RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/W/159
28 May 2001
(01-2650)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English
ASEAN CONCERNS REGARDING THE PROPOSED BELGIAN LAW FOR THE
PROMOTION OF SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE PRODUCTION
Submission by the Asean Countries
1. ASEAN notes with deep regret and concern the proposed Belgian labelling law for socially
responsible production as notified to the WTO TBT Committee (G/TBT/N/BEL/2) dated 16 January
2001.  The aim of this law is to create a label in which companies can affix to their products only if
the products meet, amongst others, certain criteria and standards of certain specified ILO conventions.
2. This proposed law goes against the provisions of the existing multilateral rules on trade.  It
constitutes an arbitrary and unjustifiable discrimination as well as a disguised restriction on trade. It
also goes well outside the scope of  WTO rules.
3. In particular, ASEAN is deeply concerned with the nature of the law itself, based on the
arbitrary requirement of, at the least, adherence to certain ILO conventions.  This amounts to a blatant
discrimination of products and services based on non-trade criteria which goes against multilaterallyagreed WTO rules and practices.
4. Of great concern also is the impact of this law on companies in developing countries.
Companies in developing countries will have di fficulties in meeting these unilaterally imposed
criteria.  This proposed law thus has the potential to discriminate against developing countries' exports
and impacts negatively on their efforts to secure  a share in the growth of international trade.
5. In addition the law applies only to imported products.  This represents discriminatory
treatment and clearly violates the WTO core principle on national treatment.
6. ASEAN is concerned that this regulation is an attempt to impose unilateral social standards
linked to trade.  This makes the legislation discriminatory and has the potential of contributing to an
erosion of developing countries share in world tr ade.  This in turn would impede their progress
towards improving living standards, ensuring full employment and expanding the production of goods
and services.
7. For all these reasons, we urge the Belgian Government and Parliament to immediately
withdraw this proposed legislation.
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