. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/TPKM/44 
29 January 2007 
 (07-0387) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   THE SEPARATE CUSTOMS TERRITORY OF 
TAIWAN, PENGHU, KINMEN AND MATSU  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:    
The Council of Agriculture (COA) 
37 Nan Hai Road, Taipei, 100, Taiwan 
Telephone: (+886-2) 2312-6965 
Fax:  (+886-2) 2312-3827 
E-mail:  blue@mail.coa.gov.tw 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site 
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be  indicated if different from above:         
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):   Agricultural products 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Agricultural 
Production and Certification Act (4 pages, in Chinese and English summary available). 
6. Description of content:   With a view to ensuring the quality and safety of agricultural and 
processed-agricultural products, the Council of Agriculture intends to regulate the 
production and certification of agricultural, fi shery and livestock products.  The Act covers 
a number of important initiatives, including the implementation of voluntary certification systems for good agricultural products, the opera tion of a voluntary traceability certification 
system, labelling of organic agri cultural and processed-agricult ural products, penalties, etc. 
Articles 5 and 6 of the Act stipulate the re quirements for organic agricultural products to 
ensure the accuracy of labelling information a nd the protection of rights of organic farmers 
and consumers.  It requires that imported, as well as domestically produced, agricultural or processed-agricultural prod ucts obtain organic certif ication in order to be marketed or labelled 
as organic products.  The transitional period of  2 years will be allowed for the requirement.  
Articles 7 and 8 deal with the establishment of a voluntary traceability certification system, 
which may become mandatory for certain agricultural products in the future. 
The Act provides a framework fo r the management of agricult ural products. Re lated operation 
details will be drafted an d adopted at a later time. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
Consumer protection; prevention of d eceptive and misleading labelling practices. G/TBT/N/TPKM/44 
Page 2  
 
  8. Relevant documents:   The Agricultural Development Act 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:   }To be determined 
10. Final date for comments:   Within 60 days after notification 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:   
WTO/TBT Enquiry Point  
The Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection  Ministry of Economic Affairs 4 Chinan Road, Section 1, Taipei, 100, Taiwan 
 
Telephone: (+886-2) 2343 1814 Fax:  (+886-2) 2343 1804 E-mail:  tbtenq@bsmi.gov.tw