Page 259 - Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)

CHAPTER 6 (a) any sanitary or phytosanitary measure, which is covered
by Chapter 5 (Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures); and
STANDARDS, TECHNICAL REGULATIONS, AND CONFORMITY
ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES (b) purchasing specifications prepared by governmental
bodies for production or consumption requirements of
governmental bodies.
Article 6.1: Definitions
2. Each Party shall take such reasonable measures as may be
For the purposes of this Chapter, the terms and their definitions provided available to it to ensure compliance, in the implementation of this
in Annex 1 of the TBT Agreement shall apply. Chapter, by local government bodies and non-governmental
bodies within its territory which are responsible for the
preparation, adoption, and application of standards, technical
Article 6.2: Objectives regulations, and conformity assessment procedures.

The objectives of this Chapter are to facilitate trade in goods among the 3. Nothing in this Chapter shall prevent a Party from preparing,
Parties by: adopting, applying, or maintaining standards, technical
regulations, and conformity assessment procedures in a manner
(a) ensuring that standards, technical regulations, and consistent with the TBT Agreement and this Chapter.
conformity assessment procedures do not create
unnecessary obstacles to trade;
Article 6.4: Affirmation and Incorporation of the TBT Agreement
(b) enhancing the implementation of the TBT Agreement;
1. Each Party affirms its rights and obligations under the TBT
(c) promoting mutual understanding of each Party’s Agreement and the following provisions of the TBT Agreement
standards, technical regulations, and conformity are incorporated into and made part of this Agreement, mutatis
assessment procedures; mutandis:

(d) strengthening information exchange and cooperation (a) Article 2, except paragraphs 4, 7, 8, and 12;
among the Parties in the field of standards, technical
regulations, and conformity assessment procedures (b) paragraph 2 of Article 4;
including in the work of relevant international bodies;
(c) Article 5, except paragraph 4;
(e) addressing the issues that may arise under this Chapter;
and (d) paragraph 3 of Article 6;

(f) providing a framework to realise these objectives. (e) paragraph 1 of Article 9; and

(f) Annex 3, except paragraph A.
Article 6.3: Scope
2. In the event of any inconsistency between any provision of the
1. This Chapter shall apply to the standards, technical regulations, TBT Agreement incorporated under paragraph 1 and other
and conformity assessment procedures of central government provisions of this Chapter, the latter shall prevail.
bodies that may affect trade in goods among the Parties. This
Chapter shall not apply to: 3. No Party shall have recourse to dispute settlement under Chapter
19 (Dispute Settlement) for any dispute that exclusively alleges a

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