TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE: TRANSPARENCY
Transparency toolkit
This toolkit contains information on the transparency obligations and procedures, related work in the TBT Committee, and how to notify.
Transparency related events
- 19 June 2023
10th Special meeting on Information Exchange - 13 July 2022
ePing SPS&TBT Platform launch - 12 July 2022
TBT Committee Thematic Session on Transparency - 4 February 2021
TBT Committee Thematic Session on Transparency - 19 June 2020
Book Launch: Transparency in the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ SPS and TBT Agreements: The Real Jewel in the Crown - 18 - 19 June 2019
Thematic session on Transparency
helps manage and track technical barriers to trade (TBT) and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures. Members can submit their SPS and TBT notifications via the platform. ePing allows for better national coordination with regulatory agencies, helps keep track of all notifications submitted and gives access to comprehensive TBT and SPS transparency related information across all °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ Members on one website. Once registered, users can benefit from a range of services such as signing up to receive email alerts and to follow notifications on products and/or markets of interest and to reach out to national and international counterparts.
Transparency obligations
Transparency is a cornerstone of the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement and consists of three core elements: notifications; establishment of enquiry points; and publication requirements. Further explanation on these elements can be found here.
Notification of draft technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures
Governments are required to “notify” other members, through the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ Secretariat, of proposed measures that may have a significant effect on other members' trade and that are not based on relevant international standards. These notifications are contained in °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ document series “G/TBT/N/3 digit ISO country code/#”.
Submission of notifications
The TBT Committee has adopted Guidelines for Notification Procedures for Draft Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment Procedures as well as a recommendation on when to use which notification format. Governments can submit notifications to the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ Central Registry of Notifications through .
Statement of Implementation
Governments are required to submit a one-time “statement of implementation” (Art. 15.2). This statement should include information on relevant laws and regulations, the time period allowed for comments on notifications, contact information for enquiry points and other relevant national authorities, titles of publications on TBT measures. These notifications are contained in °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ document series “G/TBT/2/Add”. A list of members who have submitted their statements is available in .
Notification of Agreement under Article 10.7
Under Article 10.7 of the Agreement “Whenever a Member has reached an agreement with any other country or countries on issues related to technical regulations, standards or conformity assessment procedures which may have a significant effect on trade, at least one Member party to the agreement shall notify other Members through the Secretariat of the products to be covered by the agreement and include a brief description of the agreement.”
Standardizing bodies: Acceptance of the Code of Good Practice
Standards are addressed by the TBT Agreement in a separate Code of Good Practice for the preparation, adoption and application of standards (Annex 3). Standardizing bodies that have accepted or withdrawn from the Code are required to notify the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ and the ISO/IEC Information Centre. These notifications are contained in °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ document series “G/TBT/CS/N/#”. The contains information on the Standardizing bodies that have accepted the Code and their work programmes.
Enquiry points
Each member must put in place an Enquiry Point that is able to answer reasonable enquiries from other members, including on any adopted or proposed technical regulations, standards, conformity assessment procedures (Art.10). Contact information for enquiry points is available in .
TBT Enquiry Point Guide
The guide compiles practical information on how Enquiry Points are performing their tasks and overcoming everyday challenges.
Publications
The publication requirements are designed to advertise a member's intent to regulate as well as to provide access to the final texts of regulations. This way, members, and other interested parties can become acquainted with them, have an opportunity to comment and/or adapt to the new requirements. This information can be found in Members statements of implementation.
back to topWork on transparency in the TBT Committee
- 9th Triennial review recommendations related to transparency.
- 8th Triennial review recommendations related to transparency.
- Decisions and recommendations adopted by the TBT Committee related to transparency can be found here
- 4 February 2021: TBT Committee Thematic Session on Transparency
- 18-19 June 2019: Thematic session on Transparency
- Decisions and recommendations adopted by the TBT Committee related to transparency can be found here
- Guidelines for Notification Procedures for Draft Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment Procedures
List of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ online systems
provides information on the Standardizing bodies that have accepted the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ TBT Code of Good Practice and their work programmes