./.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/W/75
30 June 1998
(98-2611)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English
TRANSPARENCY IN INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
DRAFT U.S. PROPOSAL FOR A DECISION
Contribution from the United States
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
In the first Triennial Review of the Operation and Implementation of the Agreement
(G/TBT/5), the Committee reiterated the important contribution that international standards can maketo improve efficiency of production, to facilitate the conduct of international trade, and to the transfer
of technology from developed to developing countries.  The Committee noted that in order for
international standards to make a maximum contribu tion to the achievement of the objectives of the
Agreement, it was important that the interested parties of all Members have adequate notice, time and
opportunity to participate in the discussions, elaboration and adoption of international standards.With a view to ensuring a common approach to Members’ responsibilities with respect to the
development and use of international standards, the Committee agreed upon the following:
DECISION
1. Members shall ensure that their central government bodies use international standards only to
the extent that these standards comply with the provisions of Article 2, as applicable.
2. Members shall take such reasonable measures as may be available to them to ensure that
international bodies developing standards in which Members or relevant bodies within their territories
are members or participants have an established process that seeks to take into account the views ofall parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments.  It is the sense of the Committee that
when developing standards, the procedures of th e international body should, at a minimum, include:
(a) the publication of a notice at an early appropriate stage, in such a manner as to enable
interested parties within the territory of a WTO Member to become acquainted withit, that the international body proposes to introduce a particular standard;
(b) the notification or other communication through established mechanisms to its
members providing a brief description of the scope of the proposed standard,
including its objective and rationale. Such communications shall take place at anearly appropriate stage, when amendments can still be introduced and comments
taken into account;
(c) upon request, the prompt provision, throug h electronic means whenever possible, to
its members of copies of the proposed standard;G/TBT/W/75
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(d) without discrimination, the provision of a reasonable period of time for interested
parties in the territory of its members to make comments in writing and take these
written comments into account in the further consideration of the standard;  and,
(e) the prompt publication of a standard upon adoption.The international body developing standards should publish periodically a work programme
containing information on the standards it is currently preparing and the standards which it has
adopted in a specified period.  Any fees charged shall, apart from the real cost of delivery, be the
same for foreign and domestic parties.
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