WTO Workshop onRegulatory Cooperation

NOVEMBER 2011

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I. Origins of Regulatory Cooperation in Mexico.

II. The Mexican Experience.

III. Current activities in the international arena.

IV. Lessons learned.

V. Challenges ahead.

ContentContent.

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• Federal Law on Metrology and Standardization (LFMN).

• North American Free Trade Agreement.

• WTO TBT and SPS Agreements.

• Other FTA´s.

II. Origins of Regulatory II. Origins of Regulatory CooperationCooperation.

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II. The Mexican Experience.II. The Mexican Experience.

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• NAFTA – High Level Regulatory Cooperation Council (HLRCC).

• On August 10th of 2009, the President of Mexico, Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama, and the Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, made a commitment to strengthen and expand the work on regulatory cooperation as part of the efforts directed to making the North American region more competitive.

• From this commitment, on May 19th of 2010, the Presidents of Mexico and the United States of America instructed the creation of the HLRCC.

• On March 3rd of 2011, Mexico and the U.S. concluded the Terms of Reference of the Council.

III. Efforts on International III. Efforts on International Forums.Forums.

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• Six goals of the HLRCC:– Make regulations more compatible and simple; – Increase regulatory transparency; – Promote public participation; – Improve the analysis of regulations; – Link regulatory cooperation to improved border-

crossing and customs procedures; and – Increase technical cooperation.

• Public Consultation• Both countries agreed to develop a Wok Plan that

would be based on the public comments. Each country performed a public consultation oriented towards generating proposals for increasing the region’s competitiveness through the reduction or elimination of unnecessary costs.

III. Efforts on International III. Efforts on International Forums.Forums.

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The U.S. consultation ended on April 18th of 2011 and received 48 comments, which primarily focused on the following subjects:

• Frontier measures and tariff classifications;• Vehicles;• Consumption goods;• Food safety;• Other agricultural issues; and• Pesticides.

Mexico’s consultation ended on May 15th of 2011 and received 252 comments, which primarily focused on the following subjects:Commerce/Customs;

• Standards/Technical Regulations /Conformity assessment;• Administrative simplification;• Electro technical products;• Pharmaceutical/Cosmetic;• Agriculture and livestock; and• Sanitary and phytosanitary measures.

 

III. Efforts on International III. Efforts on International Forums.Forums.

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III. Efforts on International III. Efforts on International Forums.Forums.

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• Latin Arch Forum:

• The forum represents the way of optimizing the commercial exchange among member countries and, increase trade, investment, and cooperation with Asian Pacific economies.

• The members are Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and Peru.

• One of the goals of the TBT group is to increase transparency, regulatory cooperation and technical cooperation.

III. Efforts on International III. Efforts on International Forums.Forums.

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• Private sector support facilitate the identification of priorities and type of activities subject to regulatory cooperation.

• One-size not always fits all – analyze the best for each sector.

• Essential: confidence building among regulators and technical assistance.

• Need of political involvement and definition of priorities.

• Assign human resources for the proper analysis.

IV. Lessons learned.IV. Lessons learned.

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• Define priorities, activities and countries/regions.

• Convince regulators and private sector (sometimes protectionists).

• Keep it as a priority on the trade agenda.

• Use it as a good regulatory practice.

V. Challenges.V. Challenges.