Seeks to assure:
- mandatory product regulations,
- voluntary product standards, and
- conformity assessment procedures (procedures designed to test a product’s conformity with mandatory regulations or voluntary standards)
do not become unnecessary obstacles to international trade and are not employed to obstruct trade.
Seeks to balance two competing policy objectives:
(1) The prevention of protectionism, with
(2) the right of a Member to enact product regulations for approved (legitimate) public policy purposes (i.e., allowing Members sufficient regulatory autonomy to pursue necessary domestic policy objectives, such as those addressing national security requirements, export quality requirements, protection of human health or safety, protection of animal or plant life or health, protection of the environment, prevention of deceptive practices, among others).
