CANADA'S PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS BODIES AND WTO/TBT: PROMOTION OF CANADA'S TRADE WITH OTHER COUNTRIES INTRODUCTION TO CANADIAN STANDARDS AND FOOD SAFETY SYSTEMS TRAINING WORKSHOP AND ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION Dan Warelis, Program Manager, International and Regional Engagement – May 16-17, 2016
Overview • Canada’s Participation in International Standards Bodies • IEC’s Master Plan, ISO’s Strategic plan, and ITU’s Strategic Plan Key Objectives • Standards in Trade – The WTO/TBT Agreement and Canada’s trade pacts • The Value of International Standards Adoptions and Canada’s Accelerated Adoption Program
CANADA’S PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS BODIES
International standardization is an important strategic issue if Canada is to help its entrepreneurs succeed in the global market
The Leading International Standards Organizations Multi-discipline and cross-sector For electrotechnology For telecommunications 5
IEC’s Master Plan • Making IEC the “home of industry” in the electrotechnical community • Enhancing the influence of stakeholders in IEC’s technical and management work
ISO’s 2016 -2020 Strategic Plan • The Strategic Plan focuses on six strategic directions for ISO over the period 2016-2020. A living document where the strategic directions are adjusted as needed to reflect new assumptions.
ITU Strategic Plan Key Objectives The strategic goal of the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) is threefold: • To develop interoperable, non-discriminatory international standards (ITU-T Recommendations) • To assist in bridging the standardization gap between developed and developing countries • To extend and facilitate international cooperation among international and regional standardization bodies
9 Canada’s International Standards Development Program • SCC’s International Standards Development (ISD) Program facilitates and manages the participation of Canada in the international standards development activities of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), on behalf of the Government of Canada • The ISD program is also responsible for the Secretariat of SCC’s Advisory Panels for Consumers, Young Professionals and the National Committee of the Electrotechnical Sector
Current ISD Activities • Provides direct service to about 475 committees, over 3300 Canadian experts, and funding ($1.2M) for 2016/17 Fiscal Year to 231 committees Focus on ensuring the right people are on the right committees in key areas of standardization of importance to Canada • Facilitates and manages Canadian participation in the following international and regional organizations: International: ISO and IEC Regional: Pan American Standards Commission (COPANT), the Pacific Area Standards Congress (PASC), the Forum of the IEC National Committees of the Americas (FINCA), the Réseau normalisation et francophonie (RNF), and the IEC Asia Pacific Steering Group (IEC-APSG)
11 ISD Services – Member Accreditation • Accredits individuals to be able to participate in international standards development activities and in various capacities, such as: A Member of a SCC National Mirror Committee; A Member of a delegation attending international meetings; A nominated expert to a Working Group (WG); or Appointed as an international leader of an ISO, IEC, or JTC Committee (e.g. Chair and Secretary of an International Committee, or Convenor of WG) A Member of an SCC Advisory Panels
12 ISD Services – Training and Administration • Prepares members with all necessary information to assist in fulfilling their role as a committee member • Provides assistance to the Chairs of SCC Mirror Committees, Canadian held International Secretariats, Canadian International Chair positions and Canadian Working Group Convenors of ISO/IEC/JTC Technical Committees (TC), Project Committees (PC) and Subcommittees (SC) in understanding and undertaking their duties • Distributes committee documentation, reviews and coordinate responses, comments, voting actions, and proposals from SCC Mirror Committees to ensure compliance with ISO/IEC Directives, the JTC1 Supplement and Standing Documents
STANDARDS AND TRADE: THE WTO/TBT AGREEMENT AND CANADA’S TRADE PACTS
Why Standardization is Important to Trade • Reduces barriers to trade. • Achieves Good Regulatory Practice (GRP) by incorporation of best standardization practices and solutions in regulations. • Reduces time to market and costs. • Includes views of interested parties (e.g. government, industry, consumers, academics etc.). • Increases confidence of foreign investors and trade partners. 14
WTO – TBT Agreement – Key Provisions • Should base regulations on international standards (or parts there-of) except where ineffective or inappropriate • Conformity assessment procedures should not create unnecessary obstacles to trade • Notification of regulations and conformity assessment procedures that accord with, or deviate from, international standards, and/or impact trade • Disciplines on standards-development (Code of Good Practice)
TBT- recognizes the right to ensure: Protection of : Prevention of : Quality of : • • • human safety or deceptive exports health practices • the environment • legitimate, essential security interests
Typical TBT measures deal with: Packaging of Packaging/labeling IT Product Quality of fresh food fresh food of dangerous Interoperability chemicals & toxic substances Regulations for Safety regulations for toys Telecommunications electrical appliances Interoperability
Who is Subject to the TBT Agreement in Canada? TBT Agreement Non-government Local government Central government bodies bodies bodies (standards bodies, (states, provinces, (ministries, departments) accreditation bodies, municipalities) conformity assessment orgs) The central government is responsible for compliance with the TBT Agreement
The Role of Standardization in Trade Agreements • As tariffs drop, non-tariff barriers become more important. • Helps create market access and investment opportunities for Canadian business. • TBT obligations in many of Canada’s trade agreements follow and/or exceed the requirements of the WTO-TBT Agreement (e.g. CETA, TPP). • Built on the text of the WTO TBT agreement: these chapters are TBT plus
“TBT Plus” Statements in Canada’s Free Trade Agreements • Fosters closer cooperation between member organizations that are responsible for standardization, conformity assessment and accreditation. • Could include: mutual recognition of conformity assessment results, conformity assessment recognition protocol, accreditation of foreign bodies to test to national requirements • Improves transparency by requiring notification and publication of technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures.
SCC Input into Trade Agreements • SCC provides input to Global Affairs Canada on the standardization-related components of trade agreements • Canada is currently negotiating: – Canada-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA); – Canada-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (CJEPA); – Canada-Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Trade Agreement. • SCC’s input on FTAs over the past few years: – Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic & Trade Agreement (CETA); – Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP); – FTAs with Ukraine, Panama, Jordan, Colombia and Peru. 21
Canada’s TBT Enquiry Point • A single window for the delivery of Canadian transparency requirements. Managed by Global Affairs Canada: enquirypoint@international.gc.ca • Provide early and appropriate notifications to the WTO on certain federal and sub-federal government measures • Includes those that may have an effect on international trade, no matter if it is restricting or facilitating, and are classified as a technical regulation or conformity assessment procedures
Federal Regulatory Bodies in Canada Some examples that may have an impact on trade… • Transport Canada • Industry Canada • Health Canada • Environment Canada
The Canada Gazette • The “official newspaper of Canada” • Includes published new statutes (acts of Parliament) and regulations, proposed regulations, decisions of administrative boards and an assortment of government notices • Three Parts – Part 1: Proposed Regulations: for public comment – Part 2: Enacted Regulations – Part 3: Laws that receive Royal Ascent
THE VALUE OF INTERNATIONAL ADOPTIONS AND CANADA’S ACCELERATED ADOPTION PROCESS
International Adoptions: a valuable tool to align yourself internationally • ISO and IEC standards, can be formally adopted as national standards • May involve a separate national consultation • Can helps ensure a standard is to meet the national needs • Technical deviations may include: deletions, additions, alterations, parallel requirements and a combination of all these
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