WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/26 
13 November 2009 
 (09-5651) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  
  
 
 
FIFTH TRIENNIAL REVIEW OF THE OPERATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF  
THE AGREEMENT ON TECHNICAL BARRI ERS TO TRADE UNDER ARTICLE 15.4 
 
 
 
 
I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... ....................... 2  
II. IMPLEMENTATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE AGREEMENT ...................................... 2  
A. GOOD REGULATORY PRACTICE ..................................................................................................................... 2  
1. Processes and procedures at the nati onal level ................................................................................. ...... 3 
2. Identifying the need  to regulate............................................................................................... ................. 4  
3. Regulatory cooperatio n between Members......................................................................................... ..... 4 
B. CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES ..................................................................................................... 5  
1. Information exchange........................................................................................................... .................... 5  
C. STANDARDS ............................................................................................................................... ................... 6  
1. Development and us e of standards............................................................................................... ............ 6  
2. Participation .................................................................................................................. .......................... 8  
D. TRANSPARENCY ............................................................................................................................... ............. 8  
1. Notifica tions.................................................................................................................. ........................... 9  
2. Dissemination of information................................................................................................... .............. 12  
3. Enquiry Points................................................................................................................. ....................... 14  
E. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ............................................................................................................................. 14  
1. Good Pr actices................................................................................................................. ...................... 14  
2. Capacity Buildin g.............................................................................................................. ..................... 14  
3. Information on technica l assistance activitie s ................................................................................. ...... 15  
F. OPERATION OF THE COMMITTEE ................................................................................................................. 16  
1. Consideration of Spec ific Trade Concerns ....................................................................................... ..... 16  
ANNEX.......................................................................................................................... ......................................... 19  
A. LIST OF RELEVANT DOCUMENTS BY TOPIC (NOVEMBER 2006  – NOVEMBER 2009).................................... 19  
 
 G/TBT/26 
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  I. INTRODUCTION 
1. Article 15.4 of the Agreement on Technical Barri ers to Trade (TBT Agreement) provides that: 
 "Not later than the end of the third year from the date of entry into force of the WTO 
Agreement and at the end of each three-y ear period thereafter, the Committee shall 
review the operation and implementation of this Agreement, including the provisions 
relating to transparency, with a view to recommending an adjustment of the rights and 
obligations of this Agreement where necess ary to ensure mutual economic advantage 
and balance of rights and obligations, without prejudice to the provisions of Article 12.  
Having regard, inter alia,  to the experience gained in the implementation of the 
Agreement, the Committee shall, where appropriate, submit proposals for amendments 
to the text of this Agreement to the Council for Trade in Goods."   
 2. The TBT Committee concluded the First, Second, Third and Fourth Triennial Reviews of the 
Operation and Implementation of the Agreement on 13 November 1997 (G/TBT/5), 10 November 2000 
(G/TBT/9), 7 November 2003 (G/TBT/13) and 9 November 2006 (G/TBT/19), respectively. 
3. Pursuant to the Fourth Triennial Review, the Committee has followed-up both on specific 
recommendations for action contained in that Re view, as well as on recommendations agreed at 
previous Reviews of the Committee.  Relevant wo rk undertaken by the Committee since the Fourth 
Triennial Review (November 2006) until the completion of the Fifth Triennial Review (November 2009) ("review period") is described in  the various sections below.  An up-to-date 
compilation of the Committee's Decisions and Reco mmendations adopted sin ce 1 January 1995 is 
contained in document G/TBT/1/Rev.9.  This document also contains the Committee's Rules of 
Procedure, including Guidelines for Observer Status for Governments and International 
Intergovernmental Organizations.  Annex 1 to this  Report lists documents circulated in the TBT 
Committee, by topic, during the review period. 
4. The Committee concluded the Fifth Triennial Revi ew of the Agreement on 6 November 2009.   
II. IMPLEMENTATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE AGREEMENT 
A. G
OOD REGULATORY PRACTICE  
5. Good Regulatory Practice can contribute to the improved and effective implementation of the 
substantive obligations under the TBT Agreement.  Effective implementation through best practices is 
seen as an important means of avoiding and minimi zing unnecessary technical barriers to trade.  Since 
the entry into force of the Agreement, the Committee has enga ged in an in-depth exchange of 
experiences on various aspects of Good Regulatory Pr actice in order to foster a common understanding 
of the issues involved.  This exchange of in formation has continued during the review period.1 
6. With a view to deepening the understanding of the contribution Good Regulatory Practice can 
make to the implementation of the TBT Agreem ent, the Committee held a Workshop on Good 
Regulatory Practice on 18-19 March 2008.  At this  Workshop Members discussed: general approaches 
                                                      
1 Canada provided the Committee with information on the implementation of a new Canadian Cabinet 
Directive on Streamlining Regulation (G/TBT/2/Add.6/Rev.2); the United States presented a submission on the 
importance of strong central government management, effective interagency trade policy coordination and robust 
public consultation (G/TBT/W/315); and Costa Rica and Canada jointly described efforts to identify good practices in the delivery and receipt of technical assistance, including with  respect to the development of a 
procedural manual (G/TBT/W/283).  G/TBT/26 
 Page 3 
 
 
  of Members to Good Regulatory Practice; internal  transparency and cons ultative mechanisms; and 
Regulatory Impact Assessments (RIAs) as well as regulatory cooperation initiatives between Members.2  
7. In addition to information exchange, and build ing on the various aspects of Good Regulatory 
Practice identified in the Committee's Fourth Triennial Review Report3, the following issues were 
discussed in more depth during the review period. 
1. Processes and procedures at the national level 
8. Members emphasize the importance of various mechanisms, processes and procedures as a 
means of giving effect to Good Regulatory Practice.  Transparency, openness and accountability are essential in this regard.  In particular, the Comm ittee stresses the importance of transparency in 
processes and procedures used in the development and application of tec hnical regulations and 
conformity assessment procedures.  Participation by inte rested parties helps ensure legitimacy to what a 
government does, and the measures it chooses to impl ement.  It also enhances the outcome of the 
regulatory process by contri buting to the creation of higher quality technical regulations and conformity 
assessment procedures and helps to increase awareness about government actions and avoid unnecessary obstacles to trade.   
9. It is important to institutionalize mechanisms  used for Good Regulatory Practice, including 
through laws, regulations, procedures, guidance, as well as through the creation and designation of 
institutions within Member governments to over see regulatory processes.  Having a basic process 
backed by some form of legal instrument (whe ther Decree, Guide, Act or Executive Order) can 
strengthen efforts to integrate Good Regulatory Pr actice into development and implementation of 
Members' domestic regulatory structures. 
10. Finally, Members stress the importance of eff ective internal policy coordination, including 
among regulators, standardizing bodies and trade o fficials implementing the TBT Agreement.  Such 
coordination may, for instance, include mechanisms: to  ensure that technical re gulations and conformity 
assessment procedures are consistent with internatio nal obligations, including transparency obligations 
pursuant to the TBT Agreement
4; and mechanisms to address "specific trade concerns" (see 
paragraph 64, below) raised by other Members, whether bilaterally, at the level of enquiry points or in 
the Committee itself. 
11. With the purpose of enabling Members to ensure  improved compliance with the obligations set 
out in the TBT Agreement in the preparation of technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures, the Committee 
agrees to: 
(a) Compile a list of guidelines for Good Regulatory Practice taking into account 
Members’ experiences and existing relevant work of other organizations; 
(b) Prepare an illustrative list of mechanisms us ed for the implementation of Good 
Regulatory Practice based on contributions  from Members including, for instance, 
mechanisms used for: public consultati on; use of RIA tools; use of performance-
based regulations; use of relevant interna tional standards, guides or recommendations 
                                                      
2 A Summary Report of the WTO TBT Workshop on Good Regulatory Practice is contained in document 
G/TBT/W/287.  More information, including the programme and presentations made, is also available on the WTO TBT Website at the following address: 
http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tbt_e/ wkshop_march08_e/wkshop_march08_e.htm
 
3 G/TBT/19, paras 7-18. 
4 This may include mechanisms to facilitate internal  coordination for the effective implementation of the 
TBT Agreement's notification obligations (see the reco mmendations contained in para 34 (a-c), below).   G/TBT/26 
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  as a basis for technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures; and 
methods of referencing sta ndards in regulations; and, 
(c) Continue  to share views and experiences on aspects of regulatory coordination and 
administrative mechanisms to facilitate internal coordination between competent 
authorities, including between trade policy a nd regulatory authorities, and interested 
parties.
5   
2. Identifying the need to regulate 
12. During the review period, the Committee consid ered one aspect of Good Regulatory Practice – 
the determination of the need to regulate.6  This issue was also discussed in-depth at the Committee's 
March 2008 Workshop7 in connection with Regulatory Impact Assessments (RIAs). 
13. RIAs can be a useful decision-making tool. As  such, they can induce governments to better 
assess whether or not government intervention is necessar y.  One important benefit of RIAs is that they 
facilitate the identification of the need for regu lation. In this regard the Committee stresses the 
importance of considering alternatives - and, in so me cases, even reconsidering the need for regulation 
in the first place.  RIAs can help filter the flow of new regulations and help ensure that they are less 
likely to create trade problems.  Because RIAs are public, they can boost accountability.  In this sense 
RIAs can also be a tool for transparency.   
3. Regulatory cooperation between Members 
14. The Committee notes that regulatory cooperation be tween Members is an effective means of 
disseminating Good Regulatory Practice.  It can also build confidence between trading partners through 
enhancing mutual understanding of regulatory system s, thereby supporting efforts that aim at removing 
unnecessary barriers to trade.  
15. A fundamental component to regulatory cooper ation is the promotion of dialogue between 
Members, including at senior level.  A wide variet y of approaches can be employed by regulators to 
collaborate with each other – from information sharing to negotiating specific agreements.8 The 
appropriate approaches in any given situation will di ffer based on a number of factors, including, for 
example, the compatibility of regulatory environments and systems, the sector, type and degree of 
regulation already in place, or the level of technical  and institutional capacity of the Members involved. 
16. To further enhance information on regulatory  cooperation between Members, the Committee  
agrees to: 
(a) Exchange information on the different approaches to regulatory cooperation between 
Members that aim at, inter alia , enhancing mutual understanding of regulatory 
systems and identifying, where possible, avenues for greater regulatory convergence9; 
and 
                                                      
5 For instance, New Zealand has described the establishment of a new model for regulatory coordination, 
the "Regulators’ Forum" (G/TBT/W/294). 
6 G/TBT/W/285. 
7 Footnote 2, supra.  
http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tbt_e/ wkshop_march08_e/wkshop_march08_e.htm  
8 A joint submission from Mexico, the United States and Canada shed light on how a wide variety of 
collaborative approaches can provide substantial benefits to regulators, suppliers and the public (G/TBT/W/317).  
9 This information exchange may inform the deve lopment of practical guidelines referred to in 
paragraph 19, below.  G/TBT/26 
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  (b) Hold a workshop  on regulatory cooperation. 
B. CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES  
17. Articles 5-9 of the TBT Agreement establish obligat ions of a substantive and procedural nature 
with regard to conformity assessment that con cern central government bodies, local government bodies, 
non-governmental bodies and intern ational and regional systems.  The Committee has regularly 
engaged in information exchange w ith a view to furthering the understanding and the implementation of 
Articles 5-9 of the TBT Agreement.  To this end, four events dedicated to discussion on various aspects 
of conformity assessment have been he ld to date: in 1999,  2004, 2005 and 2006.10 In 2000, Members 
developed an "Indicative List of Approaches to Faci litate the Acceptance of the Results of Conformity 
Assessment".11 
1. Information exchange 
18. An important part of the Committee's recommenda tions to date aim at promoting information 
exchange on the various aspects of conformity assessm ent procedures, including on: (i) approaches to 
conformity assessment; (ii) the use of relevant inte rnational standards, guides or recommendations, or 
the relevant parts of them, as a basis for their c onformity assessment procedures; and (iii) facilitating 
the recognition of conformity assessment results.12  In particular, during the review period a number of 
Members presented their experi ences with respect to mutual recognition arrangements (MRAs).13  
19. With a view to facilitating trade, the Committee  agrees to: 
(a) Continue to exchange information  on different approaches to facilitating acceptance 
of conformity assessment results; 
(b) Exchange information  on the criteria, methods of analysis and concepts used by 
Members to inform their evaluation of the range of choices in conformity assessment 
procedures, including in the context of a risk management framework; 
(c) Based on these exchanges, and those referred to in paragraph 16 above, initiate work 
on developing practical guidelines on how to choose and design efficient and effective mechanisms aimed at strengthening the implementation of the TBT 
Agreement, including the facilitation of accep tance of conformity assessment results 
(inter alia  MRAs, equivalence agreements and S upplier's Declaration of Conformity 
(SDoC)); and 
                                                     
 
10 These events were: (i) a Symposium on Conformity Assessment Procedures, held on 8-9 June 1999 
(G/TBT/9, 13 November 2000, Annex 1); (ii) a Special Meeting dedicated to Confor mity Assessment Procedures, 
held on 29 June 2004 (G/TBT/M/33/Add.1, 21 Octobe r 2004); (iii) a Workshop on Supplier's Declaration of 
Conformity (SDoC), held on 21 March 2005 (Annex 1 of G/TBT/M/35, 24 May 2005); and, (iv) a Workshop on 
the Different Approaches to  Conformity Assessment, including on the Acceptance of C onformity Assessment 
Results, held on 16-17 March 2006 (G/TBT/M/38/Add.1, 6 June 2006). 
11 G/TBT/1/Rev.9, Part I, Annex A, pp. 35-36. 
12 G/TBT/19, paras 21-46. 
13 Japan, on behalf of APEC members, introduced a Case Study to Clarify Effectiveness of MRAs 
(G/TBT/W/276) and also introduced its own experience in the area of "cross-bord er designation systems" 
(G/TBT/W/277). New Zealand presented its approach, incl uding with respect to mutual recognition arrangements 
(MRAs) (G/TBT/W/295 and W/306). Singapore also provided information on its experience with the use of 
MRAs (G/TBT/W/312).  G/TBT/26 
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  (d) Consider , in light of the above work, the need to build on the current "Indicative List 
of Approaches to Facilitate the Accepta nce of the Results of Conformity 
Assessment".   
C. S
TANDARDS  
20. The provisions concerning the preparation, adoptio n and application of standards are contained 
in Article 4 of the TBT Agreement and in the Code  of Good Practice for the Preparation, Adoption and 
Application of Standards (the "Code  of Good Practice").  In addition, Articles 2.4, 2.5, 5.4, and 
Paragraph F of Annex 3 of the Agreement promote th e use of relevant international standards, guides 
and recommendations as a basis for standards, technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures.  Articles 2.6, 5.5 and Paragraph G of Annex 3 emphasize the importance of Members' 
participation in international sta ndardization activities related to produc ts for which they have either 
adopted, or expect to adopt, technical regulations. 
21. The Committee has regularly discussed the importa nce of the use of relevant international 
standards in trade. With a view to developing a better understanding of inte rnational standards, the 
Committee agreed, in 1997, on a process of informa tion exchange with international standardizing 
bodies
14 and held an Information Session of Bodies Involved in the Preparation of International 
Standards in 1998.15  In 2000, the Committee adopted a Decision containing a set of principles it 
considered important for intern ational standards development.16  These principles were seen as equally 
relevant to the preparation of international st andards, guides and recommendations for conformity 
assessment procedures.  On 16-17 March 2009, the Committee held a Workshop on the Role of 
International Standards in Economic Development.  In sharing their experiences at the Workshop, 
Members illustrated how the use of standards has contributed to economic and social development.17   
22. During the review period, the following areas were discussed in more depth. 
1. Development and use of standards 
23. Members underline the need to promote a greater  understanding of how standards are used as a 
basis for technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures, how coordination between 
national and international standard development pr ocesses is ensured, and how standardizing bodies 
ensure that standards are not prepared, adopted or app lied with a view to, or with the effect of, creating 
unnecessary obstacles to international trade.  The Committee notes that improving documentation, 
including through quantitative methods, regarding the benefits of standards use remains a key challenge. 
24. The Committee reiterates the importance of b asing technical regulations and conformity 
assessment procedures on relevant international st andards, guides or recommendations in line with 
Articles 2.4 and 5.4 of the TBT Agreement and str esses the importance of developing country Members' 
participation in the development of relevant in ternational standards (paragraphs 27-28, below).  
International standards should be an opportunity – a pool for technological know-how and an important 
link between research, innovation and markets – that can contribute positively to economic growth.  As 
                                                     
 
14 G/TBT/1/Rev.9, p.11. 
15 G/TBT/9, 13 November 2000, Annex 1. 
16 Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations 
with Relation to Articles 2, 5 and Annex 3 of the TBT Agreement, contained in document G/TBT/1/Rev.9, Part I, 
Section III (pp. 10-12) and Annex B (pp. 37-39). 
17 A report by the Secretariat (G/TBT/W/310) provides a summary of key points and issues that arose 
from the presentations and discussions during the Workshop. The full presentations made by speakers are 
available on the WTO TBT Website ( http://www.wto.org/english/news _e/news09_e/tbt_16mar09_e.htm ).  G/TBT/26 
 Page 7 
 
 
  such, standards can contribute to promoting technical progress and are an important instrument to 
facilitate competition in markets, and tr ansfer of technology between Members. 
25. The Committee emphasizes the importance of tr ansparency in the standards development 
process, at the national, regional and internationa l level.  Creating awareness among all interested 
parties, including Small and Medium-sized Enterpri ses (SMEs), of the importance of being involved in 
standardizing activities is seen as key.  Broader st akeholder involvement he lps ensure an open and 
transparent process, in line with the discip lines on standardizing bodies contained in the TBT 
Agreement, as well as those contained in the principles of the Committee's 2000 Decision18 on the 
development of international standards.19  The Committee recognizes the need for international 
standards to be relevant and eff ectively respond to regulatory and market needs, as well as scientific and 
technological developments, while not creating unnecessary obstacles to international trade.  In light of 
the above, the Committee :  
(a) Encourages  Members, Observer organizations and relevant bodies involved in the 
development of standards to exchange experiences and circulate case studies – or 
other research – on the impacts of st andards on economic development and 
international trade;  
(b) Stresses  the importance of ensuring the effective application of the Code of Good 
Practice for the Preparation, Adoption and Application of Standards (Annex 3 of the 
TBT Agreement); and 
(c) Encourages  the full application of the six principles set out in the above-mentioned 
Decision, and the sharing of experiences in respect of their use. 
26. The Committee notes that several Members have rai sed concerns regarding "private standards" 
and trade impacts thereof, including actual or potential unnecessary barriers to trade.20  The Committee 
also notes that other Members consider that the te rm lacks clarity and that its relevance to the 
implementation of the TBT Agreement has not been established.  Without prejudice to the different 
views expressed, the Committee recalls that Article 4.1 of the TBT Agreement requires that Members 
shall take such reasonable measures as may be availa ble to them to ensure that standardizing bodies 
accept and comply with the Code of Good Practi ce.  The Committee furthe r expresses the need to 
strengthen implementation of Article 4.   In view of this, the Committee :  
(a) Recalls  its discussion in the Third Triennial Review21 regarding standards developed 
by bodies that are not commonly considered standardizing bodies;  
(b) Reiterates  its 1997 invitation to Members to shar e their experiences with respect to 
steps taken to fulfil their obligations unde r Article 4, and to exchange information 
regarding the reasons some standardizing bodies have not yet accepted the Code of 
Good Practice22; and 
(c) With a view to facilitating an informed discussion on the development and use of 
standards in general, including with regard to standards developed by non-
governmental bodies, Members are invited to share their experiences  related to the 
                                                      
18 Footnote 16, supra . 
19 During the review period, the United States shared  its experience with the Co mmittee's Decision on the 
principles important for the development of international standards (G/TBT/W/305). 
20 The Committee notes that the issue has been discussed in other fora. 
21 G/TBT/13, para. 25. 
22 G/TBT/1/Rev.9, p.21. G/TBT/26 
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  implementation of the TBT Agreement, in cluding the Code of Good Practice.  
Discussions will neither prejudge the role of  the TBT Committee nor the scope of the 
TBT Agreement with respect to any issue that may arise. 
2. Participation 
27. During the review period, Members continued to explore ways and means of enhancing 
Members' awareness of, and participation in, the wo rk of international standardizing bodies, thereby 
improving the implementation of the TBT Agreemen t.  In this regard, the Committee notes the 
advances made in increasing meaningful participati on by developing country Members in standardizing 
activities in areas of interest to them, but notes th at for many developing country Members challenges 
remain, both financially and technically. The Committ ee welcomes the various initiatives taken to date 
to promote greater participation and encourages Memb ers, through their nationa l standardizing bodies, 
to promote innovative and effective ways of increasi ng such participation, including participation of 
SMEs.  Building expertise in developing country Me mbers and filling information gaps needs to be 
done in ways that reflect the needs of each individual Member.  In view of achieving further progress, the Committee: 
(a) Encourages  Members, Observer organizations and relevant bodies involved in the 
development of standards, to exchange information on initiatives implemented, 
successes achieved and obstacles encountered. 
28. The Committee stresses the importance of continuing to explore ways and means of enhancing 
Members' awareness of, and participation in, the wo rk of international standardizing bodies so as to 
enhance the implementation of Articles 2.6, 5.5, 11.2, 12.5 and paragraph G of the Code of Good 
Practice. 
D. T
RANSPARENCY  
29. The Committee reiterates the importance of Members fully complying with their transparency 
obligations under the TBT Agreement and in particul ar those related to the notification of technical 
regulations and conformity assessment procedures,  as required under Articles 2.9, 2.10, 5.6, 5.7 
and 10.7.  The Committee stresses that transparency is  a fundamental pillar in the implementation of the 
TBT Agreement and a key element of Good Regulatory Practice. 
30. During the review period, the Committee has c ontinued to share experiences, discuss and 
further refine its procedures for the implementation of the TBT  Agreement's transparency provisions 
and Members have shared their experiences in this regard.23  Experience sharing also took place at the 
Committee's Fifth Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange on 7-8 November 200724, 
held pursuant to its 1995 Decision to hold "regular meetings of persons responsible for information 
exchange, including persons responsible for enquiry points and notifications".25  
31. The Committee welcomes the web-based application, the TBT Information Management 
System (TBT IMS)26 which was developed by the Secretariat and launched in July 2009.  The TBT IMS 
is a comprehensive source of information on TB T notifications and other transparency-related 
documents.  The system contains information on all types of notifications under the TBT Agreement, 
                                                      
23 The European Communities illustrated its experience in implementing the Committee's decisions and 
recommendations in the area of transparency (G/TBT/W /309) and Mexico explained how it fulfils the obligation 
to publish a notice at an early a ppropriate stage as required by Ar ticle 2.9.1 of the TBT Agreement 
(G/TBT/W/313, para. 7) 
24 A Summary Report of this meeting is contained in Annex 1 of G/TBT/M/43. 
25 G/TBT/1/Rev.9, page 31. 
26 http://tbtims.wto.org   G/TBT/26 
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  such as notifications of technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures, notifications of 
agreements under Article 10.7 a nd notifications made under the Code of Good Practice of the 
TBT Agreement.  The system also contains Members' Statements on Implementation and Administration of the TBT Agreement made under Article 15.2, the list of TBT National Enquiry 
Points, as well as standardizing bodies that have ac cepted the Code of Good Practice.  The TBT IMS 
allows for advanced searching and reporting on notifi cations based on a variety of criteria, such as, inter 
alia, geographic grouping, product codes, notificati on keywords, objectives of the notified measures 
and dates for comments. 
32. The Committee notes the significant stock of decisions and recommendations that it has 
developed since 1995, set out in G/TBT/1/Rev.9 (Section IV).  To this end, the Committee: 
(a) Stresses  the importance of full implementation of  this existing body of decisions and 
recommendations by Members. 
1. Notifications
27 
(a) Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment Procedures 
33. Articles 2, 3, 5, and 7 of the TBT Agreement contain the notification obligations related to 
technical regulations and conformity assessment pr ocedures.  Since 1995, the TBT Committee has put 
in place detailed procedures for the implementation of these provisions and these have been successively refined.  Members have reiterated th e importance of fulfilling these provisions regularly. 
Notifications provide Members with the opportunity  to influence the development of technical 
requirements of other Members and thereby make an important and significant contribution towards 
avoiding unnecessary obstacles to trade. 
34. During the review period, Members have shared  their experiences with the implementation of 
notification obligations and, in light of this work, the Committee
: 
(a) Reiterates  the importance of ensuring that Members comply fully with the 
notification requirements in Articles 2.9 and 5.6 of the TBT Agreement; 
(b) Encourages Members to endeavour to submit those notifications at an early stage, 
when measures are still in draft form, to ensure time and adequate opportunity for 
comments, for comments to be taken into account and for proposed measures to be modified; and 
(c) Reaffirms  the importance of establishing mechanisms to facilitate internal 
coordination for the effective implementati on of the TBT Agreement's notifications 
obligations.
28 
(i) Submission of notifications (format and guidelines) 
35. Article 2.9 of the TBT Agreement provides th at Members have an obligation to notify a 
proposed technical regulation whenever a relevant in ternational standard does not exist or when the 
technical content of the proposed technical regulation is not in accordance with the technical content of 
relevant international standards and if the technical regulation may have a significant effect on trade of 
other Members.  Similarly, Article 5.6 of th e TBT Agreement provides that Members have an 
obligation to notify a draft conformity assessment pro cedure whenever a relevant international guide or 
                                                      
27 The subtitles in this section follow the structure contained in document G/TBT/1/Rev.9, Section IV. 
28 The establishment of processes and procedures at the national level, including internal coordination 
mechanisms, is also relevant to Good Regulatory Practice (paras 8-11, above). G/TBT/26 
Page 10  
 
  recommendation issued by international standardizi ng bodies does not exist or the technical content of 
the proposed conformity assessment procedure is not in  accordance with relevant international guides or 
recommendations issued by international standa rdizing bodies and if the conformity assessment 
procedure may have a significant effect on trade of other Members.   
36. The Committee notes that, in practice, for the sake of greater transparency, some Members 
choose to notify draft measures when they are in accordance with relevant international standards, 
guides or recommendations.  With a view to incr easing transparency on the use of international 
standards, the Committee
: 
(a) Encourages  Members, whenever possible and on a voluntary basis to indicate in 
Box 8 of the notification format whether or not they consider that a relevant 
international standard exists and, if appropriate, to provide information about 
deviations; and  
(b) Notes  the provisions contained in Articles 2.9.3 and 5.6.3 of the TBT Agreement 
stating that Members, upon request, provide other Members with particulars or copies 
of a proposed technical regulation or conformity assessment procedure and, whenever 
possible, identify the parts which, in subs tance, deviate from relevant international 
standards or from relevant guides and r ecommendations issued by international 
standardizing bodies. 
(ii) Notifications of Proposed Technical Regulatio ns and Conformity Assessment Procedures of 
Local Governments at the Level Directly Below that of the Central Government 
37. Pursuant to Articles 3.2 (technical regulati ons) and 7.2 (conf ormity assessment procedures), 
Members are required to ensure that technical re gulations and conformity assessment procedures of 
local governments at the level directly below that of Members' central governments are notified in accordance with Articles 2 and 5.  Since 1995, the Committee has reiterated the importance of Members 
fulfilling these notification obligations and has inv ited Members to indicate the local government bodies 
in their jurisdiction whose measures are requi red to be notified under these obligations.
29 
38. During the review period, the Committee has c ontinued to discuss the implementation of these 
obligations.  The Committee notes, despite an in crease in the number of measures notified under 
Articles 3.2 and 7.2, that this level remains ge nerally low.  In light of this, the Committee : 
(a) Recommends  that Members continue to discuss possible ways to improve 
coordination between relevant authorities at the central level and the local level 
directly below the central level with resp ect to notifications under Articles 3.2 and 
7.2, including through dissemination of good practices; and 
(b) Requests  the Secretariat to remain engaged in providing statistical information with 
respect to Articles 3.2 and 7.2. 
(iii) Length of time allowed for comments 
39. Pursuant to Articles 2.9.4 and 5.6.4, Members are required, without discrimination, to allow 
sufficient time  for other Members to make comments in writi ng, discuss them and take the results of the 
written comments and of the discussions into account.   
                                                      
29 G/TBT/1/Rev.9, pages 17-18.  G/TBT/26 
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  40. During the review period, the Committee has further discussed the implementation of these 
provisions.  In light of this, the Committee : 
(a) Recalls its earlier recommendation that the normal time limit for the presentation of 
comments should be at least 60 days, and its encouragement to Members to provide, whenever possible, a time limit beyond 60 days, such as 90 days;
30 
(b) Recalls  that developed country Members are encouraged to provide more than a 60-
day comment period, to improve the abilit y of developing country Members to make 
comments on notifications consistent with the principle of special and differential 
treatment; and31 
(c) Reiterates  that an insufficient period of time for presentation of comments on 
proposed technical regulations and conformity assessment may prevent Members' 
from adequately exercising their right to submit comments .32  
(iv) Handling of comments 
41. Pursuant to Articles 2.9.4 and 5.6.4, Members are required, without discrimination, to allow 
sufficient time for other Members to make comments in writing, discuss them and take the results of the 
written comments and of the discussions into account . 
42. During the review period, Members continued to  share their experiences on the handling of 
comments and their dissemination, including through the use of electronic means.  In light of this, the 
Committee : 
(a) Stresses the importance of an efficient and effective handling of comments on 
notified measures and, in this respect, reiterates  its previous recommendations on the 
handling of comments, including the recommendation to voluntarily respond to 
comments in writing, if so requested, a nd to share these replies with the TBT 
Committee and to encourage Members to dr aft their responses in one of the three 
official languages of the WTO;33 
(b) Notes  the importance of domestic coordination to ensure that comments received are 
followed up and taken into account in finalizing the draft measure; 
(c) Recalls  its earlier recommendations about the sharing, on a voluntary basis, of 
comments on notified draft measures and repli es thereto, including through the use of 
websites; and34 
(d) Recommends  that the Committee continues to di scuss ways to improve the effective 
implementation of the provisions of the TBT Agreement on handling of comments, 
including assessing the feasibility of utilizing the TBT Information Management 
System (TBT IMS) as a platform where comments on notified measures, and replies thereto, could be posted on a voluntary basis. 
                                                     
 
30 G/TBT/1/Rev.9, page. 18  
31 G/TBT/1/Rev.9, page 18. 
32 G/TBT/19, para. 57. 
33 G/TBT/1/Rev.9, pages 18-19. 
34 G/TBT/1/Rev.9, page 19. G/TBT/26 
Page 12  
 
  (v) Follow-up 
43. During the review period, Members have conti nued to discuss ways to ensure appropriate 
follow-up to notified measures.  In light of this, the Committee
: 
(a) Recalls  its earlier recommendation encouraging Members to notify the availability of 
the adopted final text as an addendum to the original notification and to provide 
information on where the final text can be obtained, including website address;35 
(b) Stresses the importance of making such addenda when a proposed regulation is either 
adopted, published or enters into force and especially in cases where the relevant 
dates have not been provided in the original  notification or have been changed; and 
(c) Recommends that the Committee  establish common procedures on how and under 
which format (addendum, corrigendum, revision)  to notify modifications or any other 
information relevant to pr eviously notified measures. 
2. Dissemination of information 
(a) Publications 
44. Articles 2.9.1 and 5.6.1 of the TBT Agreement provide that Members publish a notice in a 
publication at an early appropriate stage, in such a manner as to enable interested parties of other 
Members to become acquainted with the fact that they propose to introduce a particular technical 
regulation or conformity assessment procedure. 
45. During the review period, Members have noted that  different approaches are used to fulfil this 
obligation.  These variations notwithstanding, a comm on element is the increasing use of the internet as 
one means to fulfil the Article 2.9.1 obligation.36  It is noted that the Secretariat provides information on 
Members' publications in relation to technical regulations, standards and conformity assessment 
provisions in the document G/TBT/GEN/39-series.37 
46. With a view to seeking a broader and more cons istent implementation of this provision, the 
Committee : 
(a) Reiterates  its earlier recommendation to examine ways in which the publication of 
such notices and their content are made availabl e, so as to enable all interested parties 
to become acquainted with them.38  
(b) Texts of Notified Technical Regulations  and Conformity Assessment Procedures 
47. Articles 2.9.3 and 5.6.3 of the TBT Agreement state that Members, upon request, provide to 
other Members copies or particulars of the propo sed technical regulation or conformity assessment 
procedures. 
48. During the review period, the Committee has c ontinued to discuss ways to improve access to 
texts of notified measures.  With the purpose of fa cilitating access to notified draft texts, in 2008, the 
                                                      
35 G/TBT/1/Rev.9, page 24.  
36 G/TBT/M/43, Annex I, para. 4. 
37 The latest version of the list of Members' Publications in relation to technical regulations, standards 
and conformity assessment procedures is contained in document G/TBT/GEN/39/Rev.3.  Information on publications can also be extracted fr om the TBT IMS (http://tbtims.wto.org). 
38 G/TBT/1/Rev.9, page 23.  G/TBT/26 
 Page 13 
 
 
  Committee established a facility whereby Members may, on a voluntary basis, provide the WTO 
Secretariat with an electronic version of the notified draft text together with the notification format.  
Texts are stored on a WTO server and are accessible through a hyperlink in the notification format.39 
49. In light of the above, the Committee : 
(a) Reiterates  its earlier recommendation to indicate a website address in Box 11 "Text 
available from" of the notification format;40 
(b) Encourages  Members to use the facility provided by the WTO Secretariat and to send 
electronic versions of notified texts together with the notification format to be hyperlinked in the notification itself. 
(c) Provision of Translations 
50. Article 10.5 of the TBT Agreement provides th at developed country Members shall, if 
requested by other Members, provide translations  of notified documents, or summaries of such 
translations in one of the WTO official languag es.  Since 1995 the Committee has taken a number of 
decisions and recommendations related to translations , in particular to encourage sharing of existing 
unofficial translations, on a voluntary basis. 
51. During the review period, Members have con tinued to discuss the implementation of the 
Committee's recommendations with respect to transl ations.  Recognizing that the non-availability of 
texts in one of the WTO official languages poses a challenge for many Members, and in particular 
developing country Members, in 2008 the Committee,  with a view to enhancing the sharing of 
translations of documents referred to in notifica tions and facilitating information-sharing by Members 
on the availability of unofficial translations on th e Internet, agreed on a m echanism whereby Members 
were invited, on a voluntary basis, to provid e information about the availability of unofficial 
translations.
41  A supplement to the original notification submitted is then circulated by the Secretariat.  
Since 1 January 2008, 178 such supplements have been circulated.  It is noted that, in the absence of a 
translation, Section 6 of the notification format "Des cription of the content", as well as prompt replies to 
specific questions on the content, are important s ources of information for un derstanding the proposed 
measure and the main basis for comments from interested parties. 
52. In light of the above, the Committee : 
(a) Reaffirms  its recommendation that Members share, on a voluntary basis, unofficial 
translations of documents referred to in no tifications, for example by posting them on 
Members' websites or by providing these unofficial translations to the WTO Secretariat for further dissemination through the agreed mechanism; and 
(b) Encourages  Members, in cases when a notified document is not in one of the WTO 
official languages, to provide a comprehensive description of the measure in Section 6 "Description of the content" of the notification format.   
                                                     
 
39 G/TBT/1/Rev.9, page. 24. 
40 G/TBT/1/Rev.9, page 24.  
41 G/TBT/1/Rev.9, page 25. G/TBT/26 
Page 14  
 
  3. Enquiry Points 
53. Pursuant to Article 10.1, each Member shall ensure  that an enquiry point exists that is able to 
answer all reasonable enquiries from other Members a nd interested parties in other Members.  To date, 
136 Members have submitted information on their enquiry points.
42   
54. During the review period, the Committee has continued to discuss ways to improve 
implementation of provisions related to the work of the Enquiry Points.  In this regard, the Committee:  
(a) Stresses the importance of operational capacity of Enquiry Points, especially with 
respect to the provision of answers to enquiries and the promotion of a dialogue; and 
(b) Recommends  that developing country Members identify challenges which they face 
with respect to the establishment and opera tions of their enquiry points and indicate 
the nature of the technical assistance  needed to overcome these difficulties. 
E. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE  
55. The TBT Agreement’s provisions on technical assistance are contained in Article 11.  Since the 
Committee’s establishment, technical as sistance has been considered an  area of priority work and it 
figures on the agenda of the Committee on a perman ent basis.  Members have regularly, and on a 
voluntary basis, exchanged experiences and informati on on technical assistance in order to enhance the 
implementation of Article 11 of the Agreement.  
1. Good Practices 
56. At the Fourth Triennial Review, the Committee ag reed to exchange experiences in respect of 
the delivery and receipt of technical assistance with a view to identifying good practices in this regard.43 
During the review period, a number of Members shared experiences on the implementation of 
Article 11.44 
57. Building on the previous recommendation that Memb ers exchange experiences in respect of the 
delivery and receipt of technical assistance with a view to identifying good practices in this regard45, the 
Committee : 
(a) Encourages Members and relevant bodies involved in the provision of technical 
assistance to exchange informati on to identify such practices.  
2. Capacity Building 
58. The Committee notes that standardization and c onformity assessment are tasks that require 
specialized expertise with knowledge and skills that  take time and resour ces to build.  Members 
emphasize the need for durable vehicles to reinfor ce the technical capacity of government agencies 
                                                      
42 List of enquiry points are circulated in document G/TBT/ENQ series.  Information is also kept up-to-
date on the WTO website and in the TBT IMS.    
43 G/TBT/1/Rev.9, p.32. 
44 This included: a joint submission form Canada and Costa Rica on the identification of good practices 
in the delivery and receipt of technical  assistance with respect to the devel opment of a national quality system in 
Costa Rica (G/TBT/W/283); information on a "Mentorshi p Programme" in Sweden aimed at reinforcing the 
implementation of the TBT Agreement in seven East African Members, inter alia  by supporting participation in 
the work of the TBT Committee and through the establishment of national working plans on the implementation of the TBT Agreement.  
45 G/TBT/1/Rev.9, p.32.  G/TBT/26 
 Page 15 
 
 
  responsible for applying the TBT Agreement, fo r instance by systematizing and documenting 
responsibilities, procedures and principles to be ob served in the conduct of their activities.  The 
Committee encourages Members that have utilized quality assurance systems – or other management 
tools – to document and assign internal responsibilities for implementation of specific provisions of the TBT Agreement to share their experiences in this regard. 
59. Also, in light of the issues dealt with in the ot her areas of this Report, and consistent with the 
Committee's agreement on a demand-driven appro ach to technical assistance, the Committee
 
encourages Members to review their capacity buildi ng needs and priorities in the following areas in  
particular: 
(a) Good Regulatory Practice .46  The Committee considers th at experience gained in the 
area of good regulatory practice for the effective implementation of the TBT 
Agreement should be shared.  Technical assistance in the area of Good Regulatory Practice should be considered an integral  element of capacity building activities to 
strengthen implementation of the TBT Agre ement and draw on the expertise of both 
Members and other relevant organizations. 
(b) Conformity assessment
.47 Members are encouraged to participate in technical 
cooperation activities in the area of conformity assessment consistent with sector-specific national priorities.  Capacity build ing activities – at the national or regional 
level as appropriate – aimed at improving t echnical infrastructure (e.g. metrology, 
testing, certification, and accreditation) as well as capacity to enforce (including with respect to market surveillance and product liability) should be consistent with 
national priorities and take into account the existing level of technical infrastructure 
development. 
(c) Standards development
.  Members should undertake efforts to build understanding of 
the strategic importance of standardizat ion activities through increased outreach in 
sectors of priority interest.  It may be beneficial to explore incentives to increase 
support and promotion of such activities,  particularly in developing country 
Members. 
(d) Transparency . Members stress the importance of reinforcing the operation of enquiry 
points. 
3. Information on technical assistance activities 
60. During the review period, some Members provide d general information on technical assistance 
activities and projects in the TBT area. 48   
61. Members are informed, on a regular basis, of  the Secretariat’s technical assistance activities.49  
In particular, in 2007, the Secretariat launched e–Training courses on the TBT Agreement and held a 
Workshop on the Statement on Implementation a nd Administration of the TBT Agreement under 
Article 15.2 on 8 November 2007. This Workshop pr ovided an opportunity for delegations to present 
                                                      
46 See recommendation on Good Regulatory Practice in paragraphs 11 and 16, above.  
47 See recommendation on Conformity Assessment Procedures in paragraph 19, above. 
48 G/TBT/GEN/62 (Norway), European Communitie s (G/TBT/W/303) and Korea (G/TBT/W/322). 
49 This information is also provided on the WTO TBT webpage  
http://www.wto.org/english/tratop _e/tbt_e/tbt_act_list_activ_e.htm  as well as in the TBT Annual Reviews. G/TBT/26 
Page 16  
 
  and discuss different approaches to implementi ng the obligation contained in Article 15.2.
50  In 2008, 
the Secretariat organized the first two-week Sp ecialized Course on the Implementation of the TBT 
Agreement for developing country Members and Observers.51  
62. The Committee notes that Observers have pr ovided regular updates on relevant work and 
activities.  The UNIDO provided information on their technical assistance in the TBT area, including 
with respect to needs assessment methodologies.52 Other input was received from the Codex53, IEC54, 
ISO55, ITC56, OECD57, OIML58 and the UNECE.   
63. In light of the ongoing above-mentioned t echnical assistance activities, the Committee :  
(a) Encourages  Members to make use of the Format  for the Voluntary Notification of 
Specific Technical Assistance Needs and Responses59 as a complement to other 
bilateral and/or regional means of requesting technical assistance. 
F. OPERATION OF THE COMMITTEE  
1. Consideration of Specific Trade Concerns 
64. Pursuant to Article 13 of the TBT Agreement,  the TBT Committee was established with the 
purpose of: "affording Members the opportunity of c onsulting on any matters relating to the operation 
of this Agreement or the furtherance of its obj ectives, and shall carry out  such responsibilities as 
assigned to it under this Agreement or by the Members. "  Since its first meeting, Members have used 
the TBT Committee as a forum to discuss issues rela ted to specific measures (technical regulations, 
standards or conformity assessment procedures) maintained by other Members.  These are referred to as "specific trade concerns" and relate normally to proposed draft measures notified to the TBT Committee 
or to the implementation of existing measures.   
65. Members underline the value of the Committee's discussion on specific trade concerns, and the 
importance of the expeditious resolution of trade-re lated concerns arising between Members in the TBT 
area.  Committee discussions provide an opportunity for multilateral review of specific trade concerns 
that enhance the transparency and predictability of  standards, technical regulations and conformity 
assessment procedures.  Regular Committee meeti ngs provide opportunity for consultations in a 
bilateral or multilateral setting, in both formal and informal context.  In certain cases, this has 
effectively facilitated the resolution of – or diffused at an early stag e – issues arising between Members 
relating to specific trade concerns. 
                                                     
 
50 The programme of the workshop, as well as the presentations can be obtained at the following TBT 
webpage: http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tbt_e/wk shop_nov07_e/tbt_article152_8march07_e.htm .  A brief 
report is contained in G/TBT/M/43, paras 3-4. 
51 The Course was organized by the Trade and Environment Division as part of the 2008-2009 Technical 
Assistance and Training Plan (WT/COMTD/W/160, page 54).   The purpose of the Cour se was to promote greater 
understanding of the TBT Agreement and to address implementation challenges related to the Agreement in a practical manner.  It was also intended to enhance an d give more effectiveness to participation in the TBT 
Committee's work. 
52 G/TBT/GEN/63, p.14 in particular. 
53 Codex: G/TBT/GEN/51, G/TBT/GEN/53-54, G/ TBT/GEN/60, G/TBT/GEN/ 69, G/TBT/GEN/71 and 
G/TBT/GEN/81. 
54 IEC: G/TBT/GEN/55, G/TBT/ GEN/64 and G/TBT/GEN/68, G/ TBT/GEN/72, G/TBT/GEN/76. 
55 ISO: G/TBT/GEN/50 and G/TBT/GEN/83. 
56 ITC: G/TBT/GEN/52, G/TBT/GEN/57. 
57 OECD: G/TBT/GEN/79. 
58 OIML: G/TBT/GEN/84. 
59 G/TBT/1/Rev.9, Annex G, p. 48.  G/TBT/26 
 Page 17 
 
 
  66. The significant increase in specific trade concerns  raised in the TBT Committee is to a certain 
extent an indication of the increased participation of Members in the work of the TBT Committee and 
may well signify enhanced awareness of the importance of the implementation of the requirements of the TBT Agreement.
 60  It is noted that the most frequently invoked reason for raising a concern in the 
TBT Committee is the need for more information or clarification about the measure at issue.  Two-
thirds of specific trade concerns raised in the TBT Committee are only raised once or twice. A few, 
however, have been raised at more than five mee tings of the Committee, and some have remained on 
the Committee's agenda for several years. 
67. Noting the accelerated growth in the number of specific trade concerns raised at Committee 
meetings, as well as in the number of WTO Members ra ising concerns or substantively supporting those 
of other Members, the Committee emphasizes the importance of making the discussion more efficient 
in order to secure a more prompt response to concerns raised.  In this regard, there is need to streamline 
the organization of the Committee's discussion in order to allow for: 
(a) Adequate preparation of the discussion of concerns and improved follow-up on those 
discussions, including through domestic c onsultation processes and mechanisms as 
well as consultations between Members; and 
(b) More efficiency both when supporting the arguments of other Members on the same 
concern, as well as when reiterating concerns raised and recorded in the minutes of 
prior TBT Committee meetings.  
68. In order to streamline the consideration of STCs, the Committee : 
(a) Agrees  to apply the following procedures, to the extent practicable: 
(i) Members wishing to propose the inclusi on of a specific trade concern in the 
annotated draft agenda should directly inform both the Secretariat and the Member(s) involved of their intention to do so no less than fourteen calendar 
days prior to the convening of the TBT Committee meeting; 
(ii) The annotated draft agenda issued by the Secretariat in advance of each 
Committee meeting will include all specif ic trade concerns communicated by 
Members to the Secretariat; it will indicat e which concerns are being raised for 
the first time and which have been previous ly raised.  It should be circulated as 
early as possible but no less than ten calendar days  before the meeting;  
(iii) Requests to include specific trade concerns on the agenda should be 
accompanied by a reference to the symbol  of the notification.  In cases where 
the measure has not been notified, the request should provide a brief 
description of the measure, includi ng relevant references; and 
                                                      
60 Since 1995, 258 concerns have been raised for discussion in the TBT Committee.  During the review 
period, over 99 new specific trade concerns were raised as compared to 59 in the period 2004 – 2006.  G/TBT/26 
Page 18  
 
  (iv) There may be instances where a Member wishes to bring a concern to the 
Committee’s attention after the deadline has passed. In this case, additional 
specific trade concerns can still be included in the agenda of the TBT Committee meeting under "Specific Trade Concerns", provided that Members 
wishing to raise the relevant concerns have previously informed the Member(s) 
involved of their intention to do so.  However such concerns will only be 
addressed after all specific trade concerns contained in the annotated draft agenda have been discussed. 
69. Furthermore, the Committee emphasizes the importance of avoiding unnecessary barriers to 
trade and notes the work done on monitoring and surve illance in the context of the Trade Policy Review 
Body.
61  The Committee encourages the Secr etariat to continue to compil e information about the status 
of specific trade concerns and to make this available to Members regularly62 with a view to providing a 
useful database for Members to track concerns of importance to them. 
 
 
_______________ 
 
 
 
                                                      
61 WT/TPR/OV/W/2. 
62 G/TBT/GEN/74/-series of documents contain an overvi ew of specific trade concerns raised in the TBT 
Committee.  It provides statistical information on the concerns raised since the first meeting of the TBT 
Committee in 1995 and lists th e specific trade concerns sorted by date, frequency and the number of Members that 
have expressed concern.   G/TBT/26 
 Page 19 
 
 
   
ANNEX 
A. LIST OF RELEVANT DOCUMENTS BY TOPIC (NOVEMBER 2006  – NOVEMBER 2009)1  
Member Symbol & Date Title / Reference 
 
Good Regulatory Practice 
Malaysia JOB(09)/145 
22 October 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
Chile JOB(09)/133 
9 October 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
European 
Communities JOB(09)/126 
1 October 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
New Zealand JOB(09)/123 
1 October 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
United States JOB(09)/116 
30 September 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
Canada JOB(09)/111 
28 September 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
Pakistan JOB(09)/113 
28 September 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
Korea JOB(09)/88                   
18 August 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
China JOB(09)/80                   
23 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
United States JOB(09)/78                   
22 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
Brazil JOB(09)/75                   
22 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
Canada JOB(09)/73                   
22 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009
TBT Committee meeting 
Guatemala JOB(09)/72                   
22 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
New Zealand JOB(09)/74 
22 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
Israel G/TBT/W/320 
20 July 2009 Fifth Triennial Review of the Ag reement on Technical Barriers to 
Trade 
Canada, Mexico, United States G/TBT/W/317 
15 June 2009 The Importance of Regulatory Cooperation for Improving 
Governments’ Ability to fulfil Legitimate Policy Objectives while 
Facilitating Trade: The North American Experience 
United States G/TBT/W/315  
10 June 2009 Good Regulatory Practice:  The Role of Strong Central 
Government Coordination in TBT Agreement Implementation 
Mexico G/TBT/W/313  
9 June 2009 Fifth Triennial Review of the Ag reement on Technical Barriers to 
Trade 
Jordan G/TBT/W/311  
8 June 2009 Fifth Triennial Review of the Ag reement on Technical Barriers to 
Trade 
New Zealand G/TBT/W/295  
30 October 2008 
 A Menu of Options: New Zealand’s Approach to Mutual 
Recognition Arrangements (MRAs) and Regulatory Cooperation 
Arrangements 
                                                      
1 Where a submission is relevant to more th an one topic it may appear more than once. G/TBT/26 
Page 20  
 
  Member Symbol & Date Title / Reference 
New Zealand G/TBT/W/294 
28 October 2008 The Regulators’ Forum:  A New Zealand Example of Domestic 
Regulatory Coordination 
Secretariat G/TBT/W/287 
6 June 2008 Summary Report of the TBT Workshop on Good Regulatory 
Practice 18-19 March 2008 
United States G/TBT/W/285  
19 March 2008 Determining the Need to Regulate 
Canada and Costa 
Rica G/TBT/W/283  
7 November 2007 Canada - Costa Rica Competitiven ess Development Fund Projects 
National Quality System of Costa Rica 
Canada G/TBT/2/Add.6/ 
Rev.2;  4 July 2007 Revision of 15.2 Statement  (on the Cabinet Directive on 
Streamlining Regulation) 
OECD G/TBT/GEN/48  
23 April 2007 Good Regulatory Practice and Market Openness 
 
Conformity Assessment Procedures 
India JOB(09)/152 
28 October 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97/Rev.1 
Malaysia JOB(09)/145 
22 October 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
Japan JOB(09)/142 
16 October 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
Chile JOB(09)/133 
9 October 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
Singapore JOB(09)/130 
5 October 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
European 
Communities JOB(09)/126 
1 October 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
New Zealand JOB(09)/123 
1 October 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
China JOB(09)/117 
30 September 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
United States JOB(09)/116 
30 September 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
Canada JOB(09)/111 
28 September 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
Pakistan JOB(09)/113 
28 September 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
India JOB(09)/106 
25 September 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
India JOB(09)/102 
22 September 2009 Rebuttal by India to the Submissions made by Members for the 
TBT Fifth Triennial Review 
China JOB(09)/80                   
23 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
Canada JOB(09)/73                   
22 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
Guatemala JOB(09)/72                   
22 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
India G/TBT/W/321              
22 July 2009 Fifth Triennial Review of the Ag reement on Technical Barriers to 
Trade – Revised Proposal 
New Zealand JOB (09)/74                  
22 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting  G/TBT/26 
 Page 21 
 
 
  Member Symbol & Date Title / Reference 
Singapore JOB(09)/77                   
22 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
United States JOB(09)/78                   
22 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
Israel G/TBT/W/320 
20 July 2009 Fifth Triennial Review of the Ag reement on Technical Barriers to 
Trade 
India G/TBT/W/318  
23 June 2009 Fifth Triennial Review of the Ag reement on Technical Barriers to 
Trade: Indian Proposal 
Mexico G/TBT/W/313  
9 June 2009 Fifth Triennial Review of the Ag reement on Technical Barriers to 
Trade 
Singapore G/TBT/W/312 
8 June 2009 Fifth Triennial Review of the Ag reement on Technical Barriers to 
Trade 
New Zealand G/TBT/W/306 
16 March 2009 Fifth Triennial Review of the Ag reement on Technical Barriers to 
Trade:  Mutual Recognition, Regulatory Cooperation and other 
Trade Facilitation Arrangements 
New Zealand G/TBT/W/295  
30 October 2008 A Menu of Options:  New Zealand’s Approach to Mutual 
Recognition Arrangements (MRAs) and Regulatory Cooperation 
Arrangements 
ISO G/TBT/GEN/78 
15 December 2008 Update on ISO and Conformity Assessment 
 
Japan G/TBT/W/277  
10 July 2007 Japan’s Experience Concerning Cross-border Designation 
Systems 
Japan G/TBT/W/276  
19 March 2007 Report on the Case Study to Clarify Effectiveness of MRAs 
 
Standards 
India JOB(09)/152 
28 October 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97/Rev.1 
Malaysia JOB(09)/145 
22 October 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
Japan JOB(09)/142 
16 October 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
Chile JOB(09)/133 
9 October 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
European 
Communities JOB(09)/126 
1 October 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
China JOB(09)/117 
30 September 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
United States JOB(09)/116 
30 September 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
Pakistan JOB(09)/113 
28 September 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
Canada JOB(09)/111 
28 September 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
India JOB(09)/106 
25 September 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
India JOB(09)/102 
22 September 2009 Rebuttal by India to the Submissions made by Members for the 
TBT Fifth Triennial Review 
China JOB(09)/80                   
23 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting G/TBT/26 
Page 22  
 
  Member Symbol & Date Title / Reference 
Canada JOB(09)/73                   
22 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
Guatemala JOB(09)/72                   
22 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
India G/TBT/W/321              
22 July 2009 Fifth Triennial Review of the Ag reement on Technical Barriers to 
Trade – Revised Proposal 
New Zealand JOB (09)/74                  
22 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
United States JOB(09)/78                   
22 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
Israel G/TBT/W/320 
20 July 2009 Fifth Triennial Review of the Ag reement on Technical Barriers to 
Trade 
India G/TBT/W/318  
23 June 2009 Fifth Triennial Review of the Ag reement on Technical Barriers to 
Trade: Indian Proposal 
India G/TBT/W/314 
10 June 2009 Fifth Triennial Review of the Ag reement on Technical Barriers to 
Trade 
Mexico G/TBT/W/313  
9 June 2009 Fifth Triennial Review of the Ag reement on Technical Barriers to 
Trade 
United States G/TBT/W/305  
12 March 2009 Decision of the Committee on Prin ciples for the Development of 
International Standards, Guides and Recommendations with 
relation to Articles 2, 5 and Annex 3 of the Agreement (G/TTBT/1/Rev.9 Annex B):  The Experience Of The United 
States 
Secretariat  G/TBT/W/310 
20 May 2009 Summary Report of the TBT Workshop on the Role of 
International Standards in Economic Development 
 Transparency 
India JOB(09)/152 
28 October 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97/Rev.1 
Japan JOB(09)/142 
16 October 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
Chile JOB(09)/133 
9 October 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
Singapore JOB(09)/130 
5 October 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
European 
Communities JOB(09)/126 
1 October 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
China JOB(09)/117 
30 September 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
United States JOB(09)/116 
30 September 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
Pakistan JOB(09)/113 
28 September 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
Korea JOB(09)/112 
29 September 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
Canada JOB(09)/111 
28 September 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
Switzerland JOB(09)/108 
25 September 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
India JOB(09)/106 
25 September 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97  G/TBT/26 
 Page 23 
 
 
  Member Symbol & Date Title / Reference 
India JOB(09)/102 
22 September 2009 Rebuttal by India to the Submissions made by Members for the 
TBT Fifth Triennial Review 
Korea JOB(09)/88                   
18 August 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
China JOB(09)/80                   
23 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
Turkey JOB(09)/79                   
22 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
United States JOB(09)/78                   
22 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
India G/TBT/W/321              
22 July 2009 Fifth Triennial Review of the Ag reement on Technical Barriers to 
Trade – Revised Proposal 
Brunei Darussalam JOB(09)/76                   
22 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
Brazil JOB(09)/75                   
22 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
New Zealand JOB (09)/74                  
22 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
Canada JOB(09)/73                   
22 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
Guatemala JOB(09)/72                   
22 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
Israel G/TBT/W/320 
20 July 2009 Fifth Triennial Review of the Ag reement on Technical Barriers to 
Trade 
Costa Rica G/TBT/W/319 
24 June 2009 Fifth Triennial Review of the Operation and Implementation of 
the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade 
India G/TBT/W/314 
10 June 2009 Fifth Triennial Review of the Agr eement on Technical Barriers to 
Trade 
Mexico G/TBT/W/313  
9 June 2009 Fifth Triennial Review of the Agr eement on Technical Barriers to 
Trade 
Singapore G/TBT/W/312 
8 June 2009 Fifth Triennial Review of the Agreement on Technical Barriers 
To Trade 
Jordan G/TBT/W/311  
8 June 2009 Fifth Triennial Review of the Agr eement on Technical Barriers to 
Trade 
European Communities G/TBT/W/309 
11 May 2009 Fifth Triennial Review of the Agr eement on Technical Barriers to 
Trade: Transparency 
 
Technical Assistance 
India JOB(09)/152 
28 October 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97/Rev.1 
Malaysia JOB(09)/145 
22 October 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
European 
Communities JOB(09)/126 
1 October 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
New Zealand JOB(09)/123 
1 October 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
United States JOB(09)/116 
30 September 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
Pakistan JOB(09)/113 
28 September 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 G/TBT/26 
Page 24  
 
  Member Symbol & Date Title / Reference 
United States JOB(09)/78                   
22 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
Canada JOB(09)/73                   
22 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
Guatemala JOB(09)/72                   
22 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
Mexico G/TBT/W/313  
9 June 2009 Fifth Triennial Review of the Ag reement on Technical Barriers to 
Trade 
Jordan G/TBT/W/311  
8 June 2009 Fifth Triennial Review of the Ag reement on Technical Barriers to 
trade 
Canada and Costa Rica G/TBT/W/283  
7 November 2007 Canada - Costa Rica Competitiven ess Development Fund Projects 
National Quality System of Costa Rica 
 
Operation of the Committee 
Chile JOB(09)/133 
9 October 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
European 
Communities JOB(09)/126 
1 October 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
United States JOB(09)/116 
30 September 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
Pakistan JOB(09)/113 
28 September 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
Canada JOB(09)/111 
28 September 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
India JOB(09)/106 
25 September 2009 Comments on JOB(09)/97 
India JOB(09)/102 
22 September 2009 Rebuttal by India to the Submissions made by Members for the 
TBT Fifth Triennial Review 
China JOB(09)/80                   
23 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
Turkey JOB(09)/79                   
22 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
Brazil JOB(09)/75                   
22 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
Canada JOB(09)/73                   
22 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
India G/TBT/W/321              
22 July 2009 Fifth Triennial Review of the Ag reement on Technical Barriers to 
Trade – Revised Proposal 
New Zealand JOB(09)/74                   
22 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
United States JOB(09)/78                   
22 July 2009 Comments on the Proposals discussed at the 25-26 June 2009 
TBT Committee meeting 
Israel G/TBT/W/320 
20 July 2009 Fifth Triennial Review of the Agr eement on Technical Barriers to 
Trade 
Costa Rica G/TBT/W/319              
24 June 2009 Fifth Triennial Review of the Operation and Implementation of 
the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade 
India G/TBT/W/314 
10 June 2009 Fifth Triennial Review of the Agr eement on Technical Barriers to 
Trade 
Korea G/TBT/W/316  
10 June 2009 Work Programme to Evaluate th e Trade Restrictive and Trade 
Distortive Effects of Technical Regulation  G/TBT/26 
 Page 25 
 
 
  Member Symbol & Date Title / Reference 
Mexico G/TBT/W/313  
9 June 2009 Fifth Triennial Review of the Agr eement on Technical Barriers to 
Trade 
Canada JOB(09)/50 
27 May 2009 Specific Trade Concerns in the TBT Committee 
 
 
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