CNTEX Exclusive: The Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade addressed thirteen different trade concerns related to textile and apparel by WTO members from Jan. to Jun. 2009. Concerns were raised by European Communities, Canada, Japan, Colombia, Ukraine and Israel.

European Communities addressed four concerns

European Communities expressed concerns about a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on textile names and related labelling of textile products. European Communities explained that this proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council lays down rules concerning the use of textile names and related labelling of textile products as well as the rules concerning the quantitative analysis of binary and ternary textile fibre mixtures.

Two other three concerns raised by European Communities were: Draft Commission Directive amending, for the purposes of their adaptation to technical progress, Annexes I and V to Directive 2008/121/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on textile names; Draft Commission Directive amending, for the purposes of its adaptation to technical progress, Annex II to Directive 96/73/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on certain methods for quantitative analysis of binary textile fibre mixtures; and Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning trade in seal products.

South Americaaddressed two concerns

Colombiais a country in northwestern South America. Colombia expressed concerns about a Draft Decision establishing the Andean Technical Regulation laying down the operating requirements for establishments engaged in the manufacture of domestic hygiene products and absorbent personal hygiene products. Colombia explained that the notified draft Technical Regulation is comprised of fourteen (14) paragraphs of requirements (personnel, organization, sanitation and hygiene, buildings and facilities, equipment, accessories and tools, maintenance and services, storage and distribution, handling of raw materials and inputs, production, packing and packaging, quality assurance, documentation and records, references, complaints and claims and grounds for product withdrawal) and an annex containing a guide for conducting inspections of establishments which manufacture domestic hygiene products and absorbent personal hygiene products, which sets out the assessment and grading criteria for control and monitoring inspections.

Ecuadoris bordered by Colombia on the north. Colombia expressed concerns about a Draft Decision establishing the Andean Technical Regulation laying down the operating requirements for establishments engaged in the manufacture of domestic hygiene products and absorbent personal hygiene products. (The Andean Community is a trade bloc comprising the South American countries of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.)

Table. Notifications submitted by Members on textile & apparel technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures (Jan.-Jun. 2009)