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Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) We have provided a link to these sites because they have information that may be of interest to our users. NIST does not necessarily endorse the views expressed or the facts presented on these sites. Further, NIST does not endorse any commercial products that may be advertised or available on these sites. To view documents which are  , Adobe Acrobat's Reader is required. This software may be downloaded without charge. The software is identified in order to assist users of this information service. In no case does such identification imply recommendation or endorsement by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. If you are unable to use the Adobe Acrobat Reader Software and require a copy of a PDF document , please request a copy to be sent to you from mra@nist.gov . NIST participates in five Mutual Recognition Agreements:
These MRAs are government-to-government agreements that help to facilitate trade by promoting acceptance of the results of each party's conformity assessment procedures, reducing the time it takes a product to be placed on the market, reducing the costs associated with placing a product on the market, and increasing transparency of technical regulations, laws, policies, and procedures.
This Agreement includes the United States of America and the 27 member countries of the European Union. The U.S.-EEA EFTA STATES MRA was signed on October 17, 2005. There are three product sectors included in the Agreement:
This Agreement includes the European Economic Area (EEA) European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries of Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein (known collectively as the EEA EFTA States). The MRA is composed of a framework agreement and three sectoral annexes which mirror the provisions of the 1998 U.S.-EU MRA. The EEA EFTA States are fully integrated into the European Community single market and apply the same regulations as the EU. The APEC Tel MRA was signed by the APEC Tel Ministers on May 8, 1998. There are 21 member economies eligible to participate in the arrangement. Participation in the APEC Tel MRA is voluntary and includes two phases: Phase I for mutual acceptance of test reports and Phase II for certification or product approvals. The United States has implemented the APEC Tel MRA with several countries and more are forthcoming. Meetings are held twice a year to discuss continuing implementation efforts under the APEC Tel MRA. The CITEL MRA was signed by the Organization of American States on October 29, 1999. There are 34 countries eligible to participate in the agreement, which is very similar to the APEC Tel MRA. The CITEL MRA is also voluntary and can be implemented in two phases. The OAS Member States are actively working on implementing the CITEL MRA. Within CITEL, the Permanent Consultative Committee (PCC.1) for Technical Standardization meets twice a year to discuss implementation. NIST Requirements for Accreditation Bodies
Contact: maryjo.dibernardo@nist.gov Date created: December 15, 2000 |