Strengthening the Compliance of the OIC Member States
to International Standards
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destined for the EU market make their way onto the Vietnamese domestic market, in which case they
sell at a premium to reflect their “export quality”.
As a second part of this strategy, Vietnam recognized that testing and certification—more broadly, the
procedures of conformity assessment—still posed a potential barrier to exports due to the requirement
to test in European laboratories. The country therefore pursued an arrangement for mutual recognition
of conformity assessments with the EU. After developing regulatory trust between the two trading
partners, it is now possible for Vietnamese producers that produce export quality goods to have their
seafood certified locally prior to export to the EU, which is a significant cost reducing factor.
This example shows the way in which one country can leverage experience with standards—in
particular mutual recognition of conformity assessments—within a regional grouping to expand its own
trade outside the region, including with large, developed markets where high standards are the norm.
Source:
6.3.3 East African Community
The East African Community (EAC) consists of five partner states: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania,
and Uganda. All EAC members are low income countries, with the exception of Kenya, which became a
lower middle income country in 2014. EAC members have taken important steps towards the reduction
of intra-regional trade barriers by forming a customs union, and agreeing on a single market framework.
However, trade remains hampered by non-tariff measures (Shepherd, 2010), including un-harmonized
product standards.
Article 81 of the EAC Treaty provides for cooperation in the areas of standardization, quality assurance,
metrology, and testing (SQMT). In 2006, partner states agreed to establish the East African Standards
Committee (EASC), the peak body for regional harmonization of standards. Its remit is to conceptualize
and monitor the implementation of harmonized standardization activities within EAC. Specifically, its
functions are to:
a) “undertake and coordinate activities related to standardization, metrology, and conformity
assessment;
b) develop and establish frameworks that advance compliance by the partner states with their
obligations under the EAC SQMT Act;