building capacity for standardization, accreditation and ... · 5/30/2011 · building capacity...

Standards experts. Accreditation solutions.

Building Capacity for Standardization, Accreditation and TBT Infrastructure

Michel GirardTFO Canada, May 30, 2011

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Overview

• Mandate• Trends in standardization• Meeting TBT requirements

– Standards– Conformity Assessment – Enquiry Points

• Capacity building and partnerships

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Standards Council of Canada (SCC)

• Federal Crown Corporation established in 1970• Reports to Parliament through the Minister of Industry

• Mandate to:– Coordinate standardization activities in Canada– Accredit Standards Development Organizations– Advise federal and provincial governments – Support strategic priorities of industry and governments– Represent Canada in international and regional forums

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Four Standards Development Organizationsand 12,500 volunteer Members

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How standards are developedMulti-stakeholder/Country Participation• Regulators, Industry, Civil Society,

Consultants, Academics etc.Consensus-based Decision-making• Deliberate, rules-based process.• “Substantial agreement …implies much

more than a simple majority, but not necessarily unanimity.”

• Double-level (stakeholders, countries) at ISO.

Transparent and Inclusive• Public, member body review of drafts.Current• Standards have to be reaffirmed, revised

or withdrawn every 5 years.

Evaluation and Approval

Public Notice

Committee Develops Content

Public Review

Committee Reaches Consensus

Quality Review

Committee Approves Content

Procedural Approval

Publication and Dissemination

Maintain Standard

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SCC Accreditation

Standards Council of Canada (SCC)• Accredits

– Standards development organizations– Conformity assessment bodies

• Verifies competence – People, expertise, resources and equipment to carry out a

specific job• Programs based on international guidelines

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Conformity Assessment

• SCC Accredits more than 400 organizations– Calibration and Testing Laboratories– Management Systems Certification Bodies– Product Certification Bodies– Inspection Bodies– Personnel Certifiers– Greenhouse Gas Validators and Verifiers

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SCC-accredited clients

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Gateway to InformationStandards Council of Canada

– An Information Resource

Information and Research Service– Responds to public inquires ([email protected])– Conducts in-depth research– Operates Enquiry Points under WTO TBT and SPS

Agreements:• Responds to inquiries on standards, technical

regulations and conformity assessment requirements– Technical Documentation Centre– Export Alert! – www.scc.ca

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Export Alert!

• Automated e-mail notification service• Notifies subscribers of proposed

changes to technical regulations that could impact trade

• Provides access to the full text of draft regulations and opportunity to comment on proposed changes

• Tracks info by country of interest, field of activity or both• Hosting arrangements with other countries

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2010-2011 Facts, Figures and Trends

↑2,758Total number of Canadian volunteers participating on international standards development committees

↑401Total number of Canadian federal representatives involved (through SCC) in international standardization

↓113Total number of National Standards of Canada approved by SCC in 2010

↑27,958Total number of standards maintained by key international organizations

3,482 ↓Total number of standards maintained by Canadian standards development organizations

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Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement• High number of technical regulations and standards

– Increasing standard of living means more regulations– Need for safe, high quality, environmentally friendly products

• Impact on international trade– Cost of translation of foreign documents– Adjustment of production facilities– Need to prove that exported product meets foreign regulations– Regulations and standards may be used to protect domestic

industries

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International Standards (Article 2.4) • Members should base their regulations on international standards

except when ineffective/inappropriate– Climate or geography (e.g. ship hulls, earthquake zones) – Fundamental technological issues (e.g. different electrical

systems in N.A. and Europe)

• Principles to be applied in developing standards– Impartiality and consensus– Effectiveness and relevance– Coherence– Transparency– Openness

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Conformity Assessment (Article 6)

• Conformity assessment procedures of other members should be accepted, even if they are different

– Provided they give an assurance of conformity similar to domestic procedures

• Members are encouraged to develop mutual recognition agreements

• Members are encouraged to provide national treatment for conformity assessment bodies

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Enquiry Point (Article 10)

• As complement to the obligation to notify, each WTO member must establish a National Enquiry Point

• Focal point where members can request and obtain information and documentation on a member’s technical regulation, standards and conformity assessment procedures and participation in MRAs and other agreements

• One of the first steps for developing countries in implementing the TBT agreement

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SCC Capacity Building Project: CATRTA• Canadian Americas Trade Related Technical Assistance (CATRTA)

Program

• May 24-26 Roundtable “Bridging the Standards Divide: Modernizing Standards Infrastructures in Peru, Colombia, Honduras and the CARICOM:

– Strengthening national and regional standardization systems– Strengthening national and regional conformity assessment

infrastructure– Strengthening the implementation of the TBT Agreement

• Capacity building projects focusing on key needs

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Other SCC Projects• Technical assistance to Costa Rica on standardization, regulatory and

WTO TBT requirements • Training for Tunisia on operation of Canada's Enquiry Point and

Information Services• Support participation by Cameroon, Madagascar, Ivory Coast,

Senegal in international Réseau Normalisation et Francophonie • Host internship from Korean national standardization body (KATS)• Training for Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture on the Implementation of

the WTO and the Application of SPS Agreements in Canada• Presentations for Peru laboratories on

– proficiency testing, measurement traceability– impact of standards/conformity assessment on international

trade

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Outcomes of partnering with SCC

• Help resolve developmental challenges– address issues of economic competiveness at national, regional

and international levels

• Increase capacity within selected countries’governments

– leading to more modern and efficient public sector– capability to support competitiveness and export-led growth

• Establish sustainable National Quality Systems– respond to mandates under national laws on quality & market

access – improved competiveness of the private sector in partner country

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Thank you

[email protected]

building capacity for standardization, accreditation and ... · 5/30/2011 · building capacity...

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