ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(79)605
Vol.1979/0206

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(79 )605 final
Brussels .25th October 1979
PROPOSAL FOR ACOUNCIL DECISION
LAYING DOWN PROVISIONS ONTHE INTRODUCTION
AND IMPLEMENTATION OFTECHNICAL REGULATIONS ANDSTANDARDS
(presented bytheCommission totheCouncil )
/
V
COM (79)605 final

Proposal for aCouncil Decision
laying down provisions ontheintroduction
andimplementation oftechnical regulations andstandards
THECOUNCIL OPTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
Having regard totheTreaty establishing theEuropean Economic Community
.andinparticular Articles 5and113thereof ,
Having regard totheproposal from theCommission ,
Whereas byDecision No79/»••®of onthesignature ofthe
multilateral agreements resulting from the 1973-79 trade negotiations
theCouncil approved ,onbehalf oftheEuropean Economic Community ,
inter alia theAgreement ontechnical barriers totrade ;
"Whereas ,inview oftheinternational .rights andobligations which the
Community contracted inaccepting that agreement ,
technical regulations andstandards andtherelated
verification methods axetobeapplied toallproducts jirrespective
oftheir origin according totheterms oftheAgreement ,byallthe
contracting parties soastoensure reciprocity andmutual
advantages ;
Whereas aprocedure should beestablished forexamining whether' such
reciprocity exists andforauthorizing derogation
from certain obligations resulting from directives that have already
been adopted inrespect ofproducts originating from theParties -in
\
question ;whereas this examination could beconducted byacommittee
composed ofrepresentatives oftheMember States under thechairmanship
ofarepresentative oftheCommission ,andwhereas theauthorization
decisions could betaken bytheCommission after consulting that
committee ;

WhereastheexistingproceduresrelativetoinformationoftheMember
statesandtheCommissionconcerninghannonisation tobeintroduced
bytheMemberStatesshouldbeimprovedandadopted;
Whereasconsideration shouldbegiventowhetherandtowhatextent
compliancewithCommunityornationaltechnicalregulations or
standardsmaybedetermined onthebasisoftestresults,certificates
ormarksissuedbycompetentauthorities ofthirdcountriesorof
MemberStatesandthirdcountries ;whereasif,incaseswhere
directiveshavenotyetbeenadopted,aMemberStateproposesto
recognizechecksthathavebeencarriedoutinanon-membercountry,
itshouldeoinformandconsulttheCommission andtheotherMember
States;
Whereasthesemeasuresareappropriate toensurethattheobligations
resultingfromtheabovementioned provisionsarefulfilled ;whereasthey
facilitatetheachievement oftheCommunity'stasks,
HASADOPTEDTHEFOLLOWING DECISION :
-TTrPlÆti-■-^i
Article 1
1.Thecertification andverification procedureslaiddownindirectives
intendedtoremovetechnicalbarrierstointra-Community tradeshallapplyto
allproductsontheCommunitymarketirrespective oftheirorigin,saveas
otherwiseprovidedinTitleIV.
2.TheMemberStatesshalltakeallappropriateactionwithintheirpowerto
ensurethatcertification andverification proceduresthathavenotbeen
harmonizedatCommunitylevel,inforceintheMemberStatesandlaiddownby
officialauthoritiesornon-governmental bodies,shallapplytoallproducts
onthe marketsinquestionirrespective oftheirorigin,saveas.•
otherwiseprovidedinTitleIV.

*
-3-
TITLE II–Standstill and obligation toinform the Commission
Article 2
1.Theprocedure laid down inthefollowing paragraphs shall apply
where aMember State proposes totake action onthe ,adoption or
amendment oflaws ,regulations oradministrative provisions laying
down technical regulations with which products must comply .
2.Member States shall transmit totheCommission anydraft law ,
regulation oradministrative provision laying down technical
regulations forproducts ,which they propose toadopt .Ifthe
Commission hasalready submitted aproposal foradirective relating
/
tothose products totheCouncil ,theMember State concerned shall
send acopy ofthenotification totheCouncil .-
3. l'nthe case ofproducts inrespect ofwhich theCommission has
already submitted aproposal fora.directive totheCouncil ,the
Member State shall not adopt theproposed measure until five months
have elapsed from thedate onwhich it ,informed theCommission thereof
and oncondition that theCouncil has notadopted thedirective during
that period . .
4.Inthe case ofproducts inrespect ofwhich theCommission has not
yetsubmitted ,aproposal foradirective totheCouncil ,theMember
State shfill notadopt theproposed meaaure until five months have .
elapsed from thedate onwhich itinformed theCommission thereof and
oncondition that theCommission hasneither submitted aproposal for
adirective totheCouncil ,noritself adopted adirective onthesame
subject astheproposed measure during that period .
Nevertheless ,ifwithin aperiod oftwomonths from thedate onwhich
itreceives the abovementioned information the Commission does not
notify thegovernment inquestion ofitsintention tosubmit a
proposal foradirective ortoadopt adirective ,that government may
forthwith adopt theproposed measure .Ifduring theperiod of
five months theCommission submits aproposal foradirective relating
totheproducts concerned ,theMember State shall defer adoption of
theproposed measure forafurther period offive months from thedate
onwhich theproposal issubmitted .Ifduring theabovementioned

period oftwomonths theCommission notifies -theMember State ofits
intention toitself adopt adirective relating totheproducts concerned' ,
that period shall "beextended totwelve months from thedate of
notification . • ;
TITLE III-Recognition ofchecks carried out inanother Member State or •
• , inathird country * ' .
Article V
1.Thefollowing provisions shall apply where certain aspects of
particular products have notyet been harn;om 7,edatCommunity level :
• - - , •t. • *■
(a)IfaMember State proposes .toaccept that compliance with itsnational
technical regulations standards shall bedetermined onthebasis
oftest results ,certificates -ormarks issued bythecompetent
authorities ofa»third country,' itshall soinform t,heCommission
andtheother Member States ,aridshall supply them ,inparticular ,-with
allthefactual delta justifying such' acceptance .-- ■'Theother Member
States andthe -Commission shall 'beentitled toaperiod oftwomonths
within which ,tosubmit anyobservation they consider appropriate to
theMember State concerned .During that period theMember State shall
suspend negotiations with thecountry concerned .TheMember States .
mayalso submit arequest totheCommission that thematter be . /
discussed bythe .Comuii tie ,esetupunder ,Artiole 10.
(b)Asregards thereciprocal recognition ofchecks by'Member States ,the
,Commission shall consult theMember -State 3onthepossibility of :
enabling compliance with national technical Regulations andstandards
tobedetermined onthebasis oftest results ,certificates ormarks
issued by .thecompetent ,authorities ofother Member States .
2.Thefollowing provisions shall apply where directives have already
been *adopted orproposed ; ! '
(a)TheCommission shall examine theextent towhich itisable to
propose ,amendments todirectives that have already been adopted to
enable cdmpliance with those directives tobedetermined onthe ; ;
basis oftest results ,certificates or ,marks issued bythecompetent
authorities ofthird ,countries .

«<5-
(b)"Whenpreparingnewproposalsfordirectives,theCommissionshall
considertheextenttowhichsuchproposalscouldenablecompliance
withthosedirectivestobedetermined onthebasisofthetest
results,certificatesormarksreferredtoinsubparagraph (a).
TITLEIV-Actionintheeventofnon-reciprocity
Article4
1.MemberStatesshallnotifytheCommissionandtheotherMemberStates
whenevertheyoonsidex *thatanadvantagedirectlyorindirectlyresulting
fromthe'Agreementisnullifiedorimpaired, orthatthe
attainmentofoneoftheobjectivesoftheAgreementisimpaired
oneormoreoftheotherpartiesthereto,thatitstradinginterests
aresignificantly affectedandthatreciprocity betweentheconcessions
madebytheCommunityundertheAgreementandthoseactuallyappliedby
theotherpartyorpartieshasconsequently be®11nullifiedorimpaired.-.
2.IftheCommissionreceivessimilarinformation throughanother
channelitshalltransmitacopythei'eoftotheMemberStates.
Article5,
TheCommissionshall,withintenworkingdaysfromthedateonwhich
theinformationistransmittedtotheMemberStates,convenethe
CommitteesetupunderArticle10inordertoexamine..thematter.
Article6
1.IfCommunitydirectivesrelatingtothematterirfquestionhavealready
beenadopted,theCommissionshall,afterconsultingtheCommitteein
accordancewithArticle'5»decidewhetheractionshouldbetakenand
whatformsuchactionshouldtake.
Itmaythus,interalia.authorizetheMemberStatestoderogate,fora
specificperiodandinrelationtoaparticularpartytotheAgreement,
fromcertainprecisely-defined obligationsresultingfromthedirective
ordirectivesinquestion.

-6-
2.,TheCommissionshallimmediatelynotifytheCouncilandtheMember
Statesofitsdecision,whichshall"enterintoforcefollowingaperiodof
tenworkingdaysunlessaMemberStatebringsthematterbeforetheCouncil
duringthatperiod.TheCouncilmay,attherequest ,ofaMemberState,
madewithinthesaidperiodoftenworkingdays,actingbyaqualified
majority,confirm,amendorrepeal ,theCommission'sdecision.The
Commission'sdecisionshallenterintoforceafteraperiodof60days
fromthedateonwhichthematterisreferredtotheCouncilifthelatter
doesnotactwithinthatperiod.' .-
3.Duringtheperiodofvalidityofthemeasurestakenpursuantto•
paragraphs 1and2,theCommissionshallregularlyconsult ,theCommitteeset
upunderArticle10concerningtheimplementation
ofthosemeasuresandoftheireffects.If,onthebasisofthose
consultations ,theCommissionconsidersthatitsdecisionshouldbeamended
orrepealed,itshalltakeadecision19thateffectinaccordancewiththe
procedurelaiddowninparagraphs 1and2.
Artacle7 ,
-1.IfCommunitydirectivesrelatingtothematterinquestionhavenotyet
beenadopted,theMemberStat.eorStateswhichtransmittedtheinformation
referredtoinArticle4(1)niaytakeappropriatemeasures.MemberStates
shallsoinformtheCommissionandthootherMemberStates.,
I ' '
2.IfanumberofMemberStatestakemeasures,theyshallendeavourto
coordinatethem.Consultations tothateffectshalltakeplacewithinthe
CommitteesetupunderArticle10. ,
3.Duringtheperiod,ofvalidityofthemeasuresreferredtoinparagraph 1,
theCommissionshallregularlyconsulttheCommitteesetupunderArticle10
1■–
concerning .theimplementation of,thosemeasures
andoftheireffects.TheCommission may,onthebasisofthoseconsultations
adoptadecisionrequiringtheMemberStateorStatesconcernedtoamendor
repealthedecisionbywhichtheappropriate measureswereintroduced.The
Commission'sdecisionshallbetakeninaccordancewiththeprocedurelaid
(
downinArticle6(2).

-7
Article8
MeasurestakenunderArticles6or-7shallbeadjustedinaccordancewith
theprocedurelaiddowninArticle6(1)and(2)inordertorenderthem
compatiblewithanydecisiontakenbytheCommitteeonTechnicalBarriers
toTradesetupunderArticle13oftheAgreement.
«
TITLEV-Finalprovisions
Article9
•*»
TheCommission may,onitsowninitiativeorattherequestofaMemberState,
referanygeneralorspecific .problemrelatingtotheimplementation ofthis
DecisiontotheCommitteesetupunderArticle10«Itmaytakeanyaction
itconsidersappropriateafterhavingobtainedtheopinionoftheCommittee.
f
Article10
1.ACommitteeontheimplementation atCommunityleveloftheAgreementon
TechnicalBarrierstoTrad'"4(referredtoas"theCommittee"inthis
Decision),composedofrepresentatives cf.theMemberStatesunderthe
chairmanship ofarepresentative oftheCommission,isherebysetup.
2.TheCommitteeshalladoptitsownrulesofprocedure.
3.Mattersshallbereferredto,theCommitteebytheChairman,eitherat-
hisowninstigationorattherequestoftherepresentative ofaMember ,
State. -
Article11
TnisDecisionisaddressedtotheMember.States. .*