WORLD TRADE G/TBT/2/Add.15/Rev.1
26June1997
ORGANIZATION(97-2636)
Original: English Committee onTechnical Barriers toTrade
IMPLEMENTATION AND ADMINISTRATION OFTHE AGREEMENT
ONTECHNICAL BARRIERS TOTRADE
Revision
Communication from Norway
Thefollowing Statement under Article 15.2oftheAgreement hasbeenreceived from the
delegation ofNorway.
_______________
1. TheWTO TBTAgreement hasbeenadopted bytheNorwegian Parliament, which means that
theagreement isdirectly binding forNorwegian regulatory authorities. Since theWTO Agreement
isanagreement between states, having nodirect effect oncitizens oreconomic operators, nofurther
regulatory measures areneeded orenvisaged.
Aseminar onthenotification obligations under theTBT Agreement, including general
information oftheAgreement, washeldinDecember 1996under theauspices oftheMinistry ofForeign
Affairs, withparticipation from notifying authorities andother parties concerned.
2. Thegeneral responsibility fortheWTO Agreement onTechnical Barriers toTrade resides
withtheMinistry ofForeign Affairs. Anyquestions concerning theapplication andadministration
oftheAgreement aswellasrequests forconsultation should therefore beaddressed tothisministry.
Itsaddress is:
DetKgl.Utenriksdepartement
(TheRoyal Ministry ofForeign Affairs)
Postboks 8114 DEP.
N-0032 OSLO
Norway
TheMinistry ofForeign Affairs isalso-bywayofcontact point-responsible forthenotification
totheWTO Secretariat ofnational technical regulations andconformity assessment procedures under
Articles 2.9.2 and5.6.2 onbehalf ofthenational competent authorities.
3. Aperiod of60(minimum) to90daysisnormally allowed formaking comments ontheadoption
oftechnical regulations, standards andconformity assessment procedures.
4. Enquirypointforquestionsconcerningtechnicalregulations,standardsandconformityassessment
procedures, etc.according toArticle 10.1oftheAgreement, isTheNational Standards Association
(NSF). Theprocedure isfullyimplemented andhasbeenoperational since theentering intoforce
oftheAgreement. Enquiries andrequests fordocumentation should beaddressed to:
./.G/TBT/2/Add.15/Rev.1
Page2
Norges Standardiseringsforbund (NSF)
(TheNorwegian Standards Association)
Postboks 353Skøyen
0212 Oslo
Telephone: +(4722)049200
Fax: +(4722)049211
5. Allstandardizationworkiscarriedoutbynon-governmental,privateinstitutions,eachresponsible
forstandardization within itsspecific fieldofactivity (construction, telecom, information technology,
etc.). NSFisthecentral bodyforstandardization matters inNorway, being responsible -among other
things -forcoordination ofstandardization work between thenational standardization bodies andvis
àvistherelevant authorities.
6. Norway attaches greatimportance totheCode ofGood Practice forthePreparation, Adoption
andApplication ofStandards inAnnex 3oftheAgreement. Thefollowing national standardizations
bodies haveaccepted theCode:
Norges Standardiseringsforbund (NSF)
(TheNorwegian Standards Association)
Postboks 353Skøyen
0212 Oslo
Telephone: +(4722)049200
Fax: +(4722)049211
Norsk Elektroteknisk Komité (NEK)
(TheNorwegian Electrotechnical Committee)
Postboks 280Skøyen
0210 Oslo
Telephone: +(4722)526950
Fax: +(4722)526961
ThesetwobodiesaccountfornearlyallstandardizationworkdoneinNorway,withtheexception
ofstandardization inthetelecommunications field. TheMinistry ofForeign Affairs hasasked the
standardization body inthisfield tonotify itsacceptance oftheCode totheWTO Secretariat.
Notification bythisbody isexpected tofollow shortly.