AGENDA ITEM 3: UPDATES ON THE RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN ECONOMIC INTEGRATION INITIATIVES IN ASEAN
7. The ASEAN Secretariat updated the Meeting on the recent developments in ASEAN on standards and conformance, particularly on issues related to APWG, as appears in ANNEX 4. The Meeting noted the following:
SEOM 3/46
i. 3 ACCSQ deliverables to be deferred to post-2015 are part of the 54 High-Priority Measures namely: (i) Finalisation and Signing of ASEAN MRA on Prepared Foodstuff, (ii) Finalisation of ASEAN MRA for Building and Construction, and (iii) Signing of the ASEAN MRA on Type Approval of Automotive products.
ii. SEOM urged ACCSQ to continue exerting its best efforts to implement the High Priority Measures (HPMs) within 2015.
iii. Regarding whether the MRAs shall be for products manufactured in ASEAN or products traded in ASEAN, SEOM guided that the MRAs shall be as trade-facilitating as possible.
28th HLTF-EI
iv. On 2025 Vision - Attendant Document, the HLTF-EI agreed for the relevant sections on non-tariff measures, including on facilitative standards and conformance regime, to be combined under the section on trade facilitation, which all fall under A1. Trade in Goods. HLTF-EI noted that the “Attendant Document” has become “AEC Blueprint 2025”
47th AEM
v. AEM noted that the Ministers endorsed in principle the AEC Blueprint 2025. The AEC Blueprint 2025 will be endorsed by the AEC Council and subsequently submitted to the HLTF on ASEAN Community’s Post-2015 Vision for consolidation with the rest of documents that will comprise integral document for the ASEAN Community 2025 (i.e., Kuala Lumpur Declaration, ASEAN Community Vision 2025, three ASEAN Community Blueprints) to be launched at the 27th ASEAN Summit in November 2015.
44th ACCSQ
vi. The first draft of the ASEAN Standards and Conformance Strategic Plan 2016 – 2025 has been developed during the 44th ACCSQ Meeting, and targeted to finalise by December 2015.
vii. On the Additional Guidelines on MRA, there are views from WG 1 members invoking the non-discriminatory provisions in the WTO TBT Agreement in relation to products originating from WTO Members as well views on making reference to ATIGA on trading in ASEAN for ASEAN.
viii. There is no consensus from AMS on the Draft Additional Guidelines and the issue on “products manufactured in ASEAN” or “products traded in ASEAN” should be a policy issue and will be decided by ACCSQ. For technical issue, Product Working Groups to continue its deliberation.
ix. The issue will be discussed at the next WG 1 Meeting in Bali, Indonesia in November 2015. WG1 has agreed not to circulate the Draft Additional Guidelines to WGs and PWGs since there was no consensus from AMS.
x. On the APWG report, the ACCSQ noted the following: