G/TBT/W/447  
 
13 June 2016  
(16-3198)  Page: 1/1  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
  REQUEST FOR OBSERVER STATUS BY THE CARICOM REGIONAL ORGANISATION  
FOR STANDARDS AND QUALITY (CROSQ) TO THE WTO COMMITTEE ON  
TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE 
SUBMISSION FROM TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO 
The following submission, dated 7 June 2016, is being circulated at the request of the delegation 
of Trinidad and Tobago. 
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 1.  The delegation of Trinidad and Tobago note s the request for observer status in the WTO's 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) by the CARICOM Regional Organisation for 
Standards and Quality (CROSQ). 
2.  Trinidad and Tobago would like to inform Members that CROSQ fulfils a central function in the 
work on TBT-related matters of and among CA RICOM Members. The mandate of CROSQ is to 
facilitate the development and harmonisation of standards and technical regulations and promote 
the mutual recognition of conformity assessment procedures and systems relating to inspection, testing, certification, accreditation and metrology; collectively – Quality Infrastructure (QI) . The 
objective is to support the sustainable production  and intra and extra regional trade of goods and 
services of the Caribbean Community's (CARICOM 's) Single Market and Economy (CSME). CROSQ 
also has the mandate of providing guidance to the CARICOM Organs and Bodies regarding matters within its competence, that is QI, including dispute settlement and helping Member States 
integrate into the global economy.  
3.  CROSQ therefore functions as an important institution of CARICOM and is governed by a 
Council comprising the Chief Executives of the 15 National Standards Bureaux from all the member 
countries of CARICOM including Antigua and Ba rbuda, Bahamas, Barbad os, Belize, Dominica, 
Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. It reports directly to the Council for Trade and 
Economic Development (COTED) of CARICOM.  
4.  In carrying out its mandate, CROSQ's main fo cus is the development of the Regional QI for 
which they have special standing regional committees in charge of the coordination of not only the technical aspect and tenets of QI but also for policy, education and awareness in the CARICOM 
region. Much of this work is conducted in collaboration with international stakeholder groupings 
from the European Union, the America's, the Inte rnational Organization for Standardization (ISO) 
and the like. 
5.  The delegation of Trinidad and Tobago theref ore recognizes that CROSQ is a relevant regional 
inter-governmental organisation that would suppo rt the interests of CARICOM Members. CROSQ is 
especially useful in spearheading the adoption of international and regional standards that are 
usually incorporated into technical regulations which if not harmonized can create unnecessary 
obstacles to international trade. The organization's work on conformity assessment naturally relates directly to TBT issues as well. CROSQ is further currently leading the conceptualization of a regional committee whose mandate would include functions akin to those of a TBT committee.  
6.  Given the attributes of CROSQ outlined above, the delegation of Trinidad and Tobago supports 
the request for observer status of CROSQ in th e TBT Committee and would like to recommend that 
the Committee grants the request. 
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