RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/W/173
8 March 2002
(02-1178)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English
A POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR THE FACILITATION OF TRADE IN THE FIELDS OF
STANDARDIZATION AND CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT:
A TOOLBOX OF INSTRUMENTS
Communication from the European Commission1
1. The objective of this document is to share with other WTO Members the
European Community's experience in external tr ade in the fields of standards and conformity
assessment, and present a framework for our future work in this area.
2. As background, the document examines questions concerning technical rules and
requirements for products, and their effect on trade.  The effectiveness of measures for rendering rules
less trade-restrictive, while pursuing legitimate regulatory objectives such as the protection of health
and safety, consumer protection and information, and protection of the environment, is also
considered.  The analysis is intended to facilitate the identification and development of priorities for
action in the field, in such a way as to be as effective and cost-efficient as possible.
3. With the increasing recognition of the impact of technical rules on trade in goods, a number
of mechanisms to lessen this impact have been identified.  They could be further exploited in order to
offer a variable response, adapted to the needs and opportunities that present themselves in each
specific situation.  The choice of instrument will depend on the characteristics of the markets, the
regulatory environment and technical infrastructure in the countries or regions concerned, and the
nature of the products.
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1 A copy of this document is available at the Secretariat for the information of interested Members.