Customs Union technical regulation policy approved

The Council of Federation has validated an agreement of the Customs Union that provides for mutual recognition of the certification bodies and testing laboratories of the member states of the Customs Union (Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belorussia). A bit earlier, the agreement was ratified by the State Duma as well. The aim of the document is to develop a common coordinated technical regulation policy.

Under the document, there will be a uniform national accreditation system with uniform rules, procedures and assessment schemes for accreditation of certification bodies and testing laboratories. A register of certification bodies and testing laboratories will also be maintained.

The Agreement Package also includes an agreement on plant quarantine, a protocol on the procedures for the collection of indirect taxes and the procedure for monitoring the payment of these taxes on imported and exported goods within the Union, an agreement on sanitary and veterinary-sanitary measures, an agreement on the circulation of products subject to mandatory certification within the customs territory of the Customs Union, and others.

The effective date of the agreement of the Customs Union has been set at July 1, 2010.