49ª  Reunión Ordinaria del Comité de Obstáculos Técnicos al Comercio
Ginebra, 5-6 de noviembre de 2009

Actualizado al 14 de octubre de 2010

> Acta de la Reunión

> Resumen OMC: El tabaco y las aves de corral son algunas de las preocupaciones comerciales de los Miembros

> Reunión Anterior

Agenda

I. Adopción de la Agenda

II. Implementación y Administración del Acuerdo

A. Declaraciones de los Miembros en virtud del Párr. 15 del Art. 2 del Acuerdo

> Nota de la Secretaría – Revisión (G/TBT/GEN/1/Rev.8)  

> Comunicación de Egipto (G/TBT/2/Add.34/Rev.1)  

> Comunicación de Colombia (G/TBT/2/Add.18/Rev.1)

 

B.  Preocupaciones Comerciales Específicas

> Nota de la Secretaría – Revisión (G/TBT/GEN/74/Rev.3)   

> Preocupaciones Comerciales Específicas         
 
Nuevas

1. CAN: Canada – Milk Class 4m (+info) - New Zealand
1. 2. CAN: Canada – Bill C-32 Amendment to Tobacco Act - Argentina, Mexico – Declaraciones
2. 3. CAN: Canada – Ontario Ice Cream Subsidy- New Zealand
3. 4. EEC: European Communities – Draft regulation on textile names and related labeling of textile products (G/TBT/N/EEC/260) - China
4. 5. GCC: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait – Halal Food Requirements - Australia
5. 6. IDN: Indonesia – Decree No. Kep-99/MUI/III/2009 relating to Halal certification - United States GAIN Report ID9014
6. 7. IDN: Indonesia – Regulation of BPOM No. HK.00.05.1.23.3516 relating to distribution license requirements for certain drug products, cosmetics, food supplements, and food - United States
7. 8. ISR: Israel – Regulation 31/08, the “Regulation for Labeling of Imported and Locally Produced Automotive Products – Name of Manufacturer and Country of Origin Requirements” - United States
8. 9. TPKM: Chinese Taipei – Organic Products (G/TBT/N/TPKM/65 and 69) - European Communities
9. 10. USA: United States – Ban on Clove Cigarettes – Indonesia (G/TBT/W/323)   - Declaraciones
10. 11. USA: United States – US Code Title 19, Customs duties, Chapter 4, Tariff Act of 1930, Subtitle II, Special Provisions, Part I – Miscellaneous Sec. 1304 – Marking of imported articles and containers - Mexico

Anteriores

1. 12. ARG: Argentina - Ministry of Health Resolution 583/2008 and related resolutions regarding testing requirements for imported toys (G/TBT/N/ARG/51 and Add.1-5) - China, United States
2. 13. BRA: Brazil - Health products (G/TBT/N/BRA/328) - Canada, European Communities, Mexico, Switzerland, United States
3. 14. BRA: Brazil –Toys (G/TBT/N/BRA/259, 313 and 339) - Thailand, China, European Communities
4. 15. Canada – Compositional requirements for cheese (G/TBT/N/CAN/203/Add.1) - New Zealand
5. 16. CHL: Chile - Cosmetics (G/TBT/N/CHL/81/Add.1) - European Communities
6. 17. CHN: China - Proposed Regulations on Information Security (G/TBT/N/CHN/278-290) - Japan, European Communities
7. 18. CHN: China – Wines (G/TBT/N/CHN/197) - European Communities
8. 19. CHN: China– Mandatory internet content filter software for personal computers (Green Dam software) Circular Number 226 related to Internet filtering software - OpenNet Initiative – Japan
9. 20. COL: Colombia - Draft Decree establishing provisions to promote the use of biofuels (G/TBT/N/COL/96/Add.2, Adds 3) - European Communities, Mexico
10. 21. COL: Colombia - Quality and identity requirements for distilled spirits (G/TBT/N/COL/120/Add.1, G/TBT/N/COL/121 and Add.1; G/TBT/N/COL/130 and Add.1) - European Communities
11. 22. EEC: European Communities - Requirements for Accreditation (G/TBT/N/EEC/152; Reglamento (CE) N° 765/2008) - United States
12. 23. EEC: European Communities - Directive 2002/95/EC on the Restriction of the Use of certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) and Directive 2002/96/EC on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) (G/TBT/N/EEC/247) - United States
13. 24. EEC: European Communities - Draft Decisions on Restrictions of the Marketing and Use of Organostannic Compounds (G/TBT/N/EEC/244/Add.1) - Japan
14. 25. EEC: European Communities –  Implementing measures of the Directive on Eco-design of energy-using products (G/TBT/N/EEC/208, 228, 229, 234, 237, 273) - China
15. 26. EEC: European Communities – Poultry Meat (G/TBT/N/EEC/267) - Brazil -Declaraciones
16. 27. EEC: European Communities - Regulation on Certain Wine Sector Products G/TBT/N/EEC/15 y Corr.1-2 y G/TBT/N/EEC/57; G/TBT/N/EEC/181/Add.1; G/TBT/N/EEC/252 y Add.1;   G/TBT/N/EEC/264 and Add.1; G/TBT/W/119 (USA) Answer; G/TBT/W/290 (ARG) Answer - - New Zealand, Argentina, United States
17. 28. EEC: European Communities - Dangerous Chemical Substances: Commission Directive amending, for the 30th/31th  time, Council Directive 67/548/EEC (G/TBT/N/EEC/151 and Adds.1-2) G/TBT/N/EEC/212 and Adds.1- 2- 3; G/TBT/N/EEC/163 and Add.1-2, Add.1/Corr.1; G/TBT/W/297 (COL); G/TBT/W/301 (CUB); G/TBT/W/302 (DOM); G/TBT/N/W/307 (ACP Group) - Cuba, Canada, Brazil, Japan, United States
18. 29. EEC: European Communities – Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) (ECHA) - G/TBT/N/EEC/52 y Adds.1-5; Add.3/Rev.1; G/TBT/N/EEC/295 and 297; G/TBT/W/286 (ARG); G/TBT/W/289 (ARG); G/TBT/GEN/46 (SGP) - Cuba, Canada,, Argentina, Japan, United States
19. 30. EEC: European Communities - Seal products (G/TBT/N/EEC/249) - Norway
20. 31. EEC: European Communities – Production and Labelling of Organic Products: Regulation N° 834/2007 (G/TBT/N/EEC/101 and Add.1; Q&A) - Argentina
21. 32. FRA: France - Unique Requirements for Ride-on Lawn Mowers - United States
22. 33. IND: India - Drugs and cosmetics rules 2007 (G/TBT/N/IND/33) - European Communities
23. 34. IND: India - Mandatory Certification for Steel Products (G/TBT/N/IND/32 and Add.1) - Japan
24. 35. IND: India - Pneumatic Tyres and Tubes for Automotive Vehicles (G/TBT/N/IND/20 and Add.1) - Japan, European Communities
25. 36. IND: India - Prevention of food adulteration (G/TBT/N/IND/34) - European Communities
26. 37. IND: India - Restriction on Chinese toys (Notification No.82 and 91/(RE-2008)/2004-2009 of Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry of India) - China
27. 38. ISR: Israel – Infant Formula - United States
28. 39. KOR: Korea - Ministerial Enforcement Regulation for Food Industry Promotion Act (G/TBT/N/KOR/204) - Canada, New Zealand, European Communities, Switzerland
29. 40. USA: United States - Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (G/TBT/N/USA/421; 436, 439, 444, 447, 448, 449 and 450).  The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) website - China
30. 41. USA: United States – Country of origin labelling COOL (G/TBT/N/USA/25, G/TBT/N/USA/83 and Corr.1, G/TBT/N/USA/281 and Adds.1- 2 – 3 - 4) - Australia, Mexico

C.  Intercambio de Experiencias

1. Buenas Prácticas Regulatorias  
2. Procedimientos de Evaluación de la Conformidad
3. Normas
4. Transparencia
5. Asistencia Técnica
6. Trato Especial y Diferenciado

 

D.  Otros Asuntos

III. Examen Anual de Transición de la R. P. de China

> Octavo Examen Anual de Transición prescrito en la Sección 18 del Protocolo de Adhesión de la República Popular China (G/TBT/27)

> Questions and Comments from the United States to China  (G/TBT/W/324)
> Questions and Comments from Japan to China (G/TBT/W/325)

> Comunicación de de la República Popular China (G/TBT/W/327)

IV. Actividades de Cooperación Técnica

> Información sobre las Actividades de Asistencia Técnica disponible en TBT website

> Comunicación de la República de Corea (G/TBT/W/322)

V. Actualización de Observadores

VI. Quinto Examen Trienal del Funcionamiento y Aplicación del Acuerdo  (G/TBT/26)

1. Good regulatory practice

Párrafos destacados:

“1. Processes and procedures at the national level...”

1. “11. ... the Committee agrees to:
2. (a) Compile a list of guidelines for Good Regulatory Practice taking into account Members’ experiences and existing relevant work of other organizations;
3. (b) Prepare an illustrative list of mechanisms used for the implementation of Good Regulatory Practice based on contributions from Members including, for instance, mechanisms used for: public consultation; use of RIA tools; use of performance-based regulations; use of relevant international standards, guides or recommendations as a basis for technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures; and methods of referencing standards in regulations; and,
4. (c) Continue to share views and experiences on aspects of regulatory coordination and administrative mechanisms to facilitate internal coordination between competent authorities, including between trade policy and regulatory authorities, and interested parties.”

“3. Regulatory cooperation between Members”
“16. ... the Committee agrees to:
(a) Exchange information on the different approaches to regulatory cooperation between Members that aim at, inter alia, enhancing mutual understanding of regulatory systems and identifying, where possible, avenues for greater regulatory convergence; and
(b) Hold a workshop on regulatory cooperation.”

2. Conformity assessment procedures

Párrafos destacados:

“1. Information exchange...”
“19. ... the Committee agrees to:
(a) Continue to exchange information on different approaches to facilitating acceptance of conformity assessment results;
(b) Exchange information on the criteria, methods of analysis and concepts used by Members to inform their evaluation of the range of choices in conformity assessment procedures, including in the context of a risk management framework;
(c) Based on these exchanges, and those referred to in paragraph 16 above, initiate work on developing practical guidelines on how to choose and design efficient and effective mechanisms aimed at strengthening the implementation of the TBT Agreement, including the facilitation of acceptance of conformity assessment results (inter alia MRAs, equivalence agreements and Supplier's Declaration of Conformity (SDoC)); and
(d) Consider, in light of the above work, the need to build on the current "Indicative List of Approaches to Facilitate the Acceptance of the Results of Conformity Assessment".”

3. Standards

Párrafos destacados:

“1. Development and use of standards”
“25. ... the Committee:
(a) Encourages Members, Observer organizations and relevant bodies involved in the development of standards to exchange experiences and circulate case studies – or other research – on the impacts of standards on economic development and international trade;
(b) Stresses the importance of ensuring the effective application of the Code of Good Practice for the Preparation, Adoption and Application of Standards (Annex 3 of the TBT Agreement); and
(c) Encourages the full application of the six principles set out in the above-mentioned Decision, and the sharing of experiences in respect of their use.

“26. ... the Committee:
(a) Recalls its discussion in the Third Triennial Review regarding standards developed by bodies that are not commonly considered standardizing bodies;
(b) Reiterates its 1997 invitation to Members to share their experiences with respect to steps taken to fulfil their obligations under Article 4, and to exchange information regarding the reasons some standardizing bodies have not yet accepted the Code of Good Practice; and
(c) With a view to facilitating an informed discussion on the development and use of standards in general, including with regard to standards developed by non-governmental bodies, Members are invited to share their experiences related to the implementation of the TBT Agreement, including the Code of Good Practice.  Discussions will neither prejudge the role of the TBT Committee nor the scope of the TBT Agreement with respect to any issue that may arise.”

“2. Participation”
“27. ... the Committee:
(a) Encourages Members, Observer organizations and relevant bodies involved in the development of standards, to exchange information on initiatives implemented, successes achieved and obstacles encountered.”

4. Transparency

Párrafos destacados:

“32. The Committee notes the significant stock of decisions and recommendations that it has developed since 1995, set out in G/TBT/1/Rev.9 (Section IV).  To this end, the Committee:
(a) Stresses the importance of full implementation of this existing body of decisions and recommendations by Members.”

“1. Notifications...”

“(a) Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment Procedures”

“(iii) Length of time allowed for comments”
“40... the Committee:
(a) Recalls its earlier recommendation that the normal time limit for the presentation of comments should be at least 60 days, and its encouragement to Members to provide, whenever possible, a time limit beyond 60 days, such as 90 days;
(b) Recalls that developed country Members are encouraged to provide more than a 60-day comment period, to improve the ability of developing country Members to make comments on notifications consistent with the principle of special and differential treatment; and
(c) Reiterates that an insufficient period of time for presentation of comments on proposed technical regulations and conformity assessment may prevent Members from adequately exercising their right to submit comments.”

“(v) Follow-up”
“43. ... the Committee:
(a) Recalls its earlier recommendation encouraging Members to notify the availability of the adopted final text as an addendum to the original notification and to provide information on where the final text can be obtained, including website address;
(b) Stresses the importance of making such addenda when a proposed regulation is either adopted, published or enters into force and especially in cases where the relevant dates have not been provided in the original notification or have been changed; and

(c) Recommends that the Committee establish common procedures on how and under which format (addendum, corrigendum, revision) to notify modifications or any other information relevant to previously notified measures.”

5. Technical Assistance

6. Operation of the Committee

7. Consideration of Specific Trade Concerns