Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade - Notification - Costa Rica - Refrigerators and freezers

NOTIFICATION

The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.

 

1.

Notifying Member: COSTA RICA

If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):

2.

Agency responsible:

Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Comercio, MEIC (Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Trade)

Departamento de Reglamentación Técnica (Technical Regulation Department)

Tel.: (+506) 2549-1479

Fax: (+506) 2291-2015

Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, email and website addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above: Información de Obstáculos Técnicos al Comercio (TBT enquiry point)

Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Comercio, MEIC (Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Trade)

Apartado Postal 10216-1000

Tel.: (+506) 2549-1479

Tel./Fax: (+506) 2291-2015

Email: crotc@meic.go.cr

Website: http://www.reglatec.go.cr/

3.

Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [ ], 5.6.2 [ ], 5.7.1 [ ], other:

4.

Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable): 97.040.30

5.

Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: RTCR 482: 2015. Productos Eléctricos. Refrigeradores y congeladores. Electrodomésticos operados por motocompresor hermético. Especificaciones de eficiencia energética (Costa Rican Technical Regulation RTCR 482/2015: Electrical products. Household refrigerators and freezers using hermetic motor-driven compressors. Energy efficiency specifications) (13 pages, in Spanish)

6.

Description of content: The notified Technical Regulation seeks, firstly, to establish the maximum electricity consumption levels for household refrigerators and freezers using hermetic motor-driven compressors that are manufactured, imported definitively, used and marketed in the national territory, and, secondly, to prohibit the importation and domestic marketing of refrigerators that exceed these levels.

It also applies to household refrigerators of up to 1140 L (39 cubic feet) and household self-contained freezers of up to 850 L (30 cubic feet) using hermetic motor-driven compressors.

7.

Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable: Prevention of practices likely to mislead or deceive consumers, and environmental protection.

8.

Relevant documents:

·                Decreto Ejecutivo N°37662-MEIC-H-MICIT de diciembre 2012. Procedimiento para la Demostración de la Evaluación de la Conformidad de los Reglamentos Técnicos (Executive Decree No. 37662-MEIC-H-MICIT of December 2012. Demonstration procedure relating to the assessment of conformity with technical regulations)

·                Decreto Ejecutivo N° 38849-MEIC de marzo 2015. Procedimiento para demostrar equivalencia con un reglamento técnico de Costa Rica (RTCR) (Executive Decree No. 38849-MEIC of March 2015. Procedure for the demonstration of equivalence with a Costa Rican Technical Regulation (RTCR))

·                Ministerio de Hacienda. Manual de Procedimientos Aduaneros. 2013 (Ministry of Finance. Customs Procedures Manual. 2013)

·                Norma INTE 28-01-04: Eficiencia energética. Refrigeradores electrodomésticos y congeladores electrodomésticos (INTE Standard 28-01-04: Energy efficiency. Household refrigerators and freezers) Requirements: http://www.inteco.or.cr/esp/centro-documentacion/catalogo-de-normas/article/673-eficiencia-energetica-de-refrigeradores-electrodomesticos-y-congeladores-electrodomesticos-limites-maximos-de-consumo-de-energia

·                Norma INTE 28-01-05: Eficiencia energética. Refrigeradores electrodomésticos y congeladores electrodomésticos - Etiquetado (INTE Standard 28-01-05: Energy efficiency. Household refrigerators and freezers - Labelling)

·                Norma INTE 28-01-06: Eficiencia energética. Refrigeradores electrodomésticos y congeladores electrodomésticos. Método de Ensayo (INTE Standard 28-01-06. Energy efficiency. Household refrigerators and freezers - Test method)

9.

Proposed date of adoption: Upon publication in Official Journal La Gaceta.

Proposed date of entry into force: Six months after publication in Official Journal La Gaceta.

10.

Final date for comments: 30 days from the date of notification.

11.

Texts available from: National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:

TBT Enquiry Point:

Website: http://www.reglatec.go.cr/

Email: crotc@meic.go.cr

San José, Costa Rica

Apartado Postal 10216-1000

Tel.: (+506) 2549-1479

Fax: (+506) 2291-2015

Full text available online at: http://reglatec.go.cr/reglatec/principal.jsp

https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2016/TBT/CRI/16_1805_00_s.PDF