RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/CTE/W/38
G/TBT/W/30
ORGANIZATION 24July1996
(96-2930)
Original: English Committee onTrade andEnvironment
Committee onTechnical Barriers toTrade
DRAFT DECISION ONECO-LABELLING PROGRAMMES
Communication from Canada
Thefollowing draft Decision isfordiscussion purposes toindicate theelements ofany
decision oneco-labelling thatCanada believes important toinclude. Thisdraft Decision could
either beastand-alone decision orintegrated intoanomnibus Ministerial decision orresolution.
Ministers,
Recalling theirDecision onTrade andEnvironment taken atMarrakesh on15April 1994
thatrecognized theneedforrules toenhance positive interaction between trade andenvironmental
measures forthepromotion ofsustainable development;
Recognizing thatvoluntary eco-labelling programmes canbeeffective market-based policy
instruments toencourage environmentally-preferable products andservices;
Acknowledging thateco-labelling programmes arepredominantly based upon life-cycle
approaches;
Emphasizing thatthere should notbe,norneedbe,anypolicy contradiction between
upholding andsafeguarding anopen, non-discriminatory andequitable multilateral trading system
ontheonehand, andacting fortheprotection oftheenvironment, including byimplementing and
maintaining effective eco-labelling programmes, ontheother;
Desiring thateco-labelling programmes bedesigned insuchamanner astoensure
non-discrimination, andnotcreate unnecessary obstacles tonordisguised restrictions on
international trade;
Mindful oftheneedforalltypes ofeco-labelling programmes tohaveatransparent
development process andtobebased upon criteria thatareverifiable, justifiable and
scientifically-based;
Decide asfollows:
1. Mandatory eco-labelling measures, voluntary eco-labelling measures, andeco-labelling
compliance procedures arewithin thescope oftheWTO Agreement onTechnical Barriers to
Trade (the"TBT Agreement") anditsCode ofGood Practice forthePreparation, Adoption and
Application ofStandards (the"Code ofGood Practice").
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G/TBT/W/30
Page2
2. Thecoverage applies toalleco-labelling programmes, whether voluntary ormandatory,
whether these begovernmental (central orsub-central) ornon-governmental.
3. Forthepurpose oftheTBTAgreement, eco-labelling programmes areestablished by
standardizing bodies; therefore, suchbodies should accept theTBTCode ofGood Practice.
4. TheCommittee onTrade andEnvironment, jointly withtheCommittee onTechnical
Barriers toTrade, should, aspartofitsfuture work programme, analyse theimpact ofthe
development ofinternational standards based upon life-cycle approaches.
5. ThisDecision isnotintended toprejudge whether measures related tonon-product-related
process andproduction methods arewithin thescope ofthatAgreement.
23July1996