RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/ACC/LAO/14/Rev.4 
29 March 2011 
 (11-1544) 
Working Party on the 
Accession of the Lao PDR Original:   English 
 
 
 
ACCESSION OF THE LAO PDR 
 
Action Plan on the Legislative Work and Implementation of   
the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT)  
 
Revision  
   The following submission, dated 16 March 2011, is  being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). 
 
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 WT/ACC/LAO/14/Rev.4 
Page 2  
 
   
Issues Actions Implementation 
Timeframe Technical Assistance (TA) 
Provided/Sought 
Reassessment of the Institutional, Legal 
and Regulatory Framework for TBT Launched in 
January and 
expected to 
complete in 
June 2011 TA received from Trade 
Development Facility 
(TDF). TBT related 
activities 
Law on Metrology No. 07/NA dated 
20 December 2010. Adopted in 
December 2010 Technical review by 
UNIDO Experts. 
Law on Standardization No. 13/NA dated 26 December 2007 Adopted in 2007 TA received from EU and 
UNIDO (ended in 2008). 
Decree on the Implementation of the 
Law on Standardization Draft completed 
by NAST in 
January 2011 and 
to be adopted by 
Prime Minister 
by 
December 2011 TA received from TDF and 
USAID. 
Regulation on Quality Inspection of 
Goods Adopted in 2009  
Regulation on Basic Principles in 
Application of Sanitary and Technical 
Measures in Food Safety Management 
in accordance with the SPS Agreement 
(formerly referred to as Decree on 
Implementation of Food Law) Adopted in 2009 Recommendations received 
from FAO and WHO. 
 
TA to be requested from TDF for publication, 
dissemination and training 
for all stakeholders. 1. Technical 
regulations 
Regulation on Labelling of  
Pre-Packaged Food  Adopted in 2009 TA received from WHO on 
drafting. 
Law on Standardization No. 13/NA 
dated 26 December 2007 Adopted in 2007 TA received from EU and 
UNIDO (ended 2008). 
Decree on the Implementation of the 
Law on Standardization  Draft completed 
by NAST in 
January 2011 and 
to be adopted by 
Prime Minister 
by December  
2011 TA received from TDF and 
USAID. 
Regulation on the Use of Standard Mark for Lao Products Adopted in 2006 TA received from EU and 
UNIDO. 
Regulation on the Organization and 
Activities of National Standard Council  Adopted 2010  2. Standards 
Regulation on Central Technical 
Committee Adopted in 2010  
Law on Standardization No. 13/NA 
dated 26 December 2007 Adopted in 2007 TA received from EU and 
UNIDO (ended in 2008). 3. Conformity 
Assessment 
Decree on the Implementation of the 
Law on Standardization Draft completed 
by NAST in 
January 2011 and 
to be adopted by 
Prime Minister 
by December  
2011 TA received from TDF and 
USAID.  WT/ACC/LAO/14/Rev.4 
 Page 3 
 
 
  Issues Actions Implementation 
Timeframe Technical Assistance (TA) 
Provided/Sought 
Lao PDR joined MRA under ASEAN for Electrical and Electronic 
Equipment.  5 April 2002  
 
Establishment of testing facilities for 
construction materials, textiles and 
chemicals Deferred TA to be requested. 
Decree on Notification and Enquiry of 
Trade Related Information No. 363/PM dated 19 August 2010 (formerly 
referred to as Decree on SPS and TBT 
Notification Centre and Enquiry Points) Adopted in 2010 TA received from EU on 
drafting. 
Establishment of TBT Enquiry Point under Decree on Notification and 
Enquiry of Trade Related Information 
No. 363/PM dated 19 August 2010  
Decision on TBT Enquiry Point being 
prepared to strengthen coordination among notification unit, enquiry points 
and relevant authorities. 
 Address of TBT Enquiry Point:   
Department of Intellectual Property 
Standardization and Metrology, National Authority for Science and 
Technology;  
PO Box 2279, Vientiane Capital, 
Lao PDR. 
Tel/Fax:  85621-243405 Operational upon 
accession 
 
  
To be adopted by 
June 2011 TA to be requested for 
training, equipment and 
database. 
  
TA received from USAID 
and ADB. 4. Information 
Procedures 
Establishment of SPS and TBT 
Notification Unit under Decree on 
Notification and Enquiry of Trade 
Related Information No. 363/PM dated 19 August 2010 
 
Decision on SPS and TBT Notification Unit 
 
Address of SPS and TBT Notification Unit:   
Foreign Trade Policy Department, 
Ministry of Industry and Commerce.  P.O. Box 4107, Phonexay Road, 
Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR 
Tel: 85621-450065 
Fax: 85621-450066  
Website: www.m-lao.com/ftpd    Operational upon 
accession 
 
  
 
Adopted in 
March 2011 
 
 TA received from USAID 
and ADB for 
implementation, e.g. 
establishment of database, training of relevant staff on 
the SPS and TBT 
Agreements including through exchange 
experiences and study visit. 
Note:  Lao PDR will ensure that its legal framework on technical regulations, standards and conformity 
assessment is in compliance with the TBT Agreement by 31 December 2012.  Full implementation of the 
TBT Agreement is 31 December 2014.  Although this Ac tion Plan indicates that much progress has been 
achieved in the preparation and adoption of the legal framework in compliance with the TBT Agreement, Lao PDR still lacks the capacity to implement the provisions and it is working with development partners to achieve 
the objective of implementation. 
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