
221 G/TBT/M/2 , 4 October 1995 , para. 5; G/TBT/W/2/Rev.1 , 21 June 1995 , p. 13.   
222 G/TBT/M/2 , 4 October 1995 , para. 5; G/TBT/W/2/Rev.1 , 21 June 1995 , p. 8; G/TBT/M/15 , 
3 May 1999, para. 45 a nd Annex 1 . 
223 G/TBT/32 , 29 November 2012, para. 16.  
224 G/TBT/37 , 3 December 2015, para. 5.12(a)(i).  
225 G/TBT/41 , 19 November 2018, para. 6.19(a).  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  i. to encourage  Members to validate the contact information of their enquiry points as 
contained in the TBT IMS226 to improve the accuracy and availability of this 
information. Members are encouraged to either inform the Secretariat that the current 
information is correct, or to provide the Secretariat with updated information, by the 
March 2019 Committee meeting;  
ii. to discuss  in the context of  the Ninth Special Meeting on Procedures for Information 
Exchange: how ePing can facilitate the work of enquiry points; linkages between ePing 
and domestic registers of central regulatory planning or action, or other "early warning 
systems"; and the privat e sector's use of ePing.  
f. In 2018, the Committee also agreed227 with respect to domestic coordination : 
i. to discuss  good practices for domestic coordination and engagement with regulators, 
including sharing information about how Members effectively communicate with 
regulatory agencies to ensure that all relevant notifications are made.  
6.7.2.1.2   Enquiries which the Enquiry Point s should be prepared to Answer  
a. In 1995, with a view to encouraging a uniform application of Articles 10.1 and 10.3 of the 
Agreement, the Committee agreed228: 
i. an enquiry should be considered "reasonable" when it is limited to a specific product, 
or group of p roducts, but not when it goes beyond that and refers to an entire business 
branch or field of regulations, or procedures for assessment of conformity;  
ii. when an enquiry refers to a composite product, it is desirable that the parts or 
components, for which i nformation is sought, are defined to the extent possible. When 
a request is made concerning the use of a product it is desirable that the use is related 
to a specific field; and  
iii. the Enquiry Point(s) of a Member should be prepared to answer enquiries regard ing 
the membership and participation of that Member, or of relevant bodies within its 
territory, in international and regional standardizing bodies and conformity assessment 
systems as well as in bilateral arrangements, with respect to a specific product o r 
group of products. They should likewise be prepared to provide reasonable information 
on the provisions of such systems and arrangement.  
6.7.2.2   Events  
a. A Workshop and the Second Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange was 
held on 14  September  1998, which included discussion on the functioning of enquiry 
points.229 
b. The Fourth Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange was held on 
2-3 November 2004, which included discussion on the handling of comments and the 
functioning of enquiry points.230 
c. The Fifth Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange was held on 
7-8 November 2007, which included discussion on technical cooperation and the work of 
enquiry points.231 
                                                
226 http://tbtims.wto.org/en/NationalEnquiryPoints/Search . 
227 G/TBT/41 , 19 November 2018, para. 6.19( b). 
228 G/TBT/M/2 , 4 October 1995 , para. 5; G/TBT/W/2/Rev.1 , 21 June 1995 , p. 13.   
229 G/TBT/9 , 13 November 2000,  Annex 1.  
230 The Summary Rep ort of the meeting is contained in Annex 2 of G/TBT/M/34 , dated 5 January 2005.  
231 The Summary Report as well as the Chairman's Report are contained in Annex 1 and 2, respectively, 
of G/TBT/M/43 , dated 21 January 2008.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  d. The Sixth Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange wa s held on 22 June 
2010, which included discussion on the operation of enquiry points.232 
e. The Seventh Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange was held on 18  June 
2013, which included discussion on the functioning of enquiry points.233 
f. On 16 June 2015, the Committee held a second Thematic Session on the Seventh Triennial 
Review, covering, inter alia , discussion of a proposed survey on the functioning of enquiry 
points.234 
g. The Eighth Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange was held on 
8 November 2016, which included discussion on the functioning of enquiry points.235 
h. The Ninth Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange was held on 18 June 
2019, which included discussion on the functioning of enquiry points.236 
6.7.3   Booklets on Enquiry  Points  
6.7.3.1   Decisions and recommendations  
a. In 1995, in order to improve publicity concerning the role of enquiry points in answering 
queries from Members as provided in Articles 10.1 and 10.3 of the Agreement, the 
Committee agreed237: 
i. the issuing of brochures on enquiry points would be of value; and  
ii. all booklets issued by Members should contain the elements and, as far as possible, 
follow the layo ut set out in Annex 5  (on page 76 of this document).  
b. In 2015, the Committee agreed  to request the Secretariat, based on experiences shared 
by Members and for the purposes of training and capacity building, to prepare a guide on 
best practices for enquiry points for the consideration of Members at the Eighth Special 
Meeti ng on Procedures for Information Exchange (November 2016).238 
c. At the 14 -15 November 2018 Committee meeting, the Secretariat presented the WTO  TBT 
Enquiry Point Guide.239 
6.7.3.2   Events  
a. A Thematic Session on Transparency was held on 17 June 2014, which included discuss ion 
of functioning of enquiry points.240 
                                                
232 The Summary Report as well as the Chairman's Report are contained in Annex 1 and 2, respectively, 
of G/TBT/M/51 , dated 1 October 2010.  
233 The Summary Report is contained in the Annex of G/TBT/M/60 , 23 September 2013.  
234 The Chairperson's report is contained in JOB/TBT/134 , 26 June 2015 , paras. 4.1 -4.6. 
235 The Summary Report is contained in the Annex of G/TBT/M/70 , 17 February 2017.  
236 https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tbt_e/thematicsession1819_06_29_e.htm  
237 G/TBT/M/2 , 4 October 1995 , para. 5; G/TBT/W/2/Rev.1 , 21 June 1995 , pp. 11-12. 
238 G/TBT/37 , 3 December 2015, 5.12(a)(ii).  
239 https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tbt_e/tbt_enquiry_point_guide_e.pdf   
240 The Moderator's summary and the final programme are contained in G/TBT/GEN/167 , 24 June 2014.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  6.8  Special Meetings on Procedures for Information Exchange  
6.8.1   Decision s and recommendations  
a. In 1995, in order to give Members the opportunity to discuss the activities and problems 
relating to information exchange and to re view periodically how well notification 
procedures work, the Committee agreed that241: 
i. Regular meetings of persons responsible for information exchange, including persons 
responsible for enquiry points and notifications, will be held on a biennial basis. 
Representatives of interested observers will be invited to participate in such meetings. 
The meetings will deal only with technical issues, leaving any policy matters for 
consideration by the Committee itself.  
6.8.2   Events  
a. A Special Joint Meeting on Procedures for  Information Exchange of the Committees on 
Technical Barriers to Trade and Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures was held on 
6-7 November 1995.242 
b. A Workshop and the Second Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange was 
held on 14  September  1998.243 
c. The Third Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange was held on 
28 June 2001.244 
d. The Fourth Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchanges was held on  
2-3 November 2004.245 
e. The Fifth Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange was held on 
7-8 November 2007.246 
f. The Sixth Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange was held on 
22 June 2010.247 
g. The Seventh Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange was held on 
18 June 2013.248 
h. The Eighth Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange was held on 
8 November 2016.249 
i. The Ninth Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange was held on 
18 June 2019.250 
                                                
241 G/TBT/M/2 , 4 October 1995 , para. 5; G/TBT/W/2/Rev.1 , 21 June 1995 , p. 11; G/TBT/9 , 
13 November 200 0, para. 13 and Annex 3.  
242 The Chairman's Report is contained in document G/TBT/W/16 , dated 22 November 1995 . 
243 G/TBT/9 , 13 November 2000,  Annex 1.  
244 The Chairman's Report is contained in Anne x 1 of G/TBT/M/24 , dated 14 August 2001 . 
245 The Summary Report of the meetin g is contained in Annex 2 of G/TBT/M/34 , dated 5 January 2005 . 
246 The Summar y Report as well as the Chairman's Report is contained in Annex 1 and 2, respectively, 
of G/TBT/M/43 , dated 21 January 2008.  
247 The Summary Report as well as the Chairman's Report is contained in Annex 1 and 2, respectively, 
of G/TBT/M/51 , dated 1 October 2010.  
248 The Summary Report is contained in the Annex of G/TBT/M/60 , 23 September 2013. The final 
programme is contained in G/TBT/GEN/150 , 17 June 2013.  
249 The Summary Report is contained in the Annex of G/TBT/M/70 , 17 February 2017 . The final 
programme is contained in JOB/TBT/207/Rev.1 . 
250 https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tbt_e/thematicsession1819_06_29_e.htm   G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  7  TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE  
7.1.  Provisions  on technical assistance are containe d in Article 11 of the TBT Agreement. Technical 
assistance has been considered an area of priority work for the Committee since its establishment; 
it figures on the agenda of the Committee on a permanent basis. Members have regularly, on a 
voluntary basis,  exchanged experiences and information on technical assistance in order to enhance 
the implementation of Article 11 of the TBT Agreement.  
7.1  Decisions and r ecommendations  
a. In 1995, in considering the ways in which the provisions of Article 11 could be given 
operational significance, the Committee agreed251: 
i. that technical assistance would remain as an item of the agenda of the Committee on 
a permanent basis and would be includ ed on the agenda of a regular meeting of the 
Committee when so requested by a Member in accordance with the agreed procedures ; 
and 
ii. to exchange information on technical assistance as follows252: specific needs for 
technical assistance, as well as information that may be provided by potential donor 
Members on their technical assistance programmes, may be communicated to 
Members through the Secretariat. Members will take into account the provisions of 
Article 11.8 of the TBT Agreement when considering requests f or technical assistance 
from the least -developed country Members. In agreement with requesting Members 
or potential donor Members, as the case may be, the information concerning specific 
needs and technical assistance programmes would be circulated by the Secretariat to 
all Members on an informal basis. Whilst information would be multilateralized in this 
manner, technical assistance would continue to be provided on a bilateral basis. The 
Secretariat would reflect the information circulated under this proce dure in the 
documentation prepared for annual reviews of the implementation and operation of 
the Agreement if the Members concerned so agree.  
b. In 1997, in order to enhance the implementation of Article 11, the Committee agreed253: 
i. to invite Members, on a volu ntary basis, to exchange information regarding the 
implementation of Article 11, including to communicate to the Committee annually any 
information concerning their national and regional technical assistance programmes; 
and 
ii. to invite Members that require t echnical assistance to inform the Committee of any 
difficulties they encounter in the implementation and operation of the Agreement, and 
the kind of technical assistance they may need. Other Members are invited to 
contribute to the technical assistance pro cess by sharing their experience in the 
implementation and operation of the Agreement.  
c. In 2000, in considering technical assistance, the Committee agreed to develop a demand 
driven technical cooperation programme related to the Agreement, taking into accou nt 
existing and proposed technical assistance activities, as well as seeking ways to achieve 
more effective cooperation and coordination among donors to better target the needs 
identified by developing country Members. The Committee agreed that the program me 
would need to evolve on the basis of the following elements254:  
i. design of a survey with the assistance of relevant international, regional and bilateral 
organisations to assist developing countries in needs identification;  
                                                
251 G/TBT/W/14 , 29 September 1995 , p. 3; G/TBT/M/3 , 5 January  1996, paras. 14 -15.   
252 G/TBT/W/14 , 29 September  1995, p. 3; G/TBT/M/3 , 5 January 1996 , paras. 14 -15.   
253 G/TBT/5 , 19 November 1997, para. 31 . 
254 G/TBT/9 , 13 November 2000, paras. 45 and 46.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  ii. identification and prioritizat ion by developing and least developed country Members of 
their specific needs in the TBT field;  
iii. consideration of existing technical assistance activities by multilateral, regional and 
bilateral organizations with a view to the effective and efficient deve lopment of 
technical assistance programmes;  
iv. enhancement of c o-operation between donors;  
v. reassessment of needs in light of agreed priorities, identification of technical assistance 
partner s and financial considerations; and  
vi. that the progress made in implem enting the programme should be assessed by the 
Committee in the context of the Third Triennial Review and the Committee should also 
reflect its work on the programme in its Annual Report to the General Council.255 
d. In 2000, Members were also invited, on a voluntary basis , to further communicate 
information on technical assistance programmes they proposed, provided or received.256 
e. In 2003, in light of the work programme257 on TBT -related technical assistance and in 
order to assist  Members in implementing and operationalizing Article 11, the Committee 
agreed as follows.258  
i. noting the importance of transparency in the provision of technical assistance and the 
need for coordination at the national, regional and international levels. Re cognizing 
that improvements are needed to facilitate the meeting of demand and supply of 
technical assistance, and with a view to building on the information received, the 
Committee agrees:  
- to consider the creation of an information coordination mechanism  including 
through the possible development of voluntary notification procedures for 
donors, and recipient Members to communicate information on current and 
future activities. To this end, and considering proposals made by Members, the 
Chair is requested t o hold consultations with interested Members to:  
1  examine what extent an Internet facility could serve this purpose;  
2  examine what an appropriate management approach might be; and  
3  report to the Committee by mid -2004;  
 
- that the survey questionnaire could be a dynamic tool to maintain information 
on developing country Members' needs and encourages Members, on a 
voluntary basis, to update responses to the survey questionnaire; and  
- to invite Members to communicate to the C ommittee pertinent information 
regarding technical assistance activities of relevant regional and international 
bodies.  
ii. with regard to technical assistance provided by the Secretariat, the Committee agreed:  
- to explore how the results of the Committee's di scussions (e.g., on needs 
identified, lessons learned, gaps in technical assistance activities) could be 
reflected in the WTO's Technical Assistance and Training Plan; and  
                                                
255 G/TBT/9 , 13 November 200 0, para. 46 . 
256 G/TBT/9 , 13 November 200 0, para. 45 . 
257 With respect to the "work programme", it is noted that in 2001, Ministers confirmed the approach to 
technical a ssistance being developed by the Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade, reflecting the results of 
the Triennial Review work in this area, and mandated this work to continue ( WT/MIN(01)/17 , 
20 Novembe r 2001, para. 5.1). 
258 G/TBT/13 , 11 November 2003 , paras. 54-56. G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  - to request the Secretariat, as part of the Committee's standing agenda item 
on tech nical assistance, to regularly deliver information on its recently 
concluded programmes and future plans on TBT -related technical assistance, 
and reflect this in the Committee's annual reviews. This should include 
information on modality, content, particip ation and any feedback from recipient 
Members.  
iii. with regard to the appropriate role of the Committee in relation to technical assistance, 
the Committee:  
- agreed on the need for Members and the Secretariat to raise the profile of TBT 
issues at the internation al and national levels;  
- reaffirmed the need for its future work to contribute to enhanced cooperation 
and coordination between those involved in technical assistance;  
- reaffirmed the need to continue facilitating the exchange of national 
experiences;  
- should provide a forum for feedback and assessment of the outcomes and 
effectiveness of technical assistance; and  
- considered, based on Members' experience of technical assistance received and 
provided, developing further elements of good practice in technical assistance 
in the TBT field.  
f. In 2005, with a view to increasing transparency in the identification and prioritization of 
technical assistance needs, the Committee agreed259: 
i. to adopt, for use on a trial basis for two years, a Format for the Voluntary Notific ation 
of Specific Technical Assistance Needs or Responses. The Format is contained in 
Annex  6 (on page 77 of this document).  
g. In 2006, with a view to facilitating the implementation of the TBT Agreement's provisions 
on tec hnical assistance, the Committee agreed260:  
i. to encourage Members to make use of the Format for the Voluntary Notification of 
Specific Technical Assistance Needs or Responses261;  
ii. to review, in 2007, the use of the Format for the Voluntary Notification of Spec ific 
Technical Assistance Needs or Responses, including the possible further development 
of the demand -driven technical cooperation mechanism;  
iii. to exchange experiences in respect of the delivery and receipt of technical assistance 
with a view to identifyin g good practices in this regard;  and 
iv. to invite observer international standardizing bodies and other international 
standardizing bodies to provide information on steps taken to ensure effective 
participation of developing country Members in their work.  
                                                
259 G/TBT/16 , 8 November 2005 ; G/TBT/M/37 , 22 December 2005 , para. 82.  
260 G/TBT/19 , 14 November 2006, paras. 78(a)-(c) and 77 . 
261 G/TBT/16 , 8 November 2005. See also Annex 6  of this document . G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  h. In 2009, the Committee agreed262: 
i. to encourage Members to make use of the Format for the Voluntary Notification of 
Specific Technical Assistance Needs or Responses as a complement to other bilateral 
and/or regional means of r equesting technical a ssistance.  
i. In 2009, building on the previous recommendation that Members exchange experiences 
in respect of the delivery and receipt of technical assistance with a view to identifying good 
practices in this regard, the Committee agreed263: 
i. to encourage Membe rs and relevant bodies involved in the provision of technical 
assistance to exchange information to identify such practices.  
j. In 2009, consistent with the Committee's agreement on a demand -driven approach to 
technical assistance, the Committee encouraged Me mbers to review their capacity building 
needs and priorities in the following areas in particular264: 
i. GRP: The Committee considers that experience gained in the area of GRP for the 
effective implementation of the TBT Agreement should be shared. Technical ass istance 
in the area of GRP should be considered an integral element of capacity building 
activities to strengthen implementation of the TBT Agreement and draw on the 
expertise of both Members and other relevant organizations;  
ii. Conformity assessment: Members  are encouraged to participate in technical 
cooperation activities in the area of conformity assessment consistent with sector -
specific national priorities. Capacity building activities – at the national or regional level 
as appropriate – aimed at improvin g technical infrastructure (e.g. metrology, testing, 
certification, and accreditation) as well as capacity to enforce (including with respect 
to market surveillance and product liability) should be consistent with national 
priorities and take into account the existing level of technical infrastructure 
development;  
iii. Standards development: Members should undertake efforts to build understanding of 
the strategic importance of standardization activities through increased outreach in 
sectors of priority interest.  It may be beneficial to explore incentives to increase 
support and promotion of such activities, particularly in developing country Members; 
and 
iv. Transparency: Members stress the importance of reinforcing the operation of enquiry 
points.  
k. In 2012, the Commi ttee reiterated the importance of enhancing the effectiveness of the 
delivery and receipt of TBT technical assistance and capacity, and agreed265:  
i. to request that Members review the effectiveness of TBT technical assistance and 
capacity building activities among Members, with a view to exploring ways and means 
to focus such activities on relevant capacity building needs and priorities thereby 
enhancing their usefulness, particularly in beneficiary developing Members.  
                                                
262 G/TBT/26 , 13 November 2009, para. 63.  
263 G/TBT/26 , 13 November 2009, para. 57.  
264 G/TBT/26 , 13 November 2009, para. 59.  
265 G/TBT/32 , 29 November 2012, para. 21.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  l. In 2015, with a view to furthering its wo rk in the area of technical assistance, the 
Committee agreed266: 
i. to reaffirm the need to review the effectiveness of technical assistance and capacity 
building activities among Members in the TBT area, and encourage Members to 
continue to exchange experience s on technical assistance;  
ii. to stress the importance and discuss possible approaches to enhancing the  active 
participation of developing Members in thematic  sessions held by the Committee; and  
iii. to hold a thematic session in November 2016 on technical assist ance, including 
discussion of:  
- the positive effects of technical assistance and capacity building in the TBT ar ea 
for international trade; and  
- possible approaches to identifying gaps between the demand267 and supply of 
technical assistance in the TBT area fo r developing Members, and seeking to 
close them where they exist, including through exploring the need for more 
coordination and better targeted TBT -related technical assistance.  
m. In 2018, building on this exchange as well as on previous decisions and recommendations 
of the Committee, and with a view to furthering its work in the area of technical assistance, 
the Committee agreed268: 
i. to encourage  Members to continue providing and exchanging experiences on technical 
assistance, including on how to improve donor coordination;  
ii. to request  the Secretariat to provide a presentation on the feasibility, including 
challenges and options, of expanding the present STDF to encompass measures 
covered by the TBT Agreement, or setting up a separate and dedicated TBT 
development facility; and,  
iii. to develop  a good practice guide on how to prepare a comment on a WTO notified 
technical regulation or conformity assessment procedure.  
7.2  Documents  
a. Notifications of Specific Technical Assistance Needs or Responses are contained in the 
following document series: G/TBT/TA -[number]/[Member ]. 
7.3  Events  
a. On 19 -20 July 2000, the Committee held a Workshop on Technical Assistance and 
Differential Treatment in the context of the TBT Agreement.269 
b. On 18 March 2003, with the objectives of further developing the technical cooperation 
programme and providing an opportunity for further information exchange on technical 
assistance, on both the demand and supply sides, a special workshop on TBT -related 
technical assistance was held.270  
                                                
266 G/TBT/37 , 3 December 2015, para. 6.7(a) -(c). 
267 In line with the Committee's agr eement on a demand -driven approach to the technical assistance. 
G/TBT/26 , para. 59.  
268 G/TBT/41 , 19 November 2018, para. 7.12.  
269 G/TBT/9 , 13 November 2000, Annex 1.  
270 The Summary Report by the Chairperson is contained in Annex A of G/TBT/M/29 , 19 May 2003 . G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  c. On 29 October 2013 , the Committee held a Thematic Session on Technical Assistance and 
Special and Differential Treatment.271 
d. On 4 November 2014, the Committee held a Thematic Session on Technical Assistance 
and Special and Differential Treatment.272  
e. On 9 November 2016, the Com mittee held a Thematic Session on Technical Assistance.273 
8  SPECIAL AND DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT  
8.1.  Article 12 of the TBT Agreement addresses Special and Differential Treatment of Developing 
Country Members. Members have, on various occasions, exchanged informatio n and views on the 
operation and implementation of this Article, including in the context of other items on the TBT 
Committee's agenda.  
8.1  Decisions and r ecommendations  
a. In 1997, with a view to operationalize and implement the provisions of Article 12, the 
Committee agreed to the following274: 
i. the Committee will consider including the following matters in its future programme of 
work, which could be taken up during the next three years and reviewed during the 
Second Triennial Review of the Agreement:  
- the use of m easures to engender capacity building in developing country 
Members, including the consideration of measures relevant to transfer of 
technology to these countries, for the purpose of preparation and adoption of 
technical regulations, standards or conformit y assessment procedures, taking 
into account their special development, financial and  trade needs;  
- the preparation of a study by the Secretariat to establish the state of knowledge 
concerning the technical barriers to the market access of developing countr y 
supplie rs, especially small and medium -sized enterprises (SMEs), as a result of 
standards, technical regulations and co nformity assessment procedures;  
- inviting representatives of relevant international standardizing bodies and 
international systems for c onformity assessment procedures to make written 
and oral presentations to the Committee with a view to assessing whether and 
how account is taken of the special problems of developing countries in such 
bodies and systems. The Secretariat will circulate a c ompendium of the written 
contributions by the relevant organisations; and  
- the encouragement of the organization of international meetings relevant to 
the provisions of the Agreement in the territories of developing country 
Members to give greater represen tative participation by such Members to the 
deliberations and recommendations of such international meetings, and the 
electron ic dissemination of information:  
ii. to invite Members, on a voluntary basis, to exchange information on the 
implementation of Article 12, including information related to Articles 12.2, 12.3, 12.5, 
12.6, 12.7 and 12.9; and  
iii. to invite Members, on a voluntary basis, to exchange information on any specific 
problems they face in relation to the operation of Article 1 2.  
                                                
271 The Chairman's report and the final programme are  contained in G/TBT/GEN/156 , 4 November 2013.  
272 The Chairman's report an d the final programme are contained in G/TBT/GEN/174 , 11 November 
2014.  
273 The Moderator's report is contained in G/TBT/GEN/204 , 22 November 2016 . 
274 G/TBT/5 , 19 November 1997, para. 33.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  b. In 2006, in order to have a more focused exchange of information, the Committee 
agreed275: 
i. to encourage Members to inform the Committee of special and differential treatment 
provided to developing country Members, including information on how they have 
taken into account special and differential treatment provisions in the preparation of 
technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures; and  
ii. to encourage developing country Members to undertake their own assessments of the 
utility and benefits of such special and differential treatment.  
c. In 2012, with a view to furthering discussion in the area of special and differential 
treatment, the Committee agreed276:  
i. to exchange views and explore ideas on the implementation of Article 12 of the TBT 
Agreement w ith respect to the preparation of technical regulations, standards and 
conformity assessment procedures, and the enhancement of the effective operation of 
Article 12, in coordination with the WTO Committee on Trade and Development.  
d. In 2015, w ith a view to furthering its work in the area of special and differential treatment, 
the Committee agreed:  
i. to encourage Members to continue to exchange information on the implementation of 
Article 12 of the TBT Agreement, with a view towards enhancing the effective oper ation 
of Article 12.277 
8.2  Events  
a. On 19 -20 July 2000, the Committee held a Workshop on Technical Assistance and 
Differential Treatment in the context of the TBT Agreement.278 
b. On 29 October 2013, the Committee held a Thematic Session on Technical Assistance and 
Special and Differential Treatment.279 
c. On 4 November 2014, the Committee held a Thematic Session on Technical Assistance 
and Special and Differential Treatment.280 
9  OPERATION OF THE COMMITTEE  
9.1  Review of Specific Trade Concerns  
9.1.  Pursuant to Article 13 of the TBT Agr eement, the TBT Committee was established with the 
purpose of: "affording Members the opportunity of consulting on any matters relating to the 
operation of this Agreement or the furtherance of its objectives, and shall carry out such 
responsibilities as as signed to it under this Agreement or by the Members". Since its first meeting, 
Members have used the TBT Committee as a forum to discuss issues related to specific measures 
(technical regulations, standards or conformity assessment procedures) maintained b y other 
Members. These are referred to as "specific trade concerns" (STCs) and relate normally to proposed 
draft measures notified to the TBT Committee or to the implementation of existing measures.  
                                                
275 G/TBT/19 , 14 November 2006, para. 82. 
276 G/TBT/32 , 29 November 2012, para. 22.  
277 G/TBT/37 , 3 December 2015, para. 7.6.  
278 G/TBT/9 , 13 November 2000, Annex 1.  
279 The Chairman's report and the final programme are contained in G/TBT/GEN/156 , 4 November 2013.  
280 The Chairman's report and the final programme are contained in G/TBT/GEN/174 , 
11 November  2014.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  9.1.1   Decisions  and recommendations  
a. In 2009, noting the acceler ated growth in the number of specific trade concerns raised at 
Committee meetings, as well as in the number of WTO Members raising concerns or 
substantively supporting those of other Members, the Committee emphasized the 
importance of making the discussion  more efficient in order to secure a more prompt 
response to concerns raised. In order to streamline the consideration of STCs, the TBT 
Committee agreed  to apply the following procedures, to the extent practicable281: 
i. Members wishing to propose the inclusion of a specific trade concern in the annotated 
draft agenda should directly inform both the Secretariat and the Member(s) involved 
of their intention to do so no less than fourteen calendar days  prior to the convening 
of the TBT Committee meeting;  
ii. the annotated draft agenda issued by the Secretariat in advance of each Committee 
meeting will include all specific trade concerns communicated by Members to the 
Secretariat; it will indicate which conc erns are being raised for the first time and which 
have been previously raised. It should be circulated as early as possible but no less 
than ten calendar days  before the meeting;  
iii. requests to include specific trade concerns on the agenda should be accompan ied by 
a reference to the symbol of the notification. In cases where the measure has not been 
notified, the request should provide a brief description of the measure, including 
relevant references; and  
iv. there may be instances where a Member wishes to bring a concern to the Committee's 
attention after the deadline has passed. In this case, additional specific trade concerns 
can still be included in the agenda of the TBT Committee meeting under "Specific Trade 
Concerns", provided that Members wishing to raise the relevant concerns have 
previously informed the Member(s) involved of their intention to do so. However such 
concerns will only be addressed after all specific trade concerns contained in the 
annotated draft agenda have been discussed.  
b. In 2012, consider ing the substantive body of recommendations and decisions before the 
Committee, Members agreed on the need to focus and deepen their work. Noting that 
follow -up was a long -term endeavour, Members saw benefit to dedicating time to thematic 
topics in respons e to the specific decisions and recommendations of the Committee, in 
order to press for greater progress on these issues. To this end, the Committee agreed :  
i. in order to ensure the efficiency of the discussion of STCs, to further reflect on ways 
to streaml ine the work of the Committee in the consideration of STCs 282; and  
ii. to hold thematic sessions in conjunction with its regular meetings during 2013 -2015.283 
c. In 2015, building on the valuable experiences gained in the context of thematic sessions 
since 2012, and  with a view to further deepening the Committee's exchange of experiences 
on specific topics, the Committee agreed284: 
i. to continue to hold thematic sessions in conjunction with its regular meetings; and,  
ii. on the following work programme  for thematic sessions:   
- March 2016: conformity assessment procedures  and good regulatory practice ; 
- June 2016: regulatory cooperation between Members  and standards ; 
                                                
281 G/TBT/26 , 13 November 2009, paras. 67 -68. 
282 G/TBT/32 , 29 November 2012, para. 24.   
283 G/TBT/32 , 29 November 2012, para. 26 . 
284 G/TBT/37 , 3 December 2015, para. 8.3.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  - November 2016: transparency , including the Eighth Special Meeting on 
Procedures for Information Exchange, technica l assistance  and regulatory 
cooperation between Members ; and  
- In 2017 and 2018, Members will continue to hold thematic sessions as 
appropriate pursuant to the decisions and recommendations before the 
Committee.  
d. In 2018, building on this experience as well a s on previous decisions and recommendations 
of the Committee, the Committee  agree d285: 
i. with respect to thematic sessions , building on the valuable experiences gained in the 
context of thematic sessions since 2012286: 
- to continue  to hold thematic sessions in conjunction with its regular meetings 
during 2019 to 2021, with a view to further deepening the Committee's 
exchange of experiences on specific topics;  
- to encourage  a more balanced representation of speakers in thematic sessio ns, 
from all regions in the world including developing and least developed Members 
(LDCs). In this respect, to request  the Secretariat to explore the use of WTO 
technical assistance funding to support participation of speakers from LDCs, 
and to consider ot her ways of facilitating engagement (e.g. streaming);  
- for planning purposes, no later than the last meeting of the year, normally in 
November, the TBT Committee will confirm  the specific topics to be discussed 
at the thematic sessions that would take place  during the following year;  
- to hold the following thematic sessions287:  
• March 2019: good regulatory practice288 and conformity assessment 
procedures289; 
• June 2019: transparency290, including the Ninth Special Meeting on 
Procedures for Information Exchange291; 
• November 2019: conformity assessment procedures292 and 
standards293; 
• March 2020: good regulatory practice294 and conformity assessment 
procedures295; 
                                                
285 G/TBT/41 , 19 November 2018, para. 8.2.  
286 In the Sixth Triennial Review, Members agreed on the need to focus and deep en their work and 
decided to dedicate time to thematic sessions in response to the specific decisions and recommendations in the 
triennial review reports, in order to press for greater progress on these issues. This recommendation was 
reiterated in the Sev enth Triennial Review ( G/TBT/1/Rev.13 , Section 8.1.1, p.50).  
287 This lis ting provided below is flexible. Members may agree to include other matters for discussion, or 
they may agree to otherwise adapt this work programme to reflect unforeseen developments. The Committee 
will organize these thematic sessions based on proposals from Members.  
288 See G/TBT/41  para. 1.7 a.ii. (domestic committees, and other administrative mechanisms, to 
facilitate internal coordination on TBT).  
289 See G/TBT/41  paras. 4.17.c.i . (risk assessment) and 4.17.c.ii . (market surveillance and other pre -
market and post -market controls).  
290 See G/TBT/41  para. 6.19.  
291 Pursuant to the 1995 decision to hold regular meetings of persons responsible for information 
exchange ( G/TBT/1/Rev.13 , Section 5.8.1, p. 42).  
292 See G/TBT/41  para. 4.17.c.iv . (National Quality Infrastructure).  
293 See G/TBT/41  para. 5.8.a. (incorporating standards by reference in regulations).  
294 See G/TBT/41  para. 1.7.  
295 See G/TBT/41  para. 4.17.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  • June 2020: transparency296 and technical regulations297; 
• November 2020: conformity assessment procedures298 and one 
additional topic to be defined in November 2019;  
• in 2021, Members will continue to hold thematic sessions on topics to 
be defined in November 2020;  
ii. with respect to specific trade concerns:  
- to adjust,  on a trial basis299, the procedures300 for the inclusion of spe cific trade 
concerns in the annotated draft agenda of the Committee as follows:  
• Members wishing to propose the inclusion of a specific trade concern in the 
annotated draft agenda should directly inform both the Secretariat and the 
Member(s) involved of the ir intention to do so no less than twenty calendar 
days prior to the convening of the TBT Committee meeting;  
• the annotated draft agenda issued by the Secretariat in advance of each 
Committee meeting will include all specific trade concerns communicated 
by Members to the Secretariat; it will indicate (to the extent such 
information has been communicated to the Secretariat) which concerns are 
being raised for the first time and which have been previously raised, as 
well as which concerns relate to proposed  technical regulations or 
conformity assessment procedures, and which concerns relate to final 
technical regulations or conformity assessment procedures. It should be 
circulated no less than fifteen calendar days  before the meeting;  
- to continue discussions with a view to improving the efficiency and 
effectiveness of the Committee's consideration of specific trade concerns;  
iii. with respect to Observers : 
- to ensure  timely consideration of requests for observer status; and  
- to discuss  best practices for  observers' par ticipation in meetings of the TBT 
Committee.  
e. In 2019, the Committee agreed  to apply , on a permanent basis, those  procedures  that 
had been adjusted  on a trial basis in 2018.301 
                                                
296 See G/TBT/41  para. 6.19.  
297 See G/TBT/41  para. 3.2.  
298 See G/TBT/41  para. 4.17.  
299 This adjustment will be valid for the March and June 201 9 Committee meetings. After the June 2019 
meeting, the Committee will revert to the original procedures unless there is agreement to apply the adjusted 
procedures on a permanent basis, or to pursue another course of action.  
300 G/TBT/1/Rev.13 , Section 8.1.1.a, sub -paragraphs (i - iv), p. 50. The procedures in sub -paragraphs 
(i) and (ii) of G/TBT/1/Rev.13 , Section 8.1.1.a, are replaced by the trial  procedures set out in the two bullets 
below. The procedures in sub -paragraphs (iii) and (iv) of G/TBT/1/Rev.13 , Section 8.1.1.a, remain unchanged 
and continue to apply.  
301 G/TBT/M/78 , para 3.331 . The full set of procedures  for the inclusion of specific trade concerns in the 
annotated draft agenda of the Committee are contained in G/TBT/43 . G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  9.1.2   Documents  
a. In 2009, the Committee encouraged the Secretariat to continue to compile information 
about the status of specific trade concerns and to make this available to Members regularly 
with a view to providing a useful database for Members to track concerns of importance 
to them.302 The G/TBT/GEN/74/ -series  of documents contain a n overview of specific trade 
concerns raised in the TBT Committee.303 It provides statistical information on the 
concerns raised since the first meeting of the TBT Committee in 1995 and lists the specific 
trade concerns sorted by date, frequency and the numb er of Members that have expressed 
concern.  
_______________  
 
                                                
302 G/TBT/26 , 13 November 2009, para. 69.  
303 The information is now available on the TBT IMS : http://tbtims.wto.org . G/TBT /1/Rev.14  
 
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 ANNEXES TO PART 1  
1  INDICATIVE LIST OF A PPROACHES TO FACILIT ATE ACCEPTANCE OF TH E RESULTS OF 
CONFORMITY ASSESSMEN T 
1. Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) For Conformity Assessment to Specific 
Regulations  
Governments may enter into agreements which will result in the acceptance of the results of 
conformity assessment originating in the territory o f either party.  
2. Cooperative (Voluntary) Arrangements Between Domestic And Foreign Conformity 
Assessment Bodies  
This includes arrangements among accreditation bodies as well as arrangements between individual 
laboratories, between certification bodies, and between inspection bodies. Such arrangements have 
been common for many years and have been developed for the commercial advantage of the 
participants. Some of these agreements have been recognized by governments from time to time 
as the basis for accep tance of test results and certification activities in the mandatory sector.  
3. The Use Of Accreditation To Qualify Conformity Assessment Bodies  
Accreditation bodies have been working towards harmonization of international practices for 
accreditation of c onformity assessment bodies. This has resulted in the development of global 
networks to facilitate recognition and acceptance of results of conformity assessment. These 
networks take the form of multilateral recognition agreements or arrangements (MLAs) wh ereby 
each participant undertakes to recognize the accreditation granted or certificates issued by any other 
party to the agreement or arrangement as being equivalent to that granted by itself and to promote 
that equivalence throughout its territory of ope ration. There are international standards and guides 
for such arrangements.  
4. Government Designation  
Governments may designate specific conformity assessment bodies, including bodies located outside 
their territories, to undertake conformity assessment.  
5. Unilateral Recognition Of Results Of Foreign Conformity Assessment  
A government may unilaterally recognize the results of foreign conformity assessment procedures. 
In this it may be guided by Article 6.1 of the TBT Agreement. The conformity assessment b ody may 
be accredited abroad under recognized regional or international accreditation systems. In the 
absence of accreditation, the conformity assessment body may prove its competence by other 
means. On the basis of equivalent competence of the conformity assessment body, foreign test 
reports and certificates are recognized unilaterally.  
6. Manufacturer's / Supplier's Declarations (SDoC)  
Manufacturer's/supplier's declaration of conformity is a procedure by which a supplier (as defined in 
ISO/IEC Guide 22:1 996, a supplier is the party that supplies the product, process or service and 
may be a manufacturer, distributor, importer, assembler, service organization, etc.) provides written 
assurance of conformity to the specified requirements. The declaration iden tifies the party 
responsible for making the declaration of conformity and for the conformity of the 
product/process/service itself. Under this approach, the manufacturer/supplier, rather than the 
regulatory authority, takes on the responsibility for ensuri ng that products entering a market comply 
with the mandatory technical regulations. Assessment may be undertaken either by the suppliers 
own internal test facility or by an independent test facility.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  This system is often predicated on:  
(a) adequate market sur veillance;  
(b) substantial penalties for false or misleading declarations;  
(c) an appropriate regulatory environment; and  
(d) an appropriate product liability regime.  
 
 
_______________  
 
 G/TBT /1/Rev.14  
 
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 2  DECISION OF THE COMMITTEE ON PRINCIP LES FOR THE DEVELOPM ENT OF 
INTERNATIONAL STANDA RDS, GUIDES AND RECO MMENDATIONS WITH REL ATION TO 
ARTICLES 2, 5 AND AN NEX 3 OF THE AGREEME NT  
Decision1 
 
The following principles and procedures should be observed, when international standa rds, guides 
and recommendations (as mentioned under Articles 2, 5 and Annex 3 of the TBT Agreement for the 
preparation of mandatory technical regulations, conformity assessment procedures and voluntary 
standards) are elaborated, to ensure transparency, ope nness, impartiality and consensus, 
effectiveness and relevance, coherence, and to address the concerns of developing countries.  
The same principles should also be observed when technical work or a part of the international 
standard development is delegated  under agreements or contracts by international standardizing 
bodies to other relevant organizations, including regional bodies.  
1. Transparency  
All essential information regarding current work programmes, as well as on proposals for standards, 
guides and recommendations under consideration and on the final results should be made easily 
accessible to at least all interested parties in the territori es of at least all WTO Members. Procedures 
should be established so that adequate time and opportunities are provided for written comments. 
The information on these procedures should be effectively disseminated.  
In providing the essential information, the  transparency procedures should, at a minimum, include:  
a. the publication of a notice at an early appropriate stage, in such a manner as to enable 
interested parties to become acquainted with it, that the international standardizing body 
proposes to develop a particular standard;  
b. the notification or other communication through established mechanisms to members of 
the international standardizing body, providing a brief description of the scope of the draft 
standard, including its objective and rationale. Such communications shall take place at 
an early appropriate stage, when amendments can still be introduced and comments taken 
into account;  
c. upon request, the prompt provision to members of the international standardizing body of 
the text of the draft standard;   
d. the provision of an adequate period of time for interested parties in the territory of at least 
all members of the international standardizing body to make comments in writing and take 
these written comments into account in the further consideration of t he standard;  
e. the prompt publication of a standard upon adoption; and  
f. to publish periodically a work programme containing information on the standards 
currently being prepared and adopted.  
It is recognized that the publication and communication of notices , notifications, draft standards, 
comments, adopted standards or work programmes electronically, via the Internet, where feasible, 
can provide a useful means of ensuring the timely provision of information. At the same time, it is 
also recognized that the requisite technical means may not be available in some cases, particularly 
with regard to developing countries. Accordingly, it is important that procedures are in place to 
enable hard copies of such documents to be made available upon request.  
                                                
1 G/TBT/9 , 13 November 2000, para. 20 and Annex 4.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  2. Opennes s 
Membership of an international standardizing body should be open on a non -discriminatory basis to 
relevant bodies of at least all WTO Members. This would include openness without discrimination 
with respect to the participation at the policy development level and at every stage of standards 
development, such as the:  
a. proposal and acceptance of new work items;  
b. technical discussion on proposals;  
c. submission of comments on drafts in order that they can be taken into account;  
d. reviewing existing sta ndards;  
e. voting and adoption of standards; and  
f. dissemination of the adopted standards.  
Any interested member of the international standardizing body, including especially developing 
country Members, with an interest in a specific standardization activity s hould be provided with 
meaningful opportunities to participate at all stages of standard development. It is noted that with 
respect to standardizing bodies within the territory of a WTO Member that have accepted the Code 
of Good Practice for the Preparatio n, Adoption and Application of Standards by Standardizing Bodies 
(Annex 3 of the TBT Agreement) participation in a particular international standardization activity 
takes place, wherever possible, through one delegation representing all standardizing bodie s in the 
territory that have adopted, or expected to adopt, standards for the subject -matter to which the 
international standardization activity relates. This is illustrative of the importance of participation in 
the international standardizing process acc ommodating all relevant interests.  
3. Impartiality and Consensus  
All relevant bodies of WTO Members should be provided with meaningful opportunities to contribute 
to the elaboration of an international standard so that the standard development process wil l not 
give privilege to, or favour the interests of, a particular supplier/s, country/ies or region/s. 
Consensus procedures should be established that seek to take into account the views of all parties 
concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.  
Impartiality should be accorded throughout all the standards development process with respect to, 
among other things:  
a. access to participation in work;  
b. submission of comments on drafts;  
c. consideration of views expressed and comments made;  
d. decision -making through consensus;  
e. obtaining of information and documents;  
f. dissemination of the international standard;  
g. fees charged for documents;  
h. right to transpose the international standard into a  regional or national standard; and  
i. revision of the international standard.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  4. Effectiveness and Relevance  
In order to serve the interests of the WTO membership in facilitating international trade and 
preventing unnecessary trade barriers, international s tandards need to be relevant and to effectively 
respond to regulatory and market needs, as well as scientific and technological developments in 
various countries. They should not distort the global market, have adverse effects on fair 
competition, or stifl e innovation and technological development. In addition, they should not give 
preference to the characteristics or requirements of specific countries or regions when different 
needs or interests exist in other countries or regions. Whenever possible, inter national standards 
should be performance based rather than based on design or descriptive characteristics.  
Accordingly, it is important that international standardizing bodies:  
a. take account of relevant regulatory or market needs, as feasible and appropriat e, as well 
as scientific and technological developments in the elaboration of standards;  
b. put in place procedures aimed at identifying and reviewing standards that have become 
obsolete, inappropriate or ineffective for various reasons; and  
c. put in place pro cedures aimed at improving communication with the World Trade 
Organization.  
5. Coherence  
In order to avoid the development of conflicting international standards, it is important that 
international standardizing bodies avoid duplication of, or overlap wit h, the work of other 
international standardizing bodies. In this respect, cooperation and coordination with other relevant 
international bodies is essential.  
6. Development Dimension  
Constraints on developing countries, in particular, to effectively partic ipate in standards 
development, should be taken into consideration in the standards development process. Tangible 
ways of facilitating developing countries' participation in international standards development should 
be sought. The impartiality and opennes s of any international standardization process requires that 
developing countries are not excluded de facto from the process. With respect to improving 
participation by developing countries, it may be appropriate to use technical assistance, in line with 
Article 11 of the TBT Agreement. Provisions for capacity building and technical assistance within 
international standardizing bodies are important in this context.  
 
_______________  
 G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  3  FORMAT AND GUIDELINE S FOR NOTIFICATION P ROCEDURES FOR TECHNI CAL 
REGULATIONS AND CONF ORMITY ASSESSMENT PR OCEDURES  
3.1  Recommendation of the Committee on Coherent Use of Notification Formats2  
The Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade makes the following recommendation to enhance the 
coherent use of the notification forma ts: 
 
Type  Description  
New 
Notification  Members should use a new notification3 to notify the draft text of a proposed 
technical regulation or conformity assessment procedure (hereafter referred to as 
the "notified measure"). If the notified measure is asso ciated with a previously 
notified measure (e.g. amending or supplementing an adopted measure, or 
replacing a withdrawn or revoked measure)4, the symbol(s) of the associated 
notified measure(s) should be indicated in Box 8 of the new notification.  
Addenda5 Members should use an addendum to notify additional information related to a 
notification or the text of a notified measure, including if:  
The comment period has been changed (e.g. extended or re -opened);  
The notified measure is adopted, published, or enters into force, especially in cases 
where relevant dates have not been provided in the original notification or have been 
changed. Members are encouraged to indicate how the final text of the measure can 
be obtained, including web site address;  
The notified measure is withdrawn or revoked. If replaced with a new measure, 
where possible, the symbol of the corresponding new notification should be 
indicated;  
The content or scope of a notified measure is partially changed or amended. In this 
case, Members should consider opening a new comment period;  
Interpretive guidance is issued; and  
Any other useful and relevant additional information directly related to a notification 
or notified measure has been made available that does not qualify as a corrigenda, 
revision or supplement.  
Corrigenda  Members should use a corrigendum to correct minor administrative or clerical errors 
(which do not entail any changes to the meaning of the content) in:  
a notification or subsequent related addendum or revision; and  
the text of the notified measure.  
Revision  Members should use a revision to indicate that the notified measure has been 
substantially re -drafted prior to adoption or entry into force. A revision replaces the 
original notification. A revision should normally open a new comment period.  
Supplement  Members should use a supplement to notify the availability of unofficial translations 
of notified measures.6 
                                                
2 G/TBT/35 , 24 June 2014.  
3 A "notification" refers to the official WTO document which is part of document series  
"G/TBT/N/[three  digit country code]/#".  
4 Note: The WTO Secretariat is exploring  the feasibility of an IT solution whereby searches on relevant 
WTO databases (e.g. TBT  IMS, I -TIP) would automatically retrieve associated  notifications (so as not to lose the 
thread through the life -cycle of the measure).  
5 Note: T he option of a new addenda format with a list of tick boxes  could be annexed  to this 
recommendation.  
6 In 2007 the TBT Committee agreed ( G/TBT/M/43 , Section II.C.3, 21 January 2008 ) that Members should 
use the formats for unofficial translations contained in G/TBT/1/Rev.11 , Annex 5 – Unofficial Translations. Further 
information is cont ained in G/TBT/GEN/66 . G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
- 66 - 
 
  3.2  Format and Guidelines for New Notification (of draft technical regulations and 
conformity assessment procedures)  
3.2.1 Format  
  
  
G/TBT/N/XXX/XXX  
 
Date 
(00-0000)  Page:  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade    
 
NOTIFICATION7 
 
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.  
 
 
1. 
 Notifying Member:       
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 indicat ed if different from above:       
3. 
 Notified under Article 2.9.2 [   ], 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):       
 
5. 
 Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:       
6. 
 Description of content:       
7. 
 Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:       
8. 
 Relevant documents:       
9. 
 Proposed date of adoption:  
Proposed date of entry into force:       
  
10. 
 Final date for comments:       
11. 
 Texts available from: National enquiry point [   ] or address, telephone and fax numbers, 
e-mail and web -site addresses, if available of the other body:       
                                                
7 Where boxes appear under Items 3 and 11 of the format, notifiers are requested to check the relevant 
box or indicate relevant information under "other".  
G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  3.2.2  Guidelines   
 
Item Description  
1. Notifying Member:  Government, including the competent authorities 
of the European Union, which has acceded to the 
Agreement and which is making the notification; 
if applicable, name of local government involved 
Articles 3.2 and 7.2).  
2. Agency responsible  Body elaborating a proposal for or promulgating 
a technical regulation or procedures for 
assessment of conformity. The authority or 
agency designated to handle comments 
regarding the specific notification shall be 
indicated if different from above.  
3. Notified under8 Relevant provision of the Agreement:  
Article  2.9.2: proposed technical regulation by 
central government body;  
Article  2.10.1: technical regulation adopted for 
urgent problems by central government body;  
Article 3.2: proposed technical regulation or 
techni cal regulation adopted for urgent problems 
by local government (on the level directly below 
that of the central government);  
Article  5.6.2: proposed procedures for 
assessment of conformity by central government 
body;  
Article 5.7.1: conformity assessment pr ocedure 
adopted for urgent problems by central 
government body;  
Article 7.2: proposed procedure for assessment 
of conformity or conformity assessment 
procedure adopted for urgent problems by local 
government (on the level directly below that of 
the central  government)  
Other Articles under which notification can arise 
in cases of urgency set out in those Articles are:  
Article  8.1: adopted procedures for assessment 
of conformity by non -governmental body,  
Article 9.2: adopted procedures for assessment of 
conformity by international or regional 
organization.  
4. Products covered  HS or CCCN (chapter or heading and number) 
where applicable. National tariff heading if 
different from HS or CCCN. ICS numbers may be 
provided in addition, where applicable. A clear 
description is important for an understanding of 
the notification by delegations and translators. 
Abbreviations should be avoided.  
                                                
8 Notifiers are requested to check the relevant box or indicate relevant information under "other".  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
- 68 - 
 
  Item Description  
5. Title and number of pages  Title of the proposed or adopted technical 
regulation or procedure for the assessment of 
conformity that is notified. Number of pages in 
the notified document. The language(s) in which 
notified documents are available. If a translation 
of the document is planned, this should be 
indicated. If a translated summary is available, 
this too should b e indicated.  
6. Description of content  An abstract of the proposed or adopted technical 
regulation or procedures for assessment of 
conformity clearly indicating its content. A clear 
comprehensible description stating the main 
features of the proposed or adopted technical 
regulation or procedures for assessment of 
conformity is important for an understanding of 
the notification by delegations and translators. 
Abbreviations should be avoided.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the 
nature of urgent problems where applicable  For instance: health, safety, national security, ... 
etc. 
8. Relevant documents  (1) Publication where notice appears, including 
date and reference number; (2)  Proposal and 
basic document (with specific reference number 
or other identification) to which proposal refers; 
(3) Publication in which proposal will appear 
when adopted; (4) Whenever practicable, give 
reference to relevant international standard. If it 
is necessary to charge for documents supplied, 
this fac t should be indicated.  
9. Proposed dates of adoption and entry 
into force  The date when the technical regulation or 
procedures for assessment of conformity is 
expected to be adopted, and the date from which 
the requirements in the technical regulation or 
procedures for assessment of conformity are 
proposed or decided to enter into force, taking 
into consideration the provisions of Article  2.12. 
10. Final date for comments  The date by which Members may submit 
comments in accordance with Articles  2.9.4, 
2.10.3, 3.1 (in relation to 2.9.4 and 2.10.3), 
5.6.4, 5.7.3 and 7.1 (in relation to 5.6.4 and 
5.7.3) of the Agreement. A specific date should 
be indicated. The Committee has recommended a 
normal time limit for comments on notifications 
of 60 days. Any Member which is able to provide 
a time limit beyond 60 days is encouraged to do 
so. Members are encouraged to advise of any 
extension to the final date for comments.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  Item Description  
11. Texts available from9 If available from national enquiry point, put a 
cross in the box provided. If available from 
another body, give its address, e -mail, telex and 
telefax number. If available in a web -site, provide 
the web -site address. Such indications should not 
in any way discharge the relevant enquiry point 
of its responsibilities unde r the provisions of 
Article  10 of the Agreement.  
 
 
 
 
 
_______________  
 
                                                
9 Notifiers are requested to check the relevan t box or indicate relevant information under "other".  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  3.3  Format for Addenda  
  
G/TBT/N/XXX/#/Add.#  
 
Date 
(00-0000)  Page:  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  
 
NOTIFICATION  
 
Addendum  
 The following communication, dated      , is being circulated at the request of the delegation 
of      . 
 
____ ___________  
 
 
      
 
      
 
__________  
G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  3.4  Format for Corrigenda  
  
G/TBT/N/XXX/#/Corr.#  
 
Date 
(00-0000)  Page:  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  
 
NOTIFICATION  
 
Corrigendum  
 The following communication, dated       , is being circulated at the request of the Delegation 
of      . 
 
_______________  
 
 
      
 
      
 
__________  
G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  3.5  Format for Revision  
  
G/TBT/N/XXX/#/Rev.#  
 
Date 
(00-0000)  Page:  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade    
 
NOTIFICATION10 
 
Revision  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.  
 
 
1. 
 Notifying Member:       
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 ava ilable) of agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the 
notification shall be indicated if different from above:       
3. 
 Notified under Article 2.9.2 [   ], 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):       
 
5. 
 Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:       
6. 
 Description of content:       
7. 
 Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:       
8. 
 Relevant documents:       
9. 
 Proposed date of adoption:  
Proposed date of entry into force:  
      
  
10. 
 Final date for comments:       
11. 
 Texts available from: National enquiry point [   ] or address, telephone and fax numbers, 
e-mail and web -site addres ses, if available of the other body:       
 
                                                
10 Where boxes appear under Items 3 and 11 of the format, notifiers are requested to check the 
relevant box or indicate relevant information under "other".  
G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  3.6  Format for Supplements (Unofficial Translations)  
  
G/TBT/N/COUNTRY/#/Suppl. # 
Date 
(00-0000)  Page:  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade    
 
AVAILABILITY OF TRAN SLATIONS  
NOTE BY THE SECRETAR IAT11 
Supplement  
 
 The Secretariat has been informed that an unofficial translation into [language] of the 
document referenced in this notification is available for consultation at:  
 
  http://www. ...........................................  
 or can be requested from:  …………………………………………..  
_____________________________________________________________________________  
Comité des obstacles techniques au commerce  
 
TRADUCTIONS  DISPONIBLES  
NOTE DU SECRÉTARIAT11 
Supplément  
 
 Le Secrétariat a été informé qu'une traduction non officielle en [langue] du document auquel 
renvoie la présente notification pouvait être consultée à l'adresse suivante:  
 
  http://www. ....................................  
 ou peut être obtenue à l'adresse suivante:   ……………………………………  
______________________________________________________________________________  
Comité de Obstáculos Técnicos al Comercio  
 
ACCESO A TRADUCCIONE S 
NOTA DE LA SECR ETARÍA11 
Suplemento  
 
 Se ha comunicado a la Secretaría que en la dirección:  
 
  http://www. ...........................................  
se puede consultar una traducción no oficial al [idioma] del documento a que se hace referencia en 
la presente notificación.  
 o puede solicitarse a:   ...........................................................  
_______________  
  
                                                
11 This document has been prepared under the Sec retariat's own responsibility and without prejudice to 
the positions of Members or to their rights or obligations under the WTO./Le présent document a été établi par 
le Secrétariat sous sa propre responsabilité et est sans préjudice des positions des Membr es ni de leurs droits 
ou obligations dans le cadre de l'OMC./El presente documento ha sido elaborado bajo la responsabilidad de la 
Secretaría y se entiende sin perjuicio de las posiciones de los Miembros ni de sus derechos y obligaciones en el 
marco de la OMC.  
G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
- 74 - 
 
    
  
G/TBT/N/COUNTRY/#/Suppl.#  
 
Date 
(00-0000)  Page:  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:   
 
AVAILABILITY OF TRANSLATIONS  
NOTE BY THE SECRETAR IAT12 
Supplement  
 The delegation of       has provided the Secretariat with an unofficial translation into       
of the document referenced in this notification. The document is available for consultation at:  
 
      
______________________________________________________________________________  
Comité des obstacles techniques au commerce  
 
TRADUCTIONS DISPONIB LES 
NOTE DU SECRÉTARIAT12 
Supplément  
 La délégation de       a communiqué au Secrétariat une traduction non officielle en langue 
      du document auquel renvoie la présente notification. Cette traduction peut être consultée à:  
 
      
______________________________________________________________________________  
Comité de Obstáculos Técnicos al Comercio  
 
ACCESO A TRADUCCIONE S 
NOTA DE LA SECRETARÍ A12 
Suplemento  
 La delegación de       ha remitido a la Secretaría una traducción no oficial al       del 
documento a que se hace referencia en la presente notificación. La traducción se puede consultar  
en: 
 
_______________  
                                                
12 This document has been prepared under the Secretariat's own responsibility and without prejudice to 
the positions of Members or to their rights or obligations under the WTO./ Le présent document a été établi par 
le Secrétariat sous sa propre responsa bilité et est sans préjudice des positions des Membres ni de leurs droits 
ou obligations dans le cadre de l'OMC. /El presente documento ha sido elaborado bajo la responsabilidad de la 
Secretaría y se entiende sin perjuicio de las posiciones de los Miembros ni de sus derechos y obligaciones en el 
marco de la OMC.  
G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  4  NOTIFICATION FORMAT UNDER ARTICLE 10.7  
   
  
G/TBT/10 .7/N/XX  
 
Date 
(00-0000)  Page:  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
 
AGREEMENT REACHED BY A MEMBER WITH ANOTHER COUNTRY OR COUNTRIES  
ON ISSUES RELATED TO TECHNICAL REGULATIONS, STANDARDS  
OR CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES  
 
NOTIFICATION  
 
 Under Article 10.7 of the Agreement "Whenever a Member has reached an 
agreement with any other country or countries on issues related to technical regulations, standards 
or conformity assessment procedures which may have a significant effect  on trade, at least one 
Member party to the agreement shall notify other Members through the Secretariat of the products 
to be covered by the agreement and include a brief description of the agreement." The following 
notification under Article 10.7 has bee n received.  
 
1. Notifying Member :  
2. Title of the bilateral or plurilateral Agreement:  
3. Parties to the Agreement:  
4. Date of entry into force of Agreement:  
5. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading):  
6. Subject matter covered by the Agreement (technical regulations, standards or 
conformity assessment procedures):  
7. Brief description of the Agreement:  
8. Further information available from:  
 
 
 
 
_______________  
 
G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  5  BOOKLETS ON ENQUIRY POINTS  
5.1.  All booklets issued by Members should contain the elements and, as far as possible, follow the 
layout set out below:  
5.1  Objective, name, address, telephone number, fax number, and e -mail and Internet 
addresses, if available, of WTO TBT enquiry point(s)  
(a) Refer to the provisions of Articles 10.1, 10.2 and 10.3 of the Agreement on Technical 
Barriers to Trade.  
(b) Date established, and name of responsible officer.  
5.2  Who can use the  enquiry point(s)  
(a) Refer to the provisions of Articles 2.9.3 and 2.10.2; 3.1 (in relation to 2.9.3 and 
2.10.2); 5.6.3 and 5.7.2; 7.1, 8.1 and 9.2 (in relation to 5.6.3 and 5.7.2); 10.1 and 
10.3; paragraphs M and P of Annex 3 of the Agreement.  
5.3  Information available from enquiry point(s)  
a. Documentation  
i. Refer to the provisions of Articles 2.9.3 and 2.10.2; 3.1 (in relation to 2.9.3 and 
2.10.2); 5.6.3 and 5.7.2; 7.1, 8.1 and 9.2 (in relation to 5.6.3 and 5.7.2); 10.4, 10.8.1 
and 10.8.2; paragraphs M  and P of Annex 3 of the Agreement. Documentation that 
can be obtained from the enquiry point(s): Procedures for handling documentation on 
proposed or adopted domestic regulations and standards and procedures for 
assessment of conformity  
b. Notifications: con tent, format, comment period  
i. Refer to the provisions of Articles 2.9.2, 2.10.1, 3.2, 5.6.2, 5.7.1, 7.2, 8.1, 9.2 and 
paragraphs C and J of Annex 3 of the Agreement, and to the decisions of the 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade regarding format and comment period).  
ii. Procedures for handling notifications issued by other Members of the Agreement, for 
issuing notifications from domestic sources, and for handling comments on 
notifications received or issued.  
c. Publication:  
i. Refer to the provisions of Artic les 2.9.1 and 2.11; 3.1(in relation to 2.9.1 and 2.11); 
5.6.1 and 5.8; 7.1, 8.1 and 9.2 (in relation to 5.6.1 and 5.8); 10.1.5; and paragraphs 
J, L and O of Annex 3 of the Agreement.  
ii. Procedures for ensuring compliance with these provisions of the Agreemen t, including 
any publications by the enquiry point(s).  
5.4  Facilities offered (including charges, if any)  
a. Data bank (content and form of documents, e.g. paper, microfilm, computer, etc.).  
b. Access to data (retrieval system: manual, tape, on -line; software used).  
c. Languages used.  
d. Translation, if any.  
e. Brief description of the Agreement: objectives, date of entry into force, date joined, status 
in domestic law.  
f. List of Members of the Agreement.  
g. List of enquiry points of other Members.  
 
_______________  
 G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  6  FORMAT FOR THE  VOLUNTARY NOTIFICAT ION OF SPECIFIC TECH NICAL ASSISTANCE 
NEEDS OR RESPONSES  
  
  
G/TBT/TA  
 
Date 
(00-0000)  Page:  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
VOLUNTARY NOTIFICATI ON  
OF SPECIFIC TECHNICA L ASSISTANCE  
NEEDS OR RESPONSES  
 
1.
  
 Notifying Member (including, if applicable, an indication of relevant bodies)  
............................................................................................................................. ..
. 
2. The technical assistance activity needed or provided may be relevant to the 
following Article(s) of the TBT Agreement13: 
[ ... ] Articles 2 and 3 on technical regulations  
[ ... ] Article 4 and Annex 3 on standards and the Code of Good Practice  
[ ... ] Articles 5, 7 and 8 on development of conformity assessment procedures  
[ ... ] Article 6 on recognition of conformity assessment  
[ ... ] Article 9 on international and regional systems for conformity assessment  
[ ... ] Articles 2, 5 and 10 on information exchange (e.g. notifications, enquiry point)  
[ ... ] Article 11 on technical assistance to ot her Members  
[ ... ] Article 12 on special and differential treatment of developing country Members  
[ ... ] Article 13 on the TBT Committee (participation in work of TBT Committee)  
[ ... ] Other: ............................................................ ................................................  
 
3. Brief description of objective and rationale of the technical assistance activity, 
including, if possible, an estimation of the resources needed or on offer (e.g., 
financial or man -hours)14: 
............ ...................................................................................................................  
                                                
13 For needs: if there is difficulty in establishing which Articles of the TBT Agreement are relevant, it is 
recommended that the "Needs assessment" and/or "Awareness raising" box be crossed under Point 4.  Under 
Point 2 it may then be sufficient to cross the "Other" box and indicate "General".  
14 This description should explain how this activity is intended to enhance implementation of specific 
provision(s) of the TBT  Agreement listed in Point  2. 
G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
- 78 - 
 
  4.
  
 
 
 Nature and timing of technical assistance activity needed or on offer (key words):  
Type of assistance  
[ ... ]  Awareness raising  
[ ... ]  Needs assessment  
[ ... ]  Skills training  
[ ... ]  Infrastructure development  
[ ... ]  Other: 
................................................................................................................  
Policy area covered  
[ ... ]  Technical regulations  
[ ... ]  Conformity assessment procedures  
[ ... ]  Standardization  
[ ... ]  Informatio n exchange  
[ ... ]  Other: 
................................................................................................................  
Mode of delivery  
[ ... ]  Workshop, seminar or other event  
[ ... ]  Project -based activity  
[ ... ]  Other: 
............ ...................................................................................................  
Dates  
[ ... ]  Envisaged start date for activity: ......................................................................  
[ ... ]  Estimated duration: ..........................................................................................  
 
5.
   
 
 Further information available from:  
[ ... ]  National enquiry point.  
[ ... ]  Other contact point 15:......................................................................................  
[ ... ]  Other reference16:...................................................... .....................................  
 
 
_______________  
 
 
                                                
15 Name of a contact person with telephone and e -mail address.  
16 For example an Internet address, or the address of a body other than that of the Enquiry Point.  For 
response notifications, this space could be used to make reference to previous relevant  submissions or 
statements made in the TBT  Committee (or other body).  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
- 79 - 
 
  7  FORMAT FOR NOTIFICAT IONS RELATED TO THE CODE OF GOOD PRACTIC E FOR THE 
PREPARATION, ADOPTIO N AND APPLICATION OF  STANDARDS CONTAINED  IN ANNEX 3 
OF THE WTO TBT AGREE MENT  
7.1  Notification of acceptance of the WTO TBT Code of Good Practice (Paragraph C) to the 
WTO Secretariat  
  
  
G/TBT/CS/N/  
 
Date 
(00-0000)  Page:  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade    
 
 
 
 
Under paragraph C of the Code of Good Practice for the Preparation, Adoption and Application 
of Standards contained in Annex 3 to the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade, 
"Standardizing bodies that have accepted or withdrawn from this Code shall notify this fact to the 
ISO/IEC Information Centre in Ge neva." The following notification conveyed to the Secretariat from 
the ISO/IEC Information Centre is being circulated for the information of Members.  
 
NOTIFICATION  
UNDER PARAGRAPH C OF  THE WTO TBT CODE OF  GOOD PRACTICE  
NOTIFICATION OF ACCE PTANCE  
Country/Customs Territory/Regional Arrangement:       
Name of standardizing body:        
Address of standardizing body:        
Telephone:       Fax:        
E-mail:       Internet:       
Type of standardizi ng body:  
[   ] central governmental  [   ] local governmental  [   ] non -governmen tal 
Scope of current and expected standardization activities:        
Date:       
 
 
_______________  
G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  7.2  Notification of acceptance and of existence of work programme under the WTO TBT 
Code of Good Practice (Paragraph C and J) to the ISO/IEC Information Centre17 
Form A  
 
 
                                                
17 Forms A, B and C can be downloaded from the WTO ISO Standards Information Gateway 
https://tbtcode.iso.org/sites/wto -tbt/home.html . 
G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
- 81 - 
 
  Form B  
 
G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
- 82 - 
 
  Form C  
G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
- 83 - 
 
  PART 2: RULES OF PROCEDURE FOR THE MEETINGS OF THE WTO COMMITTEE ON 
TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE AND GUIDELINES FOR OBSERVER STATUS FOR 
GOVERNMENTS AND INTERNATIONAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS  
Decision  
a. In 1995, the Commit tee adopted the following Rules of Procedure, including Guidelines for 
Observer Status for Governments (Annex  A, below) and International Intergovernmental 
Organizations in the WTO (Annex  B, below)1:  
 
CHAPTER I - Meetings  
 
Rule 1 
 
 The Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade (hereinafter the Committee) shall meet as 
necessary, but not less than once a year.  
 
Rule 2 
 
 Meetings of the Committee shall be convened by the Director -General by a notice issued, 
preferably three weeks, and in any event not l ess than ten calendar days, prior to the date set for 
the meeting. In the event that the tenth day falls on a weekend or a holiday, the notice shall be 
issued no later than the preceding WTO working day. Meetings may be convened with shorter notice 
for mat ters of significant importance or urgency at the request of a Member concurred in by the 
majority of the Members.  
 
CHAPTER II - Agenda  
 
Rule 3 
 
 A list of the items proposed for the agenda of the meeting shall be communicated to Members 
together with the c onvening notice for the meeting. It shall be open to any Member to suggest items 
for inclusion in the proposed agenda up to, and not including, the day on which the notice of the 
meeting is to be issued.  
 
Rule 4 
 
 Requests for items to be placed on the age nda of a forthcoming meeting shall be 
communicated to the Secretariat in writing, together with the accompanying documentation to be 
issued in connection with that item. Documentation for consideration at a meeting shall be circulated 
not later than the da y on which the notice of the meeting is to be issued.  
 
Rule 5 
 
 (Will not apply)  
 
Rule 6 
 
 The first item of business at each meeting shall be the consideration and approval of the 
agenda. Representatives may suggest amendments to the proposed agenda, or additions to the 
agenda under "Other Business". Representatives shall provide the Chairperson or the Secretariat, 
and the other Members directly concerned, whenever possible, advance notice of items intended to 
be raised under "Other Business".  
 
Rule 7 
 
 The Committee may amend the agenda or give priority to certain items at any time in the 
course of the meeting.  
 
                                                
1 G/TBT/M/1 , 28 June 1995, para. 13. G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
- 84 - 
 
  CHAPTER III - Representation  
 
Rule 8 
 
 Each Member shall be represented by an accredited representative.  
 
Rule 9 
 
 Each representative  may be accompanied by such alternates and advisers as the 
representative may require.  
 
CHAPTER IV - Observers  
 
Rule 10 
 
 Representatives of States or separate customs territories may attend the meetings as 
observers on the invitation of the Committee in accordance with the guidelines in Annex  1 to these 
Rules.  
 
Rule 11  
 
 Representatives of international intergovernmental organizations may attend the meetings as 
observers on the invitation of the Committee in accordance with the guidelines in Annex  2 to these 
Rules.  
 
CHAPTER V - Officers  
 
Rule 12  
 
 The Committee shall elect a Chairperson2 and may elect a Vice -Chairperson from among the 
representatives of Members. The election shall take place at the first meeting of the year and shall 
take effe ct at the end of the meeting. The Chairperson and Vice -Chairperson shall hold office until 
the end of the first meeting of the following year.  
 
Rule 13  
 
 If the Chairperson is absent from any meeting or part thereof, the Vice -Chairperson shall 
perform the functions of the Chairperson. If no Vice -Chairperson was elected or if the 
Vice-Chairperson is not present, the Committee shall elect an interim Chairperson for that meeting 
or that part of the meeting.  
 
Rule 14  
 
 If the Chairperson can no longer perform t he functions of the office, the Committee shall 
designate the Vice -Chairperson referred to in Rule 12 or, if no Vice -Chairperson was elected it shall 
elect an interim Chairperson to perform those functions pending the election of a new Chairperson.  
 
Rule 15 
 
 The Chairperson shall normally participate in the proceedings as such and not as the 
representative of a Member. The Chairperson may, however, at any time request permission to act 
in either capacity.  
                                                
2 The Committee shall apply the relevant guidelines contained in the "Guidelines for Appointment of 
Officers to WTO Bodies" ( WT/L/31  dated 7 February 1995).  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  CHAPTER VI - Conduct of Business  
 
Rule 16 
 
 The Chairperson may consider postponing a meeting in the event that he or she feels that 
doing so may result in a more representative level of participation by WTO Members.  
 
Rule 17 
 
 In addition to exercising the powers conferred elsewhere by these rules,  the Chairperson shall 
declare the opening and closing of each meeting, shall direct the discussion, accord the right to 
speak, submit questions for decision, announce decisions, rule on points of order and, subject to 
these rules, have complete control of  the proceedings. The Chairperson may also call a speaker to 
order if the remarks of the speaker are not relevant.  
 
Rule 18 
 
 During the discussion of any matter, a representative may raise a point of order. In this case 
the Chairperson shall immediately s tate the ruling. If the ruling is challenged, the Chairperson shall 
immediately submit it for decision and it shall stand unless overruled.  
 
Rule 19 
 
 During the discussion of any matter, a representative may move the adjournment of the 
debate. Any such mo tion shall have priority. In addition to the proponent of the motion, one 
representative may be allowed to speak in favour of, and two representatives against, the motion, 
after which the motion shall be submitted for decision immediately.  
 
Rule 20 
 
 A representative may at any time move the closure of the debate. In addition to the proponent 
of the motion, not more than one representative may be granted permission to speak in favour of 
the motion and not more than two representatives may be granted perm ission to speak against the 
motion, after which the motion shall be submitted for decision immediately.  
 
Rule 21 
 
 During the course of the debate, the Chairperson may announce the list of speakers and, with 
the consent of the meeting, declare the list clo sed. The Chairperson may, however, accord the right 
of reply to any representative if a speech delivered after the list has been declared closed makes 
this desirable.  
 
Rule 22 
 
 The Chairperson, with the consent of the meeting, may limit the time allowed t o each speaker.  
 
Rule 23 
 
 Representatives shall endeavour, to the extent that a situation permits, to keep their oral 
statements brief. Representatives wishing to develop their position on a particular matter in fuller 
detail may circulate a written state ment for distribution to Members, the summary of which, at the 
representative's request, may be reflected in the records of the Committee.  
 
Rule 24 
 
 In order to expedite the conduct of business, the Chairperson may invite representatives that 
wish to expr ess their support for a given proposal to show their hands, in order to be duly recorded 
in the records of the Committee as supporting statements; thus, only representatives with dissenting 
views or wishing to make explicit points or proposals would actual ly be invited to make a statement. 
This procedure shall only be applied in order to avoid undue repetition of points already made, and 
will not preclude any representative who so wishes from taking the floor.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
- 86 - 
 
  Rule 25 
 
 Representatives should avoid unduly l ong debates under "Other Business". Discussions on 
substantive issues under "Other Business" shall be avoided, and the Committee shall limit itself to 
taking note of the announcement by the sponsoring delegation, as well as any reactions to such an 
announc ement by other delegations directly concerned.  
 
Rule 26 
 
 While the Committee is not expected to take action in respect of an item introduced as "Other 
Business", nothing shall prevent the Committee, if it so decides, to take action in respect of any such 
item at a particular meeting, or in respect of any item for which documentation was not circulated 
at least ten calendar days in advance.  
 
Rule 27 
 
 Representatives should make every effort to avoid the repetition of a full debate at each 
meeting on a ny issue that has already been fully debated in the past and on which there appears to 
have been no change in Members' positions already on record.  
 
Rule 28 
 
 Proposals and amendments to proposals shall normally be introduced in writing and circulated 
to all representatives not later than twelve hours before the commencement of the meeting at which 
they are to be discussed.  
 
Rule 29 
 
 If two or more proposals are moved relating to the same question, the meeting shall first 
decide on the most far -reaching pr oposal and then on the next most far -reaching proposal and so 
on. 
 
 
Rule 30 
 
 When an amendment is moved to a proposal, the amendment shall be submitted for decision 
first and, if it is adopted, the amended proposal shall then be submitted for decision.  
 
Rule 31 
 
 When two or more amendments are moved to a proposal, the meeting shall decide first on 
the amendment farthest removed in substance from the original proposal, then, if necessary, on the 
amendment next farthest removed, and so on until all the amen dments have been submitted for 
decision.  
 
Rule 32 
 
 Parts of a proposal may be decided on separately if a representative requests that the proposal 
be divided.  
 
CHAPTER VII - Decision -Making  
 
Rule 33  
 
 Where a decision cannot be arrived at by consensus, the matter at issue shall be referred to 
the Council for Trade in Goods.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  Rule 34  
 
 (Will not apply)  
 
CHAPTER VIII - Languages  
 
Rule 35 
 
 English, French and Spanish shall be the working languages.  
 
CHAPTER IX - Records  
 
Rule 36 
 
 Records of the discussions of the Committee shall be in the form of minutes.3 
 
CHAPTER X - Publicity of Meetings  
 
Rule 37 
 
 The meetings of the Committee shall ordinarily be held in private. It may be decided that a 
particular meeting or meetings should be  held in public.  
 
 
Rule 38 
 
 After a private meeting has been held, the Chairperson may issue a communiqué to the Press.  
 
CHAPTER XI - Revision  
 
Rule 39 
 
 The Committee may decide at any time to revise these rules or any part of them.  
 
  
                                                
3 The customary practice under the GATT 1947, whereby representatives may, upon their request, 
verify those portions of the draft records containing their statements, prior to the issuance of such re cords, 
shall be continued.  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
- 88 - 
 
  Annex A 
 
Guidelines for Observer Status for Governments in the WTO  
 
 The purpose of observer status in the General Council and its subsidiary bodies is to allow a 
government to better acquaint itself with the WTO and its activities, and to prepare and initiate 
negotiations for accession to the WTO  Agreement.  
 
 Observer governments shall have access to the main WTO document series. They may also 
request technical assistance from the Secretariat in relation to the operation of the WTO system in 
general, as well as to negotiations on accession to the WTO Agreement.  
 
 Representatives of governments accorded observer status may be invited to speak at 
meetings of the bodies to which they are observers normally after Members of that body have 
spoken. The right to speak doe s not include the right to make proposals, unless a government is 
specifically invited to do so, nor to participate in decision -making.  
 
 
_______________  
 
 
  G/TBT/1/Rev.14  
 
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  Annex B  
Guidelines for Observer Status for International  
Intergovernmental Organizations in the W TO1 
 
 The purpose of observer status for international intergovernmental organizations (hereinafter 
referred to as "organizations") in the WTO is to enable these organizations to follow discussions 
therein on matters of direct interest to them.  
 
 Requests for o bserver status shall accordingly be considered from organizations which have 
competence and a direct interest in trade policy matters, or which,  pursuant to paragraph  V:1 of the 
WTO Agreement, have responsibilities related to those of the WTO.  
 
 Requests f or observer status shall be made in writing to the WTO body in which such status 
is sought, and shall indicate the nature of the work of the organization and the reasons for its interest 
in being accorded such status.  
 
 Requests for observer status shall be considered on a case -by-case basis by each WTO body 
to which such a request is addressed, taking into account such factors as the nature of work of the 
organization concerned, the nature of its membership, the number of WTO Members in the 
organization,  reciprocity with respect to access to proceedings, documents and other aspects of 
observership, and whether the organization has been associated in the past with the work of the 
CONTRACTING PARTIES to GATT 1947.  
 
 In addition to organizations that request,  and are granted, observer status, other 
organizations may attend meetings of the Ministerial Conference, the General Council or subsidiary 
bodies on the specific invitation of the Ministerial Conference, the General Council or the subsidiary 
body concerne d, as the case may be. Invitations may also be extended, as appropriate and on a 
case-by-case basis, to specific organizations to follow particular issues within a body in an observer 
capacity.  
 
 Organizations with which the WTO has entered into a formal arrangement for cooperation and 
consultation shall be accorded observer status in such bodies as may be determined by that 
arrangement.  
 
 Organizations accorded observer status in a particular WTO body shall not automatically be 
accorded such status in ot her WTO bodies.  
 
 Representatives of organizations accorded observer status may be invited to speak at 
meetings of the bodies to which they are observers normally after Members of that body have 
spoken. The right to speak does not include the right to cir culate papers or to make proposals, unless 
an organization is specifically invited to do so, nor to participate in decision -making.  
 
 Observer organizations shall receive copies of the main WTO documents series and of other 
documents series relating to the  work of the subsidiary bodies which they attend as observers. They 
may receive such additional documents as may be specified by the terms of any formal arrangements 
for cooperation between them and the WTO.  
 
 If for any one -year period after the date of t he grant of observer status, there has been no 
attendance by the observer organization, such status shall cease.  
 
 
__________  
 
 
 
                                                
1 These guidelines shall apply also to other organizations referred to by name in the WTO Agreement.