Strengthening the Compliance of the OIC Member States
to International Standards
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c) set out priorities and prepare implementation programs with regard to standardization,
metrology, and conformity assessment activities at national and Community levels consistent
with the provisions of the EAC SQMT Act;
d) monitor and keep under constant review the implementation of the standardization, metrology
and conformity assessment programs at national and Community levels;
e) submit standards, reports and recommendations to the Council on its own initiative or upon
request of the Council concerning the implementation of the Treaty that affect standardization,
metrology and conformity assessment;
f) establish procedures for the development, approval, gazetting and withdrawal of harmonized
East African Standards including the adoption of these standards at the national levels;
g) establish liaison mechanisms with other regional and international organizations consistent
with the objects of the EAC SQMT Act;
h) monitor and keep under constant review the effectiveness of the national WTO TBT Agreement
enquiry points; and
i) hear appeals with regard to administrative measures for Compulsory Standards implemented in
the Partner States.”24
The EAC case is therefore distinct from the other non-OIC case study examples examined in this report
in that there is a strong, formal legal structure for regional harmonization. The structure is similar to
what is seen in the European Union, with CEN harmonized European standards. The focus is on aligning
standards among EAC partner states at the regional level. The EASC has a mandate to develop and
promulgate regional standards, based on discussions that take place under its auspices among
representatives of the standards organizations from each country. Once harmonized standards are
issued, national standards bodies are supposed to withdraw conflicting national standards, and ensure
that the harmonized standard enters the domestic corpus. However, experience suggests that
implementation of harmonized standards is a serious issue in EAC partner states. National standards
bodies are slow to implement EAC standards as national standards, and to withdraw conflicting norms.
Despite these issues, the EASC has been active in developing harmonized regional standards. Before
issuing a harmonized standard, it conducts a cost/benefit analysis that examines whether or not to
regulate, and if regulation is needed, the form that it should take. Alternatives, including no regulation,
are considered. This practice is an important element of standards development, but is difficult to
implement in the developing country context where capacity and data availability are often limited.
2