G/TBT/N/CRI/173  
23 February 2018  
(18-1209) Page: 1/2 
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 Ambiente y Energía  (Ministry of the Environment and Energy)  
Dirección General de Transporte y Comercialización de Combustibles  (Directorate -General 
for the Transportation and Marketing of Fuel)  
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 abo ve: 
Información de Obstáculos Técnicos al Comercio  (TBT Enquiry Point)  
Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Comercio , 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.reglatec.go.cr/  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [ ], 5.6.2 [ ], 5.7.1 [ ], other : Please note 
that the current re gulations were introduced in 2002, but not notified to the WTO . 
Amendments are now being made to the first paragraph of Article 19 and to Article 19.2.2.  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading . ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable) : ICS 75.160  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document : Reglamento para 
la Regulación del Sistema de Almacenamiento y Comercialización de Hidrocarburos Nº 
30131 -MINAE -S (Regulations governing the hydrocarbon storage and marketing system, 
Decree No. 30131 -MINAE -S) (135 pages, in Spanish)  
6. Description of content : The purpose of the notified regulations is to regulate the 
functions of the Ministry of the Environment and  Energy (MINAE) through the Directorate -
General for the Transportation and Marketing of Fuel , and to establish the legal and 
technical requirements, and procedures, governing the distribution, storage and marketing 
of hydrocarbon fuels intended for the end  consumer . The text  also establishes minimum 
technical specifications for the construction and remodelling of service stations and storage 
tanks, with a view to ensuring that they operate in the safest and most effective manner 
possible, while preserving t he integrity of the environment.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable : Protection of health and the environment.  G/TBT/N/CRI/173  
- 2 - 
  8. Relevant documents : n/a  
9. Proposed date of adoption : Upon publication in Official Journ al La Gaceta.  
Proposed date of entry into force : Upon publication in Official Journal La Gaceta.  
10. Final date for comments : 60 days from the date of notification.  
11. Texts available from : National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:  
Centro de Obstáculos Técnicos al Comercio  (TBT Centre)  
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://www.reglatec.go.cr/reglatec/principal.jsp  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2018/TBT/CRI/18_1050_00_s.pdf