STANDARDS AND CONFORMANCE 2004 COLLECTIVE ACTION PLAN

 

OAA Objectives

Actions

Time frame

1.   Alignment

Align APEC economies' domestic standards with international standards.

·          Member economies to align their standards with international standards in the following priority areas: electrical and electronic appliances (air conditioners, televisions, refrigerators, radios and their parts and video apparatus); food labeling; rubber gloves and condoms; and machinery.

1996 to 2000/2005

 

 

·          Member economies to align their standards with international standards in the additional priority area of electrical and electronic equipment to include all electrical safety (IEC 60335) and relevant EMC (CISPR) standards.

 

1998 to 2004/2008

 

·          Member economies to align their standards with international standards in the additional priority area related to safety of information technology equipment (IEC 60950 standard).

·          Member economies to align their standards with international standards in the additional priority areas related to standards and guides on conformity assessment and management systems.

 

2000 to 2004/2008

 

 

2000 to 2002/2005

 

·          The SCSC to continue identifying additional priority areas for alignment with international standards.

 

From 1997

 

·          Member economies to actively participate in the standardization activities of international standardization bodies (ISO & IEC) in the following priority sectors: building and construction and hazardous area equipment.

 

From 1996

 

·          Member economies to participate in ad-hoc technical groups, which work with PASC in developing coordinated regional input into the development of international standards in selected areas.

 

From 1997

 

 

·          Member Economies to exchange information about performance-based regulations

 

From 2002

 

·          Member economies to promote the use of the Principles and Features of Good Practice for Technical Regulation to be used on a voluntary basis.

 

From 2001

 

·          Member economies to update and promote the use of Information Notes on Good Practice for Technical Regulations.

 

 From 2001

 

·          The SCSC to continue to investigate means of enhancing regulatory practices in the APEC region through a program of case studies and seminars.

 

From 2000

 

·          The SCSC to conduct comprehensive reviews of their alignment work.

 

2005

 

·          Member economies to update each year the results in their respective alignment plans. These will be placed on the APEC Secretariat’s homepage.

From 1998

 

·          Member economies to continue to report on the progress in aligning their standards with international standards

 

From 1998

 

·          Member economies to review and update their alignment work having consultations with business: ABAC and SME

 

From 2003

2. Recognition of Conformity Assessment

Achieve recognition of conformity assessment including mutual recognition arrangements in regulated and voluntary sectors.

Regulated sector:

·          Member economies to develop recognition arrangements of conformity assessment including bilateral, multi-sectoral, and plurilateral mutual recognition arrangements.

 

From 1997

 

 

·          Member economies to consider participation in the Arrangement for the Exchange of Information on Toy Safety and encourage the involvement of their regulators.

From 1996

(16 economies)

 

·          Member economies to consider participation in the APEC Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Conformity Assessment of Foods and Food Products.

From 1997

(7economies)

 

·          Member economies to consider participation in the Sectoral Arrangement of APEC Food MRA.

From 2003

 

·          Member economies to consider participation in Part I of the APEC Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Conformity Assessment of Electrical and Electronic Equipment through providing information in the agreed common format. 

From 2000 (15 economies in Part I) (3 economies in Part II and Part III, subject to change)

 

·          Member economies to consider participation in further Parts of the MRA and encourage the involvement of their regulators.

From 2000

 

 

·          Member economies to consider participation in the APEC Arrangement for the Exchange of Information on Food Recalls.

From 1999
(2 economies)

 

·          The SCSC to review the implementation and use of the mutual recognition arrangements.

 

From 1998

 

·          The SCSC to continue to further consider additional priority areas for MRA in the regulated sector.

 

From 1997

 

·          The SCSC to consider alternative mechanisms to facilitate the recognition of conformity assessment results.

 

From 1999

 

·          The SCSC to review and improve the effectiveness of the APEC MRA on Conformity Assessment of Foods and Food Products; the Arrangement for the Exchange of Information on Toy Safety; the APEC Arrangement for the Exchange of Information on Food Recalls; and  the APEC MRA on Conformity Assessment of Electrical and Electronic Equipment. 

From 2001

 

·          Member economies to implement the program on trade facilitation in information technology products which has been developed in collaboration with the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI).

2000 to 2005/2008

 

·          Member economies to consider participation in a pilot of the DeclareNet.

From 2001

 

·          The SCSC asked the Working Group on Information Technology Management Systems for the APEC MRAs to liaise with interested parties and report back

From 2002

 

·          The SCSC also suggested that the Chairs of the APEC-TEL and EEMRA-JAC should meet with a view to working more closely together, particularly with respect to the application of IT systems to the MRA’s.

From 2003

 

Voluntary sector:

 

 

·          Member economies to enter into mutual recognition agreements (bilateral and multilateral) in cooperation with Specialist Regional Bodies, where applicable.

1996 to 2000/2005

 

·          Member economies to encourage participation in APLAC-MRA ,PAC MLAs and CIPM Global MRA.

 

From 1998

3.   Technical Infrastructure Development

Promote cooperation for technical infrastructure development to facilitate broad participation in mutual recognition arrangements in both regulated and voluntary sectors.

·          Member economies to identify specific requirements, assistance and/or activities for technical infrastructure development.

From 1996

·          Member economies to consider the provision of assistance for the improvement of other economies’ technical infrastructure.

From 1996

 

·          The SCSC to undertake the following technical infrastructure projects:

-          Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) Readiness Project in Product Certification;

-          Training Risk Assessment in Support of Food Safety Measures;

-          Training on Testing on Calibration Laboratory Assessment;

-          APEC/PASC Training Programs on Adoption of International Standards;

-          Survey of Accredited Calibration and Testing Laboratory Performance: APLAC Calibration Proficency Testing Programs, 2003-2005;

-          Training on Good Regulatory Practice;

-          Training Program on ISO 14000 Series Product Oriented Standards: EL, LCA and DfE

-          A joint APMP-SIM Workshop Addressing the Implementation of Quality Systems in National Metrology Institutes

-          Symposium on Traceability in Legal Metrology;

-          APEC Capacity Building Workshop and Symposium for Harmonization of Food Safety Regulations in Fisheries and Seafood Products;

-          WTO Compliance- Capacity Building Training in the Development of Food Standards (based on a risk management framework);

-          WTO Compliance- Capacity Building Training in the Safety Assessment of Genetically Modified (GM) Foods; and

-          Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) Readiness Project in Environment Management system Certification

-          Training Programme on ISO14000 and product orientated standards EL, LCA and DfE

 

From 1999

 

 

·          Member economies to undertake activities from among those recommended in the revised Mid-Tern Technical Infrastructure Development Program.

From 2001

 

·          Member economies to strengthen participation in Specialist Regional Bodies activities.

From 1996

 

·          Member economies to support and actively participate in APEC Conferences on Standards and Conformance.

Completed on 2004

 

·          Member economies to support and actively participate in APEC Conferences on Good Regulatory Practice.

Completed on 2004

 

·          The SCSC to compile member economies' regulatory profile and develop information and case studies on decision tree analysis for Food/Drug Interface policy development and regulation.

From 2001

 

·          The SCSC to consider the outcomes of the Food Experts Network.

From 2002

 

·          The SCSC to continue the identification of priority areas for technical infrastructure development programs, and to be reflected in development of guidelines for project prioritization.

From 2002

 

·          Member Economies to fill out their Country Page.

From 2002

4.   Transparency

Ensure the transparency of the standards and conformity assessment of APEC economies

·          Member economies to update the APEC Contact Points for Standards and Conformance Information, including member economies’ participants in the Specialist Regional Bodies and member economies SCSC Contact Points. Member economies agreed that this information should be maintained on the APEC Secretariat’s homepage.

From 1997

 

·          Member economies to endeavor to establish Internet websites to disseminate standards and conformance information.

From 1997

 

·          Member Economies to develop a database on conformity assessment operators and their activities/services offered and establish an APEC Cooperation Center for Conformity Assessment.

 

1999 to 2004

 

 

 

 

·          Member economies to exchange information on experiences of the transparency provisions in the RTAs/FTAs

From 2003

 

·          Member economies to implement the APEC Leaders Transparency Standards on Standards and Conformance

From 2003

 

·          Member economies to establish and maintain the country pages in the Directory of Food Trade Contacts to maximize transparency of food regulatory systems and standards.

 

Cross-Cutting Activities

 

 

5.  Cooperation with Specialist Regional Bodies

 

·          Member economies to pursue closer cooperation with the Specialist Regional Bodies (SRBs) in line with the:

1.     Statement of Commitment to Mutually Agreed Objectives between the SCSC and the SRBs, and

2.     The Criteria for APEC TILF Funding of Project Proposals by Specialist Regional Bodies

From 2000

6.  Cooperation with International Bodies

 

·          The SCSC to monitor the developments within the WTO Committees on the TBT and SPS and discuss implementation issues.

·          The SCSC to continue seminar series to exchange information about the implementation of the WTO SPS Agreement

·          Member Economies to promote the use of the APEC Handbook on Notification Authorities and National Enquiry Points under the SPS and TBT Agreements of the WTO

Ongoing