At a meeting on 2 October, the WTO Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) advanced preparations for thematic discussions on critical and emerging technologies, good regulatory practices and metrology in trade to be held in November. WTO members also considered further refining their notification processes and the way their TBT measures are tracked in the ePing platform.
Thematic sessions
The thematic sessions scheduled for 11 November will focus on three areas:
- Critical emerging technologies. Latest developments in international standardization efforts in AI and machine learning, semiconductors and GPS technologies.
- The role of metrology in facilitating trade. This is a key pillar of the policies, institutions, standards and practices that members implement to ensure the quality, safety and reliability of products, otherwise known as "National Quality Infrastructure" that underpins world trade.
- Good regulatory practices. The critical role that regulatory impact assessments play in helping governments make regulatory decisions that are transparent, evidence-based and consistent with the WTO's Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement.
The TBT Committee holds thematic sessions throughout the year as part of its workplan. The live streamed sessions are an opportunity for WTO members to hear from experts working in specific fields and explore topics at the intersection of trade and regulatory developments.
Details on the thematic sessions can be found here. Further details on speakers will be made available on these pages in the coming weeks.
Transparency work
The Committee's Transparency Working Group considered proposals by members to further clarify which notification format should be used as measures evolve over time. Members also welcomed the new video tutorials on ePing's various functions and considered further enhancing ePing to facilitate stakeholder engagement. These steps aim to improve the quality, timeliness and accessibility of information on TBT measures. The TBT Committee was meeting informally.
The ePing platform can be accessed here.
More information on Technical Barriers to Trade can be accessed here.