RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/ACC/MOL/16
23 June 1999
(99-2562)
Working Party on the
Accession of MoldovaOriginal:  English
ACCESSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA
Information on Technical Barriers to Trade
The Ministry of the Economy of the Republic of Moldova has submitted the following
information on Technical Barriers to  Trade, with the request that it be circulated to Working Party
members.
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Information on Technical Barriers to Trade
The following responds to the questions contained in WT/ACC/1, ANNEX 5 on Technical
Barriers to Trade.
1. The description of relevant laws and regulations, administrative orders etc., relating to
the implementation and administration of t echnical barriers to trade for the Republic of
Moldova
The Draft Law on TBT provides for compliance with the provisions of the Code of Good
Practice for development and application of technical regulations, standards and conformity
assessment procedures. This law stipulates the avoidance of unnecessary obstacles to internationaltrade and the consideration of less trade restrictive alternatives to fulfilling legitimate objectives. The
draft provides for implementation and administration of the TBT Agreement. There are provisions
identifying the authority responsible for making notifications to the WTO and the publication where
the notices of proposed technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures will be published.
The draft ensures that regulatory authorities allo w a reasonable period of time between the final
publication of technical regulations and their entry into force so that suppliers can adapt.
The Law on Standardization (No. 590 dated 25 June 1996) establishes the legal, social,
economic and organizational basis for standardization activities in the Republic of Moldova. The
main objectives of this law are: to ensure that the technical regulation and regulatory specifications ofproducts, processes and services comply with their intended use; to protect State and consumer
interests by ensuring the quality of products, processes and services, their safety for human life and
health as well as for the environment and material goods; to remove unnecessary technical barriers to
trade, ensuring competitiveness of goods on the world market; to ensure that products of the same
kind and their instructions meet a certain standard; to ensure that the same units of measurement areapplied. The proposed amendments of this law provide for the introduction of new standards,
technical regulations and conformity assessment proc edures which are fully compatible with the TBT
Agreement also stipulate the use of appropriate international standards, guidelines and
recommendations as a basis for technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures. The draft
amendments were presented to the Government for approval in April 1999.
The Law on Protection of Consumer Rights (No. 1453 dated 25 May 1993) will be replaced
by the new Draft Law on Consumer s' Rights Protection. This draft law insures the right of each
consumer to instruction regarding his rights; to State protection of his rights; to representation of his
interests in State institutions, to information on products and on producers and sellers; to be able to
join organizations for consumers’ protection; to be assured that goods purchased do not present a
danger to his life and health or to the envir onment; to secure compensation for quality-defective
products and to compensation for any damages to his life and health resulting from such products. The
infringement of this law may imply penal, administrative and civil responsibility in accordance with
the legislation in force. The acts of protection of consumers' rights may be submitted to courts by
consumers and will not imply any payment of state tax.
The new Draft Law on Certification establishes the legal framework for certification of
products, equipment, processes, technologies, systems of production and hazardous activities,
software, quality systems and services with the aim of ensuring national security, avoiding damages,
protecting consumers' rights and the health of human, plant and animal life or the environment in
accordance with WTO/TBT and SPS Agreements. This law provides for acceptance of the result ofconformity assessment procedures conducted by exporting countries with which Moldova has signed
bilateral agreements on mutual recognition, or when covered by specialized regional or international
organizations. A new draft Decision on establishing a list of products subject to mandatory
certification has been prepared.WT/ACC/MOL/16
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The Decision of the Department of Standards, Metrology and Technical Surveillance to
establish the Information Centre on Standardization and Certification (Inquiry Point for TBT/SPS
Agreements).
A new draft Law on Accreditation and a new draft Law on Industrial Security are being
drafted.
2. Information regarding:
(a) Names of publications, if any, on work relating to draft technical regulations or standards and
procedures:
(i) "Buletin de Standardizare" provides information and gives instructions about
documents, plans of development of national standards (every three months);
(ii) "Monitorul Oficial al Republicii Moldova" publishes legal acts on standardization,
technical regulations and procedures of conformity assessment;
(iii) "Standardizarea" published monthly  (published in Romania);
(iv) "Standarti i Kacestvo" ( Стандарты  и качество ) published monthly (published in
Russia).
(b) The name and address of the inquiry point(s) foreseen in Articles 10.1 and 10.3 of the WTO
Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (the Agreement) with and indication as to whether
it is/they are fully operational.
The inquiry point created within the Department of Standards, Metrology and Technical
Supervision (DSMTS), is named the Information Centre of Standardization and Certification. ThisCentre is also the inquiry point for SPS.
The official address is:
28, E. Coca St.
Chisinau, MD-2039
Phone: (373-2) 75 04 60 int. 219Fax: (373-2 ) 75 05 81
E-mail: standart@standart.mldnet.com
Contact person: Pavel CHEPTENE
Currently the database of the inquiry point is being created and will be fully operational by
the day of accession.
(c) The name and address of the agency dealing with consultations as foreseen in Article 14 of
the Agreement.
The Department of Standards, Metrology and Technical Supervision will deal with
consultations as foreseen in Article 14 of the TBT Agreement.
The official address is:
28, E. Coca St.
Chisinau, MD-2039
Phone: (373-2) 75 04 60
Fax: (373-2) 75 05 81WT/ACC/MOL/16
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E-mail: standart@standart.mldnet.com
(e) The name and address of agencies that are dealing with other specific functions foreseen in
the Agreement.
The Department of Standards, Metrology and Technical Supervision will deal with other
specific functions foreseen in the TBT Agreement.
The official address is:
28, E. Coca St.
Chisinau, MD-2039Phone: (373-2) 75 04 60
Fax: (373-2) 75 05 81
E-mail: standart@standart.mldnet.com
(f) The scope of responsibility of the central gove rnment authorities in the area of notification
requirements foreseen in Article 10.11 of the Agreement and of individual government
authorities, if the responsibility is divided among two or more such authorities
Solely the Department of Standards, Metrology and Technical Surveillance assumes the
responsibility of the central government authorities in the area of notification requirements.
(g) measures and arrangements to ensure that national and sub-national authorities preparing new
technical regulations or substantial amendments to existing ones, provide early information
on their proposals
Any national and sub-national authority preparing new technical regulations or substantial
amendments to existing ones will publish a notice in the official journal, not later than two weeks
after the day of elaboration, in order to inform the interested parties about such proposed measure.
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