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Workshop on Traceability: a tool for managing risks

31 October - 01 November 2011
Palais des Nations Geneva Switzerland

A workshop on "Traceability: a tool for managing risks" was held as part of the 21st annual session of Working Party.  Download the report in (ENG, FRE, RUS)

The workshop aimed at:

  • Discussing how traceability may contribute to managing risks in supply chains;
  • Assessing related costs and benefits for stakeholders;
  • Sharing best practices on implementing traceability solutions.

What is traceability?

  • Traceability is “the ability to trace the history, application or location” of goods and services;
  • Tracing back a product or its components allows companies to increase the stability and transparency of procurement and production processes;
  • Traceability tools assists regulators and business companies address concerns by consumers and the general public;
  • Market surveillance authorities can use traceability tools to take prompt and targeted action in case a dangerous product is placed on the market, e.g. to perform efficient product withdrawals.

Why is WP.6 the right place to discuss traceability?

As an intergovernmental body, WP.6 is uniquely placed to promote the use of standards and tools - developed by regional and international organizations as well as the private sector – as the basis for better and more convergent regulatory policies.

Following the successful 2009 Conference on “Risk Assessment and Management” the Working Party will now discuss traceability as one important and concrete way of addressing risks in supply chains and regulatory systems.

What was discussed?

  • Which standards can regulatory stakeholders use as tools to increase traceability of inputs used in production processes? Which standards can be used to increase traceability within supply chains?
  • What are the costs and benefits associated with increasing traceability? What are these costs and benefits for regulators, business companies, market surveillance authorities, and other stakeholders?
  • How has traceability been used by regulators in different sectors and different countries? What are the positive and negative aspects of imposing traceability requirements? Under which conditions traceability requirements help to achieve regulatory goals?
  • How are conformity assessment bodies and market surveillance authorities using and could use different tools to increase traceability?
  • What is the business experience of increasing traceability within production or service provision processes? What is the business experience in implementing regulatory requirements on traceability?
  • Which IT solutions can regulatory stakeholders use to increase traceability within regulatory systems?
  • What are the most common risks faced by regulatory stakeholders in increasing traceability of production processes?
  • What are the most effective ways of communication among regulatory stakeholders within projects aimed at increasing traceability

Who attended?

  • Regulatory authorities
  • Business companies
  • Standardization bodies
  • Market Surveillance Authorities
  • Conformity Assessment Bodies

and all other organizations who develop and use traceability tools within production processes and the management of supply chains.

Documents

Concept note by the Secretariat for the Workshop on traceability as a tool for managing risks (ECE/TRADE/C/WP.6/2011/5)

Other reports provided  by the delegates:

Presentations

Agenda item Speaker Title
Matters arising Mr. Christer Arvius
WP. 6 Chair
Forthcoming activities in UNECE WP. 6

 
Ms. Lorenza Jachia,
Secretary of WP. 6
Report on the twentieth session

Programme of work

 
Valery N. Koreshkov,
Chairman of Gosstandart
Standardization, conformity attestation and accreditation in the Republic of Belarus
Workshop on Traceability as a tool for managing risks Mr. V. Koreshkov
Chairman Belarus Standardization Committee
Assurance of safety and traceability
Mr. G. Volnisty
Technical director, ID Center,
The National Academy of Sciences of Belarus
Information Safety

 

Ms. Danielle Assafin
Analista Executivo de Metrologia e Qualidade
Diretoria da Qualidade (DQUAL)
Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Qualidade e Tecnologia  (INMETRO) Brazil
Inmetro’s experience on regulation and traceability
Mr. Fabrizio Sacchetti
Policy Officer , WTO TBT Agreement - International Regulatory Cooperation,
DG Enterprise and Industry
European Commission
Traceability in the context of EU technical harmonisation legislation for industrial products
Ms. Diane Taillard 
GS1 Solutions Director
GS1 Global Office
How to move from traceability standards to actual adoption
 
Mr. Rakesh Vazirani,
TÜV Rheinland Group
Total trace
Mr. Craig A. Morris, Ph.D.
Deputy Administrator,
Livestock and Seed Program,
U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service
US Meat Traceability

Mr. Frans Van Diepen
UN/CEFACT, International Trade and Business Processes Group, TBG18 Agriculture, and Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation, The Netherlands

UN/CEFACT and traceability standards in agriculture
Mr. Philippe Portalier
Standardisation and Technical policy
Manager, Orgalime
Traceability requirements in EU regulations the industry perspective
Mr. Per Döfnäs
Director, Technical Regulations Ericsson
Challenges to meeting substance restrictions
Mr. William David
Director, Quality and Regulatory Affairs, Haemonetics
Blood component traceability
Ms. Nada Machutova
General Director
Slovak Trade Inspection
Market surveillance authorities: tools to increase traceability
Risk Management Mr. Valentin Nikonov
Coordinator, GRM
GRM Progress Report
Mr. Simon Webb
The Nichols Group
Crisis Management in Regulatory Systems
Regulatory Cooperation Mr. V. Koreshkov Technical Regulation in the Customs Union

 
Mr. Per Döfnäs
Director
Technical Regulations
Ericsson
Progress report on Telecom Initiative

 
Mr. Dan Roley
Chairman, ISO/TC127
Progress report on Earth-Moving Machinery Initiative

 
Mr. Frank Lienesch
Arbeitsgruppe 3.72 "Explosionsgeschützte elektrische Antriebssysteme"
PTB, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
Germany
Progress report on Initiative on Equipment used in Explosive Atmospheres

 
Mr. Steve McRoberts
CSci CPhys MInstP, Underwriters Laboratories
Global Acceptance of the Harmonized Standard for Medical Devices
Standardization and Regulatory practice Mr. Fabrizio Sacchetti Standardization Package
  Ms. Natalia Cerrato
Senior managing coordinator EU & International Cooperation
Regulatory Reform Group
Ministry of Economic Affairs,
The Netherlands
Dutch regulatory experiences
  Panel discussion  
Standardization and sustainable development Ms. Monika Linn
Senior Advisor to the Executive Secretary
UNECE
Rio+20

 
Mr. Michael Peet
Manager, Sustainable Development Mechanisms Programme, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCCC
Standards and regulations for sustainable development

 
Mr. Kevin McKinley
Deputy-Secretary General
International Standardization Organization
ISO supporting a Green Economy

 
Mr. Gabriel Barta
Head of technical coordination and representative to UN specialized bodies, International Electrotechnical Commission
Standards and conformity assessment for green

 
Mr. Ashok Ganesh
Deputy Director Standards,
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre
European Standards: Supporting sustainable development

 
Ms. Diane Taillard
GS1 Solutions Director 
GS1 Global Office
Enabling the sustainable supply chain
Review of recent developments in accreditation Mr. Peter Unger
Chair, International Laboratory Accreditation Co-operation (ILAC)
ILAC and IAF
Market Surveillance Ms. Kvetoslava Steinlova
Chair, MARS Group
MARS Group Progress Report
 
 
  Mr. Fabrizio Sacchetti
European Commission
Enterprise and Industry
Update on the implementation of the new legislative framework

 
Mr. Ihar Dultsau Market Surveillance Database
  Rakesh Vazirani
TÜV Rheinland Group
Market access Matrix