A new compilation with important updates, changes and additions to the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) was published on Monday (22.02.2021) by the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Esta third edition has for Objective: To improve understanding of the TBT Agreement, which entered into force with the establishment of the multilateral organization on January 1, 1995.
It is a a must read for anyone interested in business topics. In this regard, WTO Deputy Director-General Alan Wolff, in a foreword to the handbook, says: “Standards and regulations are among the most important trade-related measures used around the world. Carefully crafting them, in accordance with the disciplines of the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade, It can help governments achieve important policy objectives, including safeguarding human health and safety as well as protecting the environment, without unnecessarily disrupting trade.".
It should be recalled that the purpose of this instrument is to ensure that product requirements in regulations and standards – on safety, quality, health, etc. – as well as the procedures for assessing product compliance with such requirements (testing, inspection, accreditation, etc.) are not unjustifiably discriminatory and do not create unnecessary obstacles to trade. Furthermore, the Agreement emphasizes the importance of transparency and strongly encourages the use of international standards as a basis for harmonizing regulations among WTO members.
The publication sets out the key principles of the TBT Agreement and analyses how they have been addressed in recent approaches under the Agreement. It also examines the transparency requirements, a cornerstone of the TBT Agreement, and describes the mandate, role and work of the TBT Committee. It also considers the approach to TBT-related issues in the WTO negotiations.
The manual, prepared by the WTO Secretariat, also contains the full text of the TBT Agreement, as well as a compilation of all decisions and recommendations adopted by the TBT Committee since its creation in 1995.
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