JIS Development Process

JIS has been established or revised according to the following process shown in Figure 7, with the transparency secured below.

Transparent, in Accordance with the WTO/TBT Agreement

As notified under the WTO/TBT Agreement that the Japanese Government signed in 1994, and under which JISC was notified as a national standardizing body in June 1996, the work programmme for establishment and revision of JIS has been introduced in "the Standardization Journal" issued by Japanese Standards Association (JSA) every January and July. The "Standardization Journal", which is published monthly, also provides information necessary for giving opinions on the draft JIS sixty days in advance of promulgation. After computerization of JIS development process in April of 2003, the work programme of JIS will be introduced in the JISC Home Page.

In addition to the requirements under the WTO/TBT Agreement, Japan has made efforts to assure transparency in the developing process. These efforts include: (1) enabling foreigners and foreign affiliated firms to participate in JIS drafting committees (1983), (2) providing them an opportunity to propose JIS draft and attend the competent committees of JlSC (1985), (3) and welcoming them as registered members in the technical committees. (since 1987)

Furthermore, various channels for information disclosure on the developing process exist. They include "News from METI," disseminated widely overseas to ISO/IEC national members, and at foreign contact points in Japan such as embassies and chambers of commerce (This will be substituted by JISC Homepage from January 2002.). This publication provides information necessary for participating in JIS drafting committees three weeks before they start deliberations of drafting a certain JIS. The "Tsusho Koho" and "Keizaisangyosho Koho" are published daily, providing necessary information for participation three weeks in advance and giving opinions in JISC deliberations.

Preparation of Draft JIS

According to Industrial Standardization law, any interested party can request that a draft JIS be deliberated by JISC. Recent practice is that competent industrial association or academic society prepares the draft and submits it to the competent Minister on their own initiatives in the majority of cases or prepares drafts with the entrustment of the competent Minister. The association usually forms a committee consisting of representatives of manufacturers, consumers and users, and neutral parties. In average, it takes about one year to finalize the draft. Under certain conditions, these drafting committees in private organizations are open to foreign participation. The existence of work plan for drafting particular JIS is announced in "News from METI". Information about drafting is also available during the process of drafting.

Deliberation by JISC

After the draft JIS is submitted to the competent Minister, the Minister inquires it to the president of JISC whether the draft be appropriate or not as JIS. The first, the president of JISC asks Standards Board or Conformity Assessment Board to deliberate it. Furthermore, the Board, if necessary, asks for further deliberation by a competent Technical Committee. When JlSC considers that the draft is appropriate and rational, JISC reports this to the competent Minister.
In JlSC, like other similar organs, representatives of foreign interests are allowed to join or participate to state their opinions. For this purpose, the schedule of deliberations is announced in "Keizaisangyosho Koho" and "Tsusho Koho", which are issued daily. In addition, foreigners and Japanese nationals acting as foreign representatives participate in various Technical Committees as members.

Establishment of JIS

When the Minister considers that the draft does not unduly discriminate against any interested party, the Minister then makes a decision to formally incorporate it in the Japanese Industrial Standards and announces it in the Official Gazette.