The Accreditation as a means to reduce market limitations

The WTO Recognizes the Value of Accreditation as a Tool to Ensure Free Trade

Eliminating barriers to the export and import of products between nations is essential to ensure free trade.

Last May, the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee of the World Trade Organization (WTO) held a session to set guidelines on conformity assessment procedures, highlighting the role of accreditation as a means to reduce market limitations and facilitate the free movement of goods worldwide.

Technical barriers to trade arise due to the diverse technical regulations of each country. These can be mandatory requirements aimed at protecting consumer safety and the environment, or voluntary standards that generally establish the quality characteristics products must meet to satisfy buyers.

To address these challenges, the WTO implemented the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade over 25 years ago. This agreement seeks to ensure that technical regulations, standards, and conformity assessment procedures are not discriminatory and do not impose unnecessary barriers to trade. A key tool of the agreement is the TBT Committee, where WTO members discuss specific trade concerns related to laws, regulations, or procedures that impact their trade relations. Additionally, members share experiences on the implementation of the Agreement to ensure that its provisions are applied effectively and efficiently.

This once again demonstrates the recognition of accreditation by global economic actors, both in administration and the market. This recognition reaffirms its importance as a tool for accessing international markets, as it facilitates the acceptance of reports and certificates issued by accredited entities in over 120 economies worldwide.

The role of accreditation is paramount in generating trust in conformity assessment bodies. At ICDQ, we hold multiple accreditations from ENAC. Consequently, any organization seeking ENAC-accredited certification can now obtain it through us.