RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/IT/SPEC/Q1/10
22April 1998
ORGANIZATION(98-1628)
Original: English Committee ofParticipants ontheExpansion ofTrade
inInformation Technology Products
REPLIES TOTHE SURVEY
Communication from Switzerland
Thefollowingcommunication,dated6April1998,hasbeenreceivedfromthePermanentMission
ofSwitzerland.
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Please findattached, theSwiss response tothequestions raised inthesurvey withrespect to
standards-relatedmattersforinformationtechnologyproductsasagreedbytheCommitteeofParticipants
ontheExpansion ofTrade inInformation Technology Products, inaccordance withdocument G/IT/4.
Asageneral comment wewould liketoemphasise thatSwitzerland isfullycommitted toact
inconformity withtheinternational framework assetbystandardization organizations, suchasthe
ISO,CEN andtheETSI. Inorder tocontribute totheproper andharmonized applications ofthese
standards, Switzerland isactively participating intherelevant committees andhassigned anumber
ofMultilateral Agreements andMemorandums ofUnderstanding inthedomain.
./.G/IT/SPEC/Q1/10
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ITA: Survey withRespect toStandards-Related Matters
forInformation Technology Products
Referring tothesurvey withrespect tostandards-related matters forinformation
technology products (G/IT/4) Switzerland hereby responds tothequestions:
1. Does your government have mandatory technical regulations toensure thesafety of
Information Technology equipment? Ifso,please identify. Arethese requirements harmonized
withIEC950? Ifnot,please explain thecurrent practice.
Therequirements ofthestandard IEC950/EN60950 areapplicable inSwitzerland. They
aremandatory bytherelevant Swiss legislation.
2. Does your government have mandatory technical regulations toensure electromagnetic
interference ofInformation Technology equipment? Ifso,please identify. Arethese requirements
harmonized withCISPR 22?Ifnot,please explain thecurrent practice.
Thetechnical regulations relating toelectromagnetic interference forInformation Technology
equipment arethose ofCISPR 22/EN55022. Inaddition, toregulate (limit) disturbances inpower
supply systems andtheimmunity against disturbers, thestandards IEC1000-3-2/-3 and
IEC1000-4-2/-3 /EN61000-... (ifapplicable) arerequired aswell.
3. a) What conformity assessment procedures, either inrespect oftheproduct orthe
manufacturing process, doesyour government require forapproval ofinformation technology
products (including electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), electrical safety, telecommunications
andradio terminal equipment, andother areas)?
By1January 1998 Switzerland hasfully implemented theEuropean Directive for
Telecommunications Terminal Equipment EEC91/263 initslegislation andregulations. Hence the
applicable conformity assessment procedures forthedevelopment andtheproduction of
telecommunications andradio equipment arefullyinlinewiththeaforementioned Directive toensure
thefreecirculation ofsafegoods.
b) Maysuppliers perform these procedures (e.g.testing, declaration ofconformity),
ormust third parties perform these procedures?
Theconformity assessment options oftheaforementioned regulations areprovided forsuppliers '
selfdeclaration ofconformity according tomodules D(declaration ofconformity based onproduction
quality management system) andH(declaration ofconformity based onfullquality management system
including design andproduction) oftheNewApproach Directive EEC93/465. Other options, however,
include thirdparty intervention suchastheprocess of"Type Examination" (module B).
c) What international guidelines orstandards, ifany,arethose procedures based on?
InthecourseoftheaforementionedadoptionoftheEuropeanregulatoryframework,Switzerland
hasalsofullyincorporated alltheEuropean Common Technical Regulations (CTRs) applicable toa
widerange oftelecommunications andradioequipment. These areproduced bytheEuropean Standards
Institute ETSI (ofwhich Switzerland isamember).
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