WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/ECU/18 
10 January 2007 
 (07-0122) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   Spanish 
  
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  ECUADOR
 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):  
2. Agency responsible:    
Instituto Ecuatoriano de Normalización , INEN (Ecuadorian Standardization Institute) 
Baquerizo Moreno E8-29 y Almagro Quito, Ecuador  
Tel.:  +(593-2) 2528556, 2501885 to 2501887 
Fax: +(593-2) 2567815 
E-mail: furresta@inen.gov.ec Web site: www.inen.gov.ec 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers and 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:    
National enquiry point: 
Dirección Nacional de Políticas de Comercio Exterior , Subsecretaría de Comercio 
Exterior e Integración , Ministerio de Comercio Exterior, Industrialización, Pesca y 
Competitividad  (National Directorate of Foreign Trade Policy, Under-Secretariat of 
Foreign Trade and Integration, Ministry of Fo reign Trade, Industrialization, Fisheries and 
Competitiveness) Av. Amazonas y Av. Eloy Alfaro Quito, Ecuador  
Tel.:  +(593-2) 2 566041, ext. 161 
Fax:  + (593-2) 2 541984 
E-mail: abarbosa@micip.gov.ec
 
Web site: www.micip.gov.ec 
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):   99000000 
5. Title, number of pages and lang uage(s) of the notified document :  Proyecto de 
Reglamento Técnico Ecuatoriano RTE INEN 023 para el agua potable, que se consume en 
la República del Ecuador  (Draft Ecuadorian Technical Regulation RTE INEN 023 on 
Drinking Water Consumed in the Republic of Ecuador) (4 pages, in Spanish) 
 G/TBT/N/ECU/18 
Page 2  
 
  6. Description of content:  
 - This Regulation establishes the requi rements to be met by drinking water 
consumed in Ecuador in order to prevent risks to health, life, safety and the environment, and practices likely to mislead consumers. 
 
 - This draft Regulation applicable to  drinking water covers the following:  
Scope, definitions, genera l conditions, specific requirements, conformity 
assessment tests, reference standards to  be consulted, proof of conformity, 
the administrative procedure for verify ing compliance with the Regulation, 
inspection and supervisory authority, pe nalties, responsibility of conformity 
assessment bodies, review and updating, deregulation and entry into force. 
  - This draft Regulation provides that drinking water cons umed in Ecuador 
must comply with Ecuadorian Techni cal Standard NTE INEN 1 108.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:  
 Prevention of risks to health, life, safety and the environment, and practices likely 
to mislead consumers. 
8. Relevant documents:  
1. Publication in which the notice appears: http://www.inen.gov.ec  
         http://www.micip.gov.ec  
2.  Proposal and basic document:  Ecuadorian Technical Regulation 
RTE  NEN 023 
3.  Publication in which proposal will appear following adoption: Registro 
Oficial  (Official Journal) 
4. Drinking water must meet the requirement s set forth in paragraphs 5.1.1 and 
5.1.2 of NTE INEN 1 108.  Requirements:   drinking water referred to in this 
Regulation must comply with the latter’s provisions and with provisions 
established in other applicable laws and regulations, such as the Organic Law on Consumer Protection and the Law on Weights and Measures and their implementing regulations. 
9. Proposed date of adoption: 
Proposed date of entry into force:  90 days after circulation by the WTO Secretariat 
Six months after adoption 
10. Final date for comments:  60 days after circulation by the WTO Secretariat 
11. 
   
 
  Texts available from National enquiry point [ X  ], or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and E-mail and Web site add resses, if available, of other body:  
National enquiry point: 
 
Dirección Nacional de Políticas de Comercio Exterior 
Subsecretaría de Comercio Exterior e Integración Ministerio de Comercio Exterior, Industrialización, Pesca y Competitividad Av. Amazonas y Av. Eloy Alfaro Quito, Ecuador  G/TBT/N/ECU/18 
 Page 3 
 
 
  11. Texts available from National enquiry po int [ X ], or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and E-mail and Web site address es, if available, of other body:  (cont'd) 
 Tel.:  +(593-2) 2 566041, ext. 161 Fax:  + (593-2) 2 541984 
E-mail: abarbosa@micip.gov.ec 
Web site: www.micip.gov.ec
 
 or  
Regulatory body: 
 Instituto Ecuatoriano de Normalización Baquerizo Moreno E8-29 y Almagro Quito, Ecuador 
 
Tel.: +(593-2) 2528556, 2501885 to 2501887 Fax:  +(593-2) 2567815 E-mail: furresta@inen.gov.ec
 
Web site: www.inen.gov.ec