The Ad-Hoc Team of Specialists on Standardization and Regulatory Techniques (START) assists member States’ efforts to converge towards better regulations. To reduce non-tariff barriers to trade, the content of technical regulations should revolve around the definition of essential requirements. Making reference to international standards in national legislation is the most efficient way to achieve this. WP.6 proposes its Recommendation L as a model for regulatory cooperation.

Several initiatives have been launched under the START subgroup, covering topics such as earth-moving machinery, equipment for explosive environments and pipeline safety. During this meeting, each of the initiatives provided a brief introduction on the individual initiatives, explained the activities which have taken place recently and discussed future plans.

In the afternoon, a brief administrative meeting took place in order to elect officers and discuss the reports which should be presented to the WP.6 Annual Session in November. This meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss the future of work under the WP.6 umbrella.