G/TBT/N/CRI/161  
11 August 2016  
(16-4328) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  Spanish  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.  
 
1. Notifying Member : COSTA RICA  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):  
2. Agency responsible:  
Ministerio de Economía, Industria  y Comercio , MEIC (Ministry of the Economy, Industry 
and Trade)  
Departamento de Reglamentación Técnica  (Technical Regulation Department)  
Tel.: (+506) 2549 -1479 
Fax: (+506) 2291 -2015 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above : Información de 
Obstáculos Técnicos al Comercio  (TBT enquiry point)  
Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Comer cio, MEIC (Ministry of the Economy, Industry 
and Trade)  
Apartado Postal 10216 -1000 
Tel.: (+506) 2549 -1479 
Fax: (+506) 2291 -2015 
Email: crotc@meic.go.cr  
Website: http://www.regl atec.go.cr/   
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [ ], 5.6.2 [ ], 5.7.1 [ ], other:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading . ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable) : 67.160.20  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document : RTCR 471 : 2014 
Alimentos y Bebidas Procesadas . Aguas Envasadas . Especificaciones  (Costa Rican Technical 
Regulation (RTCR) No. 471:2014, Processed foods and beverages . Packaged water . 
Specificati ons) (11 pages, in Spanish)  
6. Description of content : The notified Regulation establishes the physical, chemical, 
microbiological and radiological requirements to be met by packaged water for human 
consumption . It applies to all mineral water and drinkin g water packaged in Costa Rica or 
imported into the country, regardless of origin (well, spring, public water supply), that is 
sold as a foodstuff in the domestic market . The Regulation does not cover carbonated or 
non-carbonated mineralized water, or wate r to which sugars, sweeteners, flavourings or 
other foodstuffs are intentionally added.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable : Protection of human health.  G/TBT/N/CRI/161  
- 2 - 
  8. Relevant documents:  
 8.1 Decreto Ejecutivo Nº 347 28-S Reglamento General para el Otorgamiento de 
Permisos de Funcionamiento del Ministerio de Salud  (Executive Decree No. 34728 -S, 
General regulations governing the issuing of operating permits by the Ministry of 
Health), published in Official Journal La Ga ceta No. 174 of 9 September 2 008. 
 8.2 Decreto Ejecutivo Nº 36463 -MEIC, RTCR 443:2010 Metrología . Unidades de 
Medidas.  Sistema Internacional (SI)  (Executive Decree No. 36463 -MEIC, Costa Rican 
Technical Regulation (RTCR) No. 443:2010 : Metrology . Measurement units. 
International System (SI)), published in Official Journal La Gaceta  No. 56 of 
21 March 2 011. 
 8.3 Decreto Ejecutivo Nº 34490 -COMEX -S-MEIC, Resolución N° 216 -2007 
(COMIECO -XLVII) : Reforma Reglamento Técnico Centroamericano Alimentos 
Procesados Procedi miento Licencia Sanitaria, Proced . Otorgar Registro Sanitario, 
Inscripción Sanitaria, Requisitos Importación Alimentos Procesados, Industria 
Alimentos y Bebidas Procesadas  (Executive Decree No. 34490 -COMEX -S-MEIC, 
Resolution No. 216-2007 (COMIECO -XLVII) : Amendment to Central American 
Technical Regulation . Processed foods . Sanitary licensing procedures . Sanitary 
registration and authorization, import requirements for processed foods, processed 
food and drink industry), published in Official Journal La Gaceta  No. 86 of 6 May 
2008. 
 8.4 Decreto Ejecutivo Nº 37295 -COMEX -MEIC-S, Resolución N° 281 -2012 
(COMIECO -LXII) de 14 de mayo del 2012, modificaciones al Reglamento Técnico 
Centroamericano RTCA 67.01.60:10 Etiquetado nutricional de productos alimenticios 
preenva sados para consumo humano para población a partir de 3 años  (Executive 
Decree No. 37295 -COMEX -MEIC-S, Resolution No. 281-2012 (COMIECO -LXII) of 1 4 
May 2 012, Amendments to Central American Technical Regulation (RTCA) 
No. 67.01.60:10 : Nutrition labelling of pre-packaged foods for human consumption 
intended for adults and children over 3 years of age) . Decreto Ejecutivo N° 37100 -
COMEX -S-MEIC (COMIECO -LXI) del 2 de diciembre del 2011  (Executive Decree 
No. 37100 -COMEX -S-MEIC (COMIECO -LXI) of 2 December 2 011), pu blished in 
Official Journal La Gaceta  No. 185 of 2 5 September 2 012. 
 8.5 Decreto Ejecutivo Nº 37280 -COMEX -MEIC, Resolución N° 280 -2012 (COMIECO -
LXII) de 14 de mayo del 2012 y su Anexo : Reglamento Técnico Centroamericano 
RTCA 67.01.07:10 Etiquetado general d e los alimentos previamente envasados 
(preenvasados)  (Executive Decree No. 37280 -COMEX -MEIC, Resolution No. 280-
2012 (COMIECO -LXII) of 1 4 May 2 012 and its Annex : Central American Technical 
Regulation (RTCA) No. 67.01.07:10 : General labelling of pre -package d foods), 
published in Official Journal La Gaceta  No. 180 of 1 8 September 2 012. 
 8.6 Decreto Ejecutivo Nº 31595 -S, Reglamento de Notificación de Materias Primas, 
Registro Sanitario, Importación, Desalmacenaje y Vigilancia de Alimentos  (Executive 
Decree No. 31595 -S, Regulation on the notification of raw materials and the sanitary 
registration, importation, customs clearance and monitoring of foodstuffs) and 
amendments thereto, published in Official Journal La Gaceta  No. 16 of 2 3 January 
2004. 
 8.7 Decreto Ejec utivo N° 33371 -COMEX -MEIC, Resolución N° 168 -2006 (COMIECO 
XLIX) Reglamento Técnico Centroamericano RTCA 01.01.11:06 Cantidad de Producto 
en Preempacados  (Executive Decree No. 33371 -COMEX -MEIC, Resolution No. 168-
2006 (COMIECO XLIX), Central American Techn ical Regulation (RTCA) 
No. 01.01.11:06 : Quantity of product in pre -packages), published in Official Journal 
La Gaceta  No. 194 of 1 0 October 2 006. 
 8.8 Decreto Ejecutivo N° 35485 -COMEX -S-MEIC-MAG, Resolución N° 243 -2009 
(COMIECO -LV) Reglamento Técnico Centro americano RTCA 67.04.50:08 Alimentos . 
Criterios Microbiológicos para la Inocuidad de Alimentos  (Executive Decree 
No. 35485 -COMEX -S-MEIC-MAG, Resolution No. 243-2009 (COMIECO -LV), Central 
American Technical Regulation (RTCA) No. 67.04.50:08 : Food products . 
Microbiological criteria for food safety), published in Official Journal La Gaceta  
No. 184 of 2 2 September 2 009. G/TBT/N/CRI/161  
- 3 - 
  9. Proposed date of adoption : Upon publication in Official Journal La Gaceta.  
Proposed date of entry into force : Six months after publication in Official Journal 
La Gaceta.  
10. Final date for comments : 8 October 2 016 
11. Texts available from : National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:  
TBT Enquiry Point:  
Website : http://www.reglatec.go.cr/  
Email: crotc@meic.go.cr  
San José, Costa Rica  
Apartado Postal 10216 -1000 
Tel.: (+506) 2549 -1479 
Fax: (+506) 2291 -2015 
Full text available online at : http://reglatec.go.cr/reglatec/principal.jsp  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2016/TBT/CRI/16_3194_00_s.P DF