COMMITTEE ONTECHNICAL BARRIERS TOTRADE
Draft Minutes oftheMeeting heldon13and18November 1997
Attached hereto please findthedraftminutes ofthemeeting heldon13and18November 1997.
delegations areinvited tosubmit comments, ifany,tothesecretariat (Mrs. Vivien Liu,tel.7395455,
andMrs. Barbara D'Andrea, tel.7395478)by12December 1997.
97-5205RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/TBT/W/59
26November 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-5205)
Original: English Committee toTechnical Barriers toTrade
MINUTES OFTHE MEETING HELD ON13and18NOVEMBER 1997
Chairman: Mr.T.H.M.Tong (Hong Kong)
1. TheCommittee onTechnical Barriers toTrade held itseleventh meeting on13and
18November 1997.
2. Thefollowing agenda, ascontained inWTO/AIR/721 wasadopted:
Contents Page
I. Request forObserver Status intheCommittee bytheInternational 2
Organization ofLegal Metrology (OIML)
II. Statements onImplementation andAdministration oftheAgreement 2
III. FirstTriennial Review oftheOperation andImplementation ofthe 2
TBTAgreement under Article 15.4
IV. Report (1997) totheCouncil forTrade inGoods 2
V. Other Business 2
./.G/TBT/W/59
Page2
I. REQUEST FOROBSERVER STATUS INTHECOMMITTEE BYTHEINTERNATIONAL
ORGANIZATION OFLEGAL METROLOGY (OIML)
3. TheCommittee agreed togrant observer status totheInternational Organization ofLegal
Metrology (OIML) onanadhocbasis, pending further decision. TheChairman invited Members
tocontinue consultations ontherequests forobserver status bytheOffice International delaVigne
etduVin(OIV).
II. STATEMENTSONIMPLEMENTATIONANDADMINISTRATIONOFTHEAGREEMENT
4. Therepresentative oftheUnited States informed theCommittee oftheacceptance oftheCode
ofGood Practice forthePreparation, Adoption andApplication ofStandards bytheAmerican National
Standards Institute (ANSI). ShesaidthatANSI wasaprivate federation oftheUnited States which
hadsigned theCode onbehalf ofmore than200standards developing bodies (G/TBT/CS/N/83).
5. Therepresentative oftheEuropean Communities expressed concerns ontheMexican technical
regulations onlabelling ofindustrial products, including foodproducts, textiles andnon-alcoholic
beverages. Sherequested fordetailed information onthejustifications oftheregulations, andquestioned
whether theprovisions oftheAgreement hadbeenrespected. Sherecalled thatherdelegation had
submitted comments totheMexican authorities on1August 1997 ontheabove regulations, andon
7November 1997 onthelabelling requirements forspirits. Sheregretted thatnoreply hadbeen
received. Shenoted theobligations under Article 2.9.4 toprovide opportunities fordiscussions of
comments made, andunder Article 2.9tonotify "ifaproposed technical regulation isnotinaccordance
withthetechnical content ofrelevant international standards, andifthetechnical regulation mayhave
asignificant effect ontrade ofother Members". Shequestioned whether Mexico hadnotified the
regulation onlabelling ofspirits, andsaidthatduetothelackofinformation, itwasdifficult tomake
detailed comments.
6. Therepresentative ofMexico recalled thatherauthorities hadprovided replies tothecomments
made onthelabelling requirements ofindustrial products within theframework oftheMexican Trade
Policy Review. Concerning thenotification oflabelling requirement ofspirits, shesaidthatitwas
anewissue andwould needtocontact herauthorities before replying.
7. Therepresentative oftheEuropean Communities indicated herdelegation 'swishtodiscuss
these matters within theframework oftheTBTAgreement.
8. TheCommittee tooknoteofthestatements made.
III. FIRST TRIENNIAL REVIEW OFTHEOPERATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OFTHE
AGREEMENT UNDER ARTICLE 15.4
9. TheCommittee agreed toadopt itsReport oftheFirstTriennial Review oftheOperation and
Implementation ofthisAgreement under Article 15.4(G/TBT/5).
IV. REPORT (1997) TOTHE COUNCIL FOR TRADE INGOODS
10. TheCommittee agreed toadopt itsReport (1997) totheCouncil forTrade inGoods (G/L/207).
V. OTHER BUSINESS
11. TheCommittee agreed totheChairman 'sproposal thatthenextCommittee meeting beheld
inMarch 1998.