. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/TPKM/17 
23 February 2005 
 (05-0749) 
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:    
Environmental Protection Administration 
41, Chunghwa Road, Section 1, Taipei, 100, Taiwan Telephone: (886-2) 2311-7722  Fax: (886-2) 2311-6071 
E-mail:  soclee@sun.epa.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):   Gift boxes containing 
pastries, gift boxes containing processed foods, gift boxes containing cosmetics, gift boxes 
containing alcoholic products, disks of computer program works (HS chapters 16-24 and 
33, HS 8524.39.90.29.4) 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Proposed Regulation 
on Excessive Packaging Restriction (Notice #0940003701 issued by the Environmental 
Protection Administration  (16 pages in Chinese, English translation available) 
6. Description of content:   The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) plans to 
restrict the packaging of gift boxes containing pastries, cosmetics, alcoholic products, and/or processed foods, as well as disks of computer programs (together referred to as 
"designated products").  The space volume ratio of packaging of the designated products 
shall not exceed 25%.  The space volume ratio of  packaging made of a single material shall 
not exceed 35%.  The number of packaging layers shall be no more than two for gift boxes 
containing cosmetics, alcoholic products , and/or processed foods.  The number of 
packaging layers shall be no more than three for disks of computer programs and gift boxes containing pastries.  The first stage of the regulation will be effective starting 1 July 2006, covering pastries, cosmetics, alcoholic produc ts and disks of computer programs.  The 
second stage, set for 1 July 2007, will cover pr ocessed foods.  This regulation also requires 
the manufacturers, importers and sellers of th e regulated products (toge ther referred to as 
"designated industries") to offer products for packaging inspection without compensation. 
In addition, the designated industries shall o ffer catalogues of products, information about 
the buyers, sale dates to the buyers, suppliers, and sale dates of the suppliers of designated 
products, when required by enforcement officials. G/TBT/N/TPKM/17 
Page 2  
 
 7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
Resource conservation and waste reduction. 
8. Relevant documents:   Resources Recycling Act. 
9. Proposed date of adoption:  May 2005 
Proposed date of entry into force: 1 July 2006 
10. Final date for comments:   60 days from date of 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) 3343-5115 Fax:  + (886-2) 2343-1804 E-mail:  tbtenq@bsmi.gov.tw
 
Further information is available at: http://ivy2.epa.gov.tw/out_web/H/exm/main-all.htm