G/TBT/N/CRI/157  
4 May 2016  
(16-2506)  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 governme nt 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 telephon e 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 Comercio , MEIC (Ministry of the Economy, Industry 
and Trade) 
Apartado Postal 10216-1000 Tel.: (+506) 2549-1479 Tel./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:   
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided  in addition, where applicable): 97.040.30 
5. Title, number of pages and lang uage(s) of the notified document: RTCR 482: 2015. 
Productos Eléctricos. Refrigeradores y congeladores. Electrodomésticos operados por motocompresor hermético. Especificaciones de eficiencia energética  (Costa Rican Technical 
Regulation RTCR 482/2015: Electrical products. Household refrigerators and freezers using 
hermetic motor-driven compressors. Energy efficiency specifications) (13 pages, in 
Spanish)  
6. Description of content: The notified Technical Regulation seeks, firstly, to establish the 
maximum electricity consumption levels for household refrigerators and freezers using 
hermetic motor-driven compressors that are ma nufactured, imported definitively, used and 
marketed in the national territory, and, secondly, to prohibit the importation and domestic marketing of refrigerators that exceed these levels. 
It also applies to household refrigerators of up to 1140 L (39 cubic feet) and household 
self-contained freezers of up to 850 L (30 cubic feet) using hermetic motor-driven compressors. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable: Prevention of practices likely to mislead or deceive consumers, and 
environmental protection. G/TBT/N/CRI/157 
- 2 - 
  8. Relevant documents:  
 Decreto Ejecutivo N°37662-MEIC-H-MICIT de diciembre 2012. Procedimiento para la 
Demostración de la Evaluación de la Conformidad de los Reglamentos Técnicos 
(Executive Decree No. 37662-MEIC-H-MICIT of December 2012. Demonstration procedure relating to the assessment of conformity with technical regulations) 
 Decreto Ejecutivo N° 38849-MEIC de marzo 2015. Procedimiento para demostrar 
equivalencia con un reglamento técnico de Costa Rica (RTCR) (Executive Decree No. 
38849-MEIC of March 2015. Procedure for the demonstration of equivalence with a Costa Rican Technical Regulation (RTCR)) 
 Ministerio de Hacienda. Manual de Procedimientos Aduaneros. 2013 (Ministry of 
Finance. Customs Procedures Manual. 2013) 
 Norma INTE 28-01-04: Eficiencia energética. Refrigeradores electrodomésticos y 
congeladores electrodomésticos  (INTE Standard 28-01-04: Energy efficiency. 
Household refrigerators and freezers) Requirements: http://www.inteco.or.cr/esp/c entro-documentacion/catalo go-de-normas/article/673-
eficiencia-energetica-de-refrigeradores-electrodomesticos-y-congeladores-
electrodomesticos-limites-maximos-de-consumo-de-energia  
 Norma INTE 28-01-05: Eficiencia energética. Refrigeradores electrodomésticos y 
congeladores electrodomésticos - Etiquetado (INTE Standard 28-01-05: Energy 
efficiency. Household refrigerators and freezers - Labelling) 
 Norma INTE 28-01-06: Eficiencia energética. Refrigeradores electrodomésticos y 
congeladores electrodomésticos. Método de Ensayo  (INTE Standard 28-01-06. 
Energy efficiency. Household refrigerators and freezers - Test method) 
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: 30 days from the date of notification. 
11. Texts available from: National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresse s, 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_1805_00_s.PDF