We, the APEC Ministers responsible for the Telecommunications and Information
Industry, gathered at Singapore,
3-5 June 1998,
heeding the call of APEC Leaders:
at Osaka, November 1995, for the development and implementation, on an elective
basis, of a model mutual recognition arrangement on conformity assessment
for telecommunications equipment; and
at Subic, November 1996 to identify sectors where early voluntary liberalisation
would have a positive impact on trade, investment and economic growth in the
individual economies as well as in the region, and to submit recommendations
on how this could be achieved;
noting the identification by APEC Ministers responsible for
Trade at Vancouver in November 1997, of a mutual recognition arrangement on
conformity assessment for telecommunications equipment as a sector for early
voluntary liberalisation; wherein Ministers responsible for Trade had urged
that this work be concluded in the first half of 1998, with a view to commencing
implementation wherever possible in 1999;
noting also that our Leaders and the APEC Ministers responsible for
Trade had stated at Vancouver in November 1997 that the development and implementation
of sectoral initiatives, such as a model mutual recognition arrangement on
conformity assessment for telecommunications equipment, should take into account
the different levels of economic development and diverse circumstances of
all APEC member economies;
applauding the important preparatory work undertaken by the APEC Telecommunications
Working Group (TEL) to complete the Framework for such an arrangement and
the Enhanced APEC Guidelines for Regional Harmonisation of Equipment Certification
by September 1997;
satisfied that, consistent with the leadership shown by APEC in initiating
the World Trade Organisation's Information Technology Agreement in 1996 and
in ensuring the success of the WTO Basic Telecommunications Services Agreement
in 1997, the conclusion of this Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Conformity
Assessment for Telecommunications Equipment will:
acknowledging that this Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Conformity
Assessment for Telecommunications Equipment is an expression of intent by
the participating economies to work together in their mutual interest, and
does not, in and of itself, create legally binding international obligations
for economies;
DO HEREBY DECLARE their strong endorsement [2] for this,
the first ever Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) on Conformity Assessment
for Telecommunications Equipment among APEC economies, as a major milestone
in their efforts to facilitate trade in telecommunications within the APEC
region and to expand the Asia Pacific Information Infrastructure for the benefit
of all APEC economies; and
DO FURTHER DECLARE in the form shown in the Appendix
attached hereto, the indicative timeframe by which their individual economies
will voluntarily participate in this Mutual Recognition Arrangement.
1 The World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreement on Technical Barriers
to Trade (TBT) provides that WTO Members "shall ensure, whenever possible,
that results of Conformity Assessment Procedures in other WTO Members are accepted,
even when those procedures differ from their own, provided they are satisfied
that those procedures offer an assurance of conformity with applicable technical
regulations or standards equivalent to their own procedures." The Agreement
also provides that "Where a positive assurance of conformity with a technical
regulation or standard is required, Members shall, wherever practicable, formulate
and adopt international systems for conformity assessment and become members
thereof or participate therein."
2 Chile sees the MRA as a step forward towards the elimination of trade
barriers in the APEC region. However, in view of the very open nature of the
current Chilean certification system for telecommunications equipment, and in
line with Chile's stated position on Early Voluntary Sectoral Liberalisation
within APEC, Chile abstains from endorsing the Ministerial Declaration on the
APEC Mutual Recognition Arrangement for Conformity Assessment of Telecommunications
Equipment.
Appendix
Indicative Schedule for Voluntary Participation in the Mutual Recognition Arrangement
on Conformity Assessment for Telecommunications Equipment
| Economy |
Mutual
Recognition of Test Reports
(Phase I) |
Mutual
Recognition of Equipment Certification
(Phase II) |
| Australia |
Australia already accepts test
reports from other parties. |
Suppliers declarations are accepted
now. Australia does not require certification. |
| Brunei Darussalam |
2003 |
2003 |
| Canada |
End of 1998 |
End of 1999 |
| China |
2002 for network terminals |
To be advised |
| Hong Kong, China |
Already in effect |
July 1999 |
| Indonesia |
2005 |
To be advised |
| Japan |
July 1999 |
July 1999
(targeted, but could be 2000) |
| Korea |
July 1999 |
To be advised |
| Malaysia |
2003 |
2003 |
| Mexico |
June 2001 |
To be advised |
| New Zealand* |
(See footnote) |
(See footnote) |
| Papua New Guinea |
December 2001 |
To be advised |
| Philippines |
2005 |
2006 |
| Singapore |
July 1999 |
End of 1999 |
| Chinese Taipei |
Already in effect |
2000
(targeted, but could be 2001) |
| Thailand |
2004 |
2006 |
| United States |
FCC currently accepts test data
from other parties. |
July 1999 |
* The responsibility for setting the standards for attachment to telecommunications
networks in New Zealand rests with network operators, not the government — except
in as far as electrical safety and electro-magnetic compatibility are concerned.
Recognising its potential to contribute towards removal of non-tariff barriers
in the APEC region, New Zealand proposes to endorse the MRA.
