. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/ARE/53 
1 November 2010  
 (10-5753) 
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:  UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
  
If applicable, name of local governme nt involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):     
2. Agency responsible:  Emirates Authority for St andardization and Metrology 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
P. O. Box:  2166 
Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates Tel.:  (+971) 2 403 2613 Fax:  (+971) 2 671 0999 
E-mail:  esma@esma.ae
 
Website:  http://www.esma.ae  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [   ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [X], 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):  All oxo–biodegradation of 
plastic bags and other disposable  plastic objects which covers, but is not limited to, flexible 
shopping bags and semi–rigid plastic packagin g for food, magazines, consumer–durables, 
garbage bags, bin–liners for household use, shrink wrap, pallet wrap, cling film etc., and other 
articles normally used over short pe riods and subsequently discarded. 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Specific requirements 
for the registration of oxo–biodegradable plasti c bags and other related packaging materials 
according to UAE standard # UAE.S 5009: 2009 (6 pages in Arabic and English). 
6. Description of content:  A unified Conformity as sessment procedure to be applied in the 
state of United Ar ab Emirates that define s the Criteria for the pr oduct registration of oxo–
biodegradable plastic bags a nd other related packaging ma terials under the Emirates 
Conformity Assessment Scheme (ECAS) being implemented by the Emirates Authority for 
Standardization and Metrology (ESMA).  
The requirements defined in this document are issued for the information, guidance and 
compliance of manufacturers and traders inte nding to promote and sell plastic bags in the 
United Arab Emirates. G/TBT/N/ARE/53 
Page 2  
 
  7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:  The 
environment in the United Arab Emirates, as in the rest of the GCC, presents certain characteristics part icular to the region as for example, an abundance of sunlight (a strong UV 
source) and high ambient temperatures – especi ally during the summer months.  The general 
sandy topography is not an intensely microbial environment, leaving lit tle or no room for a 
purely biotic degradation and so il assimilation processes.  This  Standard therefore focuses on 
the oxo-degradative effects through therma l and UV degradati on under atmospheric 
conditions.  
8. Relevant documents:  
– 1 – UAE.S 5009:2009:  Standard & Specific ation For Oxo–Biodegradation Of Plastic 
Bags And Other Disposable Plastic Objects 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:   }To be determined 
10. Final date for comments:  60 days from the date of notification 
11. Text available from: National enquiry point [X], or address, telephone and fax numbers, 
e-mail and website addresses, if available of the other body:  
Emirates Authority for Standard ization and Metrology (ESMA) 
UAE TBT Enquiry Point 
Tel.:  (+971) 2 403 2657 Fax:  (+971) 2 671 5999 E-mail:  uaetbt@esma.ae
 
Website:  http://www.esma.ae