. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/L/327
6 October 1999
(99-4186)
REPORT (1999) OF THE COMMITTEE ON TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE
1. The Committee held its sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth meetings on 31 March, 11 June
and 1 October (G/TBT/M/15-17) respectively, a nd Mr. Mohan Kumar (India) was Chairman.  At
those meetings, the Committee heard statements on the implementation and administration of the
Agreement.  A number of Members informed the Committee of measures taken to ensure the
implementation and administration of the Agreement.  Several measures were brought to the attentionof the Committee by Members who raised concerns about the potential adverse trade effects or
inconsistency with the Agreement of those measures.  The Committee also held discussions
concerning trade facilitation.
2. At its sixteenth meeting, the Committee carried out its Fourth Annual Review of the
Implementation and Operation of the Agreement under Article 15.3 based on background
documentation contained in G/TBT/7, and its Fourth Annual Review of the C ode of Good Practice for
the Preparation, Adoption and Application of Standards in Annex 3 based on background
documentation contained in WTO TBT Standards Code Directory, G/TBT/CS/1/Add.3 and
G/TBT/CS/2/Rev.5.  Concerns were raised with re spect to the implementation of the transparency
provisions under the Agreement.  In relation to that, the Committee adopted a number of decisions
and recommendations to speed up the procedures for notifications and information exchange through
means of electronic dissemination (G/TBT/1/Rev.6).
3. The Committee continued its programme of work arising from the First Triennial Review of
the Operation and Implementation of the Agreement under Article 15.4 (G/TBT/5), and additional
submissions were contributed by Members to enrich the discussions.  The following elements werediscussed:  (i) implementation and administration of the Agreement;  (ii) operation and
implementation of the notification procedures;  (iii) acceptance, implementation and operation of the
Code of Good Practice for the Preparation, Adoption and Application of Standards;  (iv) international
standards, guides and recommendations;  (v) preparation, adoption and application of technical
regulations;  (vi) conformity assessment procedures;  (vii) technical assistance;  (viii) special anddifferential treatment;  and (ix) other elements.
4. With a view to carrying out the Work Programme on matters related to conformity
assessment procedures, a WTO Symposium on Conf ormity Assessment Procedures was held on
8-9 June to deepen Members' understanding on a number of issues.  These included:  (i) relevantinternational guides and recommendations for conformity assessment;  (ii) types of conformity
assessment procedures and the conditions for their application;  (iii) various approaches for the
recognition of the results of conformity assessment pr ocedures;  and (iv) the role of international and
regional systems for conformity assessment.  Experts from business, testing laboratory, inspection,
certification, accreditation, metrology and standardizing bodies, as well as regional and internationalsystems were invited as speakers and panelists.  Factual non-binding summary reports of the
Symposium and its Sessions were prepared by the Chairman and the rapporteurs under their own
responsibilities.G/L/327
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5. Representatives of the ACP, ALADI, EFTA, FAO, IEC, IMF, ISO, ITC, OECD, OIE, OIML,
UNCTAD, UN/ECE, UNIDO, WHO, WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission and the
World Bank attended meetings of the Committee in an observer capacity.
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