The so called “private standards” refer to “standards” developed/adopted by:
- Global brand producers or retailers (Companies)
- Consortia, NGOs and other similar organizations
These standards can be related to product characteristics (affecting e.g. quality and safety) or social and environmental issues concerning production processes and company policies.
Suppliers of products and services are requested to comply with such “standards”: the impact is sometimes huge, because the buyer companies concerned have large purchasing power and market impact.
The WTO TBT Committee has had discussions on the topic of “private standards” and noted that they may affect market access.
The TBT Committee has also noted the lack of transparency associated with development and use of private standards, because these measures are not notified under the TBT Agreement.