I. BACKGROUND.
TBT is one of 14 agreements on trade in goods in the WTO. Agreement lays out the obligations, the principle that Members have to make when developing and implementing technical measures in their commercial activities.
According to the WTO, non-technical measures for the purpose of protection is to enforce the legitimate objectives such as export quality assurance, safety, consumer health, plant and animal farming, protecting the ecological environment and our national security, commercial fraud, etc. However, during the construction and application of technical measures to enforce the legitimate objective, the back barriers to trade still arise. But these problems is the necessity of having to protect the immediate as well as long-term interests of the community. These technical measures are considered unnecessary obstacles to trade if they are developed and applied (accidentally or intentionally) not because of the legitimate objectives mentioned above.
Joining the WTO, Vietnam has committed to comply with all obligations under the TBT Agreement requires, without conversion time. In addition, to enhance the predicted and transparency, Vietnam has committed to issuing regulations to specify the provisions relating to technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures.
The objective of the scheme to implement the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade in the period 2005-2010 (referred to as the Scheme TBT 2005-2010) stated in Decision No. 444/QD-TTg 26 / 5/2005 of the Prime Minister approving the scheme TBT during 2005-2010 is aimed to support Vietnam’s WTO negotiating terms of a commitment to the implementation of the WTO TBT Agreement and to ensure full enforcement fully committed to the obligations of the WTO TBT Agreement.
In general, after five years of implementation of the scheme, the State management measures to ensure the safety, sanitation, environmental protection and social justice and handle urgent issues in everyday life have been concerned ministries, branches and localities interested in research, meet and comply with public methods, transparency, contribute to the protection of consumers and the environment better. Enterprises active in the capture, learn about TBT, as well as deal with difficulties in the export market; through which enhance accessibility and competitiveness of Vietnamese products in the international market. Measures to protect domestic manufacturing business are gradually attention and respect. (Continued)
(Le Bich Ngoc
TBT Vietnam Office)