Article 8 - Procedures for Assessment by Non-Governmental Bodies

Article 8 of the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade sets out rules for the use of non-governmental bodies in assessing conformity of products, requiring that procedures be transparent, based on clear and public criteria, and provide participants with an opportunity to be heard. It obliges members to ensure the bodies are impartial, independent, and that decisions can be appealed or reviewed in accordance with the agreement's principles.