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This website is designed to guide users through the
area of international treaties, conventions, standards and guidelines
applicable to biotechnology. |
Title: The World Trade Organisation's Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement). |
Summary of Provisions:This Agreement aims to reduce non-tariff barriers to trade as part of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) system of agreements to reduce unjustified trade restrictions. Technical barriers involve standards and regulations concerning technical quality of imports. Technical regulations mean that "significant costs for producers and exporters" (http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/eol/e/wto3/wto3_4.htm) are incurred, because of the need to understand and conform to the regulations. They can therefore impede the free flow of trade. The Agreement defines a technical regulation as a, "Document which lays down product characteristics or their related processes and production methods...with which compliance is mandatory. It may also include...terminology, symbols, packaging, marking or labelling requirements". (http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tbt_e/tbtagr.htm). Technical barriers are allowable to protect security interests, health and the environment, but there is a risk that they may be used as disguised restrictions on trade, rather than being scientifically justified. A system of equivalence is set out where national technical standards that are different but achieve the same level of quality should be treated as equivalent. Harmonisation of technical standards is encouraged through active participation in international standard setting bodies such as the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO). International standards are not set out in the agreement itself. Many food safety issues and issues involving human health, plant health and animal health are not covered by the TBT agreement and are instead dealt with in the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement. National governments are required to establish a national enquiry point
and a central authority to implement the Agreement, they must also ensure
that local government and non-government groups within their territories
comply with the Agreement. Provisions are made in the Agreement to assist
developing countries in implementation and developing countries are also
allowed to keep certain barriers to protect their development needs. Summary of Development:Work on reducing technical barriers to trade was begun during the Tokyo Round of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) negotiations in the 1970s. A 'Standards Code' was adopted in 1979. The TBT Agreement was negotiated during the Uruguay Round (1986-1994) extending and improving on the Standards Code and coming into force with the establishment of the World Trade Organisation in January 1995. Current Status:There are 153 member states of the World Trade Organisation; the TBT Agreement applies to all of them. Precursors:The 1979 Standards Code which, "laid down the rules for prepartation, adoption, and application of technical regulations, standards and conformity assessment procedures." (http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/eol/e/wto03/wto3_4.htm). Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade Related Summaries on the Genomics Gateway Site:World Trade Organisation Page last updated 26th March 2009. Comments/enquiries to catherine.rhodes-2 'at' manchester.ac.uk |