Profile: National Notification Authority / National Enquiry Point

Standards Xanadu
PO Box 10 5444
97 The Great Wall
Shangri La
XANADU

Ph: +43 6 239 2363
Fax: +42 6 239 2922
Email: info@standards.gov.xd

Type: Combined notification authority and national enquiry point

Staff: 2 (work part-time on notification authority and national enquiry point duties)

Facilities:
Word processor
Database application
Photocopier
Telephone
Fax
Email
Postal facilities

Xanadu is a developing country with limited financial resources. Upon acceding to the World Trade Organization on 1 January 2000 it designated its national standards agency, Standards Xanadu to fulfil the transparency provisions of the SPS agreement in terms of establishing a national notification authority and national enquiry point.

Standards Xanadu also acts as the enquiry point for the TBT area. Xanadu has found that by using one agency to fulfil the notification requirements for a number of the multilateral trade agreements under the World Trade Organization, has helped it to minimise the level of resources needed and to build-up a level of expertise and continuity in one agency.

Standards Xanadu has designated that two members of its International Affairs Bureau have responsibility for the notification and enquiry roles required. The roles of the officials are as follows:

• Director: Develops national policies and procedures, oversees staff management and development, and liases with other domestic and international agencies.
• Administrative Assistant: Day to day running of the national notification authority and national enquiry point, routine liaison with other agencies, responding to requests, locating information.

Notifications from other WTO members were initially received by fax from Xanadu’s diplomatic mission in Geneva. However with the recent email delivery service developed on the initiative on the WTO Secretariat, Standards Xanadu is making the transition to receiving notifications via email and only using paper copies as a backup method.

Notifications upon receipt are printed and then copied and sent by mail or fax to relevant government agencies and other interested industry groups within the country.