Standards Vs Technical Regulations

What is a Standard…it is a technical document detailing the criteria necessary to ensure that a material, product, service or produce is fit for the purpose it is intended for. Standards served as a guide for production of goods and provision of services and are a basis for trade transactions.

Technically a standard is a document established by consensus and approved by recognized body that provides for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities of their results aimed at the achievement of optimum degree of order in a given context.

So what is a Technical Regulation?

A regulation in its simplest is a document providing binding legislative rules that is adopted by a designed authority of the government.

A Technical Regulation is therefore a Regulation that provides technical requirements, either directly or by referring to or incorporating the content of a standard, technical specification or code of practice.

It is a document that lays down product characteristics or their related processes and production methods including the applicable administrative provisions, with which compliance is mandatory (WTO).

It is a document adopted by an authority that provides a binding technical requirements either directly or by referencing or incorporating the context of a standards, technical specification or code of practice (ISO/IEC).

Technical Regulations are basically the way legislation is enforced and the requirements of the legislation. It may include or deal exclusively with terminology, symbols, and packaging, marking or labeling requirements as they apply to a product, process or production method.

Technical References (TR) are transition documents developed to help meet urgent industry demand for specifications or requirements on a particular product, process or service in an area where there is an absence of reference standards.

Note:

  1. Standards should be based on the consolidation results of science, technology and experiences and aimed at the promotion of optimum community benefits
  2. A Technical Regulation may be supplemented by technical guidance that outlines some means of compliance with requirements of the regulation.

In conclusion when a standard is declared mandatory it becomes a technical regulation.