WP.6 and the Committee on Trade jointly organized the Forum. Three sessions focused on:
- Good regulatory and standards-setting practices;
- International and regional approaches to regulatory cooperation;
- UNECE instruments to promote regulatory cooperation and convergence;
The aim was to review developments and exchange information on governmental regulatory and standardization practices, as well as to provide an overview of UNECE activities and identify synergies and inter-sectoral projects, which could be undertaken by UNECE sectoral committees in these areas. A list of the important number of issues raised during presentations and debates was established in the report and some solutions proposed.
Regulatory authorities from Europe, North America, the Commonwealth of Independent States, international organizations, and consumer and business associations agreed that:
- national regulatory and conformity assessment procedures can constitute a major obstacles to international trade;
- regulatory dialogue is essential to facilitate trade and promote market access of countries with economies in transition and developing countries;
- recourse to the “UNECE International Model for Technical Harmonization” as a means of promoting regulatory cooperation should be promoted.
DAY 1 (Tuesday, 20 June 2006; 3 p.m. - 6 p.m.)
Opening session
Welcome remarks
Mr. Marek Belka, Executive Secretary, UNECE [pdf]
Introductory remarks
Mr. Alexander Šafarik-Pštrosz, Chairperson, UNECE Committee on Trade
Introductory presentation
Mr. Alan Bryden, Secretary-General, International Organization for Standardization (ISO) [ppt]
Session I. Good regulatory and standards-setting practices
Good Regulatory Practice in the context of WTO work
Mr. Margers Krams, Chairperson, Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade, World Trade Organization (WTO) [ppt]
OECD work on regulatory reform and market openness
[doc] [ppt]
Questions, discussion and conclusions
Session II. International and regional approaches to regulatory cooperation
The European Commission's Better Regulation Package
Ms. Liliana Brykman, DG Enterprise, European Commission [Bio-data] [ppt]
Regulatory cooperation in North America
Mr. Mohan Denetto, Smart Regulation Implementation, Privy Council Office, Canada [Bio-data] [ppt]
Regulatory and standardization cooperation between APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) countries
Mr. Yuko Hayashi, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan [Bio-data] [ppt]
Questions, discussion and conclusions
DAY 2 (Wednesday, 21 June 10 a.m. - 1 p.m)
Session II (cont'd)
Regulatory cooperation in Latin America (MERCOSUR)
Mr. Fernando Goulart, INMETRO, Brazil [ppt]
Regulatory initiatives in countries with economies in transition
Mr. G. Elkin, Chairman, CIS Interstate Council for Standardization, Certification and Metrology [ppt]
Questions, discussion and conclusions
Session III. UNECE instruments to promote regulatory cooperation and convergence
UNECE "International Model for Technical Harmonization"
Mr. Christer Arvius, Chairperson, WP.6
UNECE regulatory and standards-setting activities in transport
Mr. José Capel Ferrer, Director of the UNECE Transport Division [ppt]
UNECE regulatory and standards-setting activities in energy
Mr. George Kowalski, Director of the UNECE Energy Division [ppt]
UNECE regulatory and standards-setting activities in environment
Mr. Kaj Bãrlund, Director of the UNECE Environment Division [ppt]
Questions, discussion and conclusions