TBT Notification

When members propose technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures without any use of relevant international standards, a relevant part of the international standards, or in case relevant international standards doesn't exist, they shall notify draft regulations to the WTO secretariat, if possible sixty days prior to their formal adoption so as to allow time for other Members to make comments. (Article 2.9, 5.6 of the TBT Agreement).

As for standards, if the standardizing bodies of members accept "the Code of Good Practice for the preparation, adoption and application of standards" based on the Annex 3 of the TBT Agreement, they shall notify the existence of their work programme to the ISO/IEC Information Centre in Geneve, and publish the work programme.

As of April 2007, twelve standardizing bodies accepted the Code of Good Practice in Japan, such as JISC.

WTO TBT Standards Code Directory(PDF:388KB)

Example

The case of JIS
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 is substituted by JISC Homepage.). 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.