. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/COL/126 
6 March 2009 
 (09-1147) 
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:  COLOMBIA
 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):  
2. Agency responsible:   Ministerio de Ambiente, Vivienda y Desarrollo Territorial - 
Dirección de Desarrollo Sectorial Sostenible  (Ministry of the Environment, Housing and 
Territorial Development - Directorate of Sectoral Sustainable Development)  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers and 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:  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ ], 2.10.1 [ X], 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):   Detergents (liquids, 
powders, pastes, gels, bars, cakes, tablets, moulded pieces or shapes) 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Resolución N° 427 
del 2 de marzo de 2009 del Ministerio de Ambi ente, Vivienda y Desarrollo Territorial "Por 
la cual se prohíbe la fabricación, impor tación, distribución y comercialización de 
detergentes que contengan fósforo por en cima de los límites máximos establecidos" 
(Resolution No. 427 of 2 March 2009 of the Ministry of the Environment, Housing and 
Territorial Development "Prohibiting the manufacture, importation, distribution and marketing of detergents with a phosphorus  content exceeding the maximum established 
limits") (4 pages, in Spanish). 
6. Description of content:   The notified Resolution prohibits the manufacture, importation, 
distribution and marketing of detergents  with a phosphorus content exceeding the 
maximum established limits, and covers the following:  Purpose;  Scope;  Definitions;  
Labelling;  Penalties;  Notifications and Validity. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
Various bodies of water in Colombia are af fected by the presence of phosphates from 
different sources, including the use of detergents .  The threats which have been identified to 
health and the environment must therefore be addressed. 
8. Relevant documents:   European Community study Phosphates and Alternative Detergent 
Builders ;  results of the work of the Marine  and Coastal Water Quality Monitoring 
Network, REDCAM (Colombian Marine and Coastal Research Institute, INVEMAR, 2002 
and 2003);  and studies conducted by Colombia's  Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and 
Environmental Studies (IDEAM) in the Cauca and Magdalena rivers. G/TBT/N/COL/126 
Page 2  
 
  9. Proposed date of adoption: 
Proposed date of entry into force:  2 March 2009 
As from the date of publication in the 
Official Journal for a period of twelve (12) months. 
10. Final date for comments:   Not applicable 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, E-mail and website addresses,  if available, of other body:  
Enquiry Point : 
Contact person:  Daniel Héctor Rico R. 
Tel.: (+571) 606-7676, ext. 1690 Fax: (+571) 241-0480 E-mail: drico@mincomercio.gov.co
 
 
Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo 
Dirección de Regulación Calle 28 No. 13A-15, tercer piso Bogotá, D.C., Colombia Tel.: (+571) 241-0478 Website: http://secgen.comunidadandina.org/sirt