Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) has an important role in trade and as a component of facilitating removal of Technical Barrier to Trade (TBT). By that basic reason ASEAN Leader has tasked the ASEAN Senior Economic Ministers to prepare the needed infrastructure. ACCSQ (ASEAN Consultative Committee for Standards and Quality) as a standards and conformity assessment forum in ASEAN, then has obligation to follow-up the development of MRA infrastructure. Finally ACCSQ has finished those tasks, through Working Group of MRA in developing draft of ASEAN MRA, to be signed by the ASEAN Economic Leaders.
As a follow up of the signing of the ASEAN Framework Agreement on MRA in the ASEAN Summit 1998, and then knowing as Framework MRA, there will be some sectoral MRA in the priority products groups. Some priority product groups have been identified : Cosmetic, Pharmaceutical and Electro-technical, and will be followed by the other product groups. ACCSQ has intensively discussed the process of preparing this sectoral MRA through the ACCSQ Working Group (WG) and Product Working Group (PWG). To decide the priority product group is by considering of some important criteria with regard to the MRAs such as the following:
- volume of trade affected;
- existence and extent of technical barriers to trade; and
3. readiness of technical infrastructure
The 19th Meeting of ACCSQ which was held on 26-27 March 2002 in Ho Chi Minh, Viet Nam, has endorsed the recommendation from ACCSQ-WG1 on MRA that where relevant, the PWGs develop Guidelines for the implementation of sectoral MRAs in coordination with WG1, for example the ASEAN Sectoral MRA for Electrical and Electronic Equipment (the ASEAN EE MRA). While in the same time, WG1 is in coordinating the development of Sectoral MRAs in ASEAN and proposing measures towards the implementation of Sectoral MRAs.
As the outcome of the Fifth Meeting of the Electrotechnical Product Working Group (EPWG) which was held in Yangon, Myanmar on 4-6 March 2002, the 19th Meeting of ACCSQ has noted that to facilitate the implementation of the ASEAN EE MRA, the EPWG is in the process of finalizing the following documents:
(i) Detailed Criteria and Explanatory Notes for Being Designated as Testing Laboratories or Certification Bodies for the Implementation of the ASEAN EE MRA – led by Singapore;
(ii) Checklist for Participation in the ASEAN EE MRA – led by Malaysia;
(iii) Plan of Disseminating Information and Promoting ASEAN EE MRA – led by Viet Nam; and
(iv) Enhancing Confidence and Technical Competency in Technical Infrastructure among Member Countries for the Implementation of the ASEAN EE MRA – led by Thailand.
To facilitate the successful implementation of the ASEAN Sectoral MRAs, it is realized to highlight the following concerns:
(i) There is the need of intensifying the work on recognition of test reports and certifications among relevant agencies or technical MRAs.
(ii) As accreditation plays an important role in these technical MRAs, there is the need of revisiting the current mechanism of cooperation, taking into account the development in MRAs within the APLAC/ILAC/IAF/PAC and the requirements of the respective ASEAN Sectoral MRAs; and
(iii) There is the need of addressing a practical approach, which would allow those Member Countries who do not have test facilities or accreditation body to engage the services of other Member Countries in the acceptance of test reports and/or certifications.
Indonesia as a member of ASEAN, has followed the arrangement of sectoral MRA, by coordinating the relevant institutions. As central contact point for ACCSQ, BSN has actively conducted the series of consultation with the related government institutions and the related association/manufacturers, particularly in the sector of electric and electronic equipment. Nowadays some manufacturers has intended to joint in the process of preparation for MRA sectoral.
In the accreditation scheme, Indonesia has a credit point where KAN-BSN has been accepted in ILAC MLA (Multilateral Recognition Arrangement), and KAN is also a member of the APLAC MRA (for testing and accreditation), PAC MLA and IAF MLA . This credit point will be used as a basic step in facing the implementation of sectoral MRA and also AFTA 2003.
*) A summary of the ACCSQ Progress Report.
