G/TBT/GEN/143/Add.1  
 
25 June 2013  
(13-3301)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
 SECOND THEMATIC SESSION ON GOOD REGULATORY PRACTICE 
17 JUNE 2013 
Chairman's Report1 
Addendum 
 
This Report was delivered by the Chairman of the WTO TBT Committee at the meeting of 
19-20 June 2013. 
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1.  At the Sixth Triennial Review, the Committee agreed to hold thematic sessions on Good Regulatory Practice (GRP) in response to specific decisions and recommendations contained in the 
latest – as well as past – triennial review reports.
2 The first thematic session was held on 5 March 
20133 and a second was held earlier this week (on Monday, 17 June 2013). The focus of this 
week's session was a revised background paper prepared by the Secretariat contained in JOB/TBT/44/Rev.1 (the "revised document").  
2.  I would say we had a constructive discussion. In general, delegations that took the floor were 
comfortable with the approach of the revise d document and appreciated the chronological 
sequencing of the mechanisms for GRP set out in  the table. It was noted that we – in this 
Committee – are not re-inventing the wheel. Rather the paper is based on submissions from 
Members over many years and represents an effort to filter these contributions for the key elements of GRP arising from Committee discussions to date.
4  
3.  Yet, while the revision is an improvement, further work is needed. On substance, a number of 
constructive preliminary comments were made. For instance, although keeping principles and mechanisms separate appears to be important to the Committee, further clarity is needed with respect to the distinction between these two concepts. In the view of some, the difference is not 
always obvious: for instance one could perhaps consider the principle of "coordination", "analysis" 
or even "review" as a mechanism under a broader "whole-of-government" approach to GRP. Also, with respect to the mechanisms, it was suggested that the specific examples of mechanisms as 
identified and listed in the Sixth Triennial Review be reflected in the table of mechanisms. On the 
sequencing, it was noted that Members would not necessarily always follow the same order of steps simply because there are differences in domestic regulatory processes; therefore, means to 
reflect these differences need to be explored. It was also suggested that other principles could be 
envisaged, such as "due process" and "stakeho lder consultations". Some Members stressed the 
importance of referring to special and differential treatment and it was also noted that the Committee's collected guidance on GRP could potentially be a useful form of technical assistance in 
that it offered the collected experience of Members in implementing the TBT Agreement. 
                                               
1 Mr. Jingo Kikukawa (Japan). Th is Report is provided on the Chairman's own responsibility. 
2 The latest decisions and recommendations are contained in Section A of G/TBT/32. Previous decisions 
and recommendations on Good Regulatory Practice are contained in Section I of G/TBT/1/Rev.10.  
3 The Moderator's report is contained in G/TBT/GEN/143.  
4 The various sources, including submissions from Members, are referenced extensively in JOB/TBT/44.  G/TBT/GEN/143/Add.1 
 
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  4.  On process, it was recalled the Members had agreed in March 2013 to use the Committee's 
" t r i e n n i a l  r e v i e w  p r o c e s s "  t o  a d v a n c e  i t s  w o r k  o n  G R P .  T h e  b e n e f i t  o f  u s i n g  t h i s  p r o c e s s  w a s  reiterated again. Just to recall: this process is based on successive revisions circulated by the Secretariat which in turn are based on written comments from Members. Thus it is important that 
Members follow through on their oral comments this week with contributions in writing . Comments 
received in writing will be circulated as job documents. For the next round, the deadline for written comments on JOB/TBT/44/Rev.1 is 19 July 2013. Based on these comments, I will request the 
Secretariat to revise the document to bring us one step further in the process. After the summer 
break I intend to hold further informal consultations on this matter to advance our work. 
5.  On a personal note, I think that this week's  thematic session provided a good opportunity for 
Members to continue their exchange on GRP. Again,  I would like to remind Members that this work 
builds on many years of experience in this Committee; it is aimed helping Members efficiently and 
effectively implement the TBT Agreement's disciplines . We are not, in this context, looking for a 
"TBT-plus" outcome. Rather, we are looking for an "outcome document" – or, using the wording of 
our mandate: our objective is to identify a non-exhaustive list of voluntary mechanisms and 
related principles that will guide Members in the efficient and effective implementation of the TBT Agreement across the regulatory lifecycle.
5 This elaboration of best practices, I believe, should 
help us all – but in particular developing country Members – when implementing the Agreement. I 
therefore cannot stress enough the importance of Members' engagement in this process.  
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5 G/TBT/32, paragraph 4.