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body shall make every effort to avoid duplication of, or overlap with, the work of relevant international
standardizing bodies.
I. Wherever appropriate, the standardizing body shall specify standards based on product
requirements in terms of performance rather than design or descriptive characteristics.
J. At least once every six months, the standardizing body shall publish a work programme containing
its name and address, the standards it is currently preparing and the standards which it has adopted
in the preceding period. A standard is under preparation from the moment a decision has been taken
to develop a standard until that standard has been adopted. The titles of specific draft standards shall,
upon request, be provided in English, French or Spanish. A notice of the existence of the work
programme shall be published in a national or, as the case may be, regional publication of standardization
activities.
The work programme shall for each standard indicate, in accordance with any ISONET rules,
the classification relevant to the subject matter, the stage attained in the standard's development, and
the references of any international standards taken as a basis. No later than at the time of publication
of its work programme, the standardizing body shall notify the existence thereof to the ISO/IEC
Information Centre in Geneva.
The notification shall contain the name and address of the standardizing body, the name and
issue of the publication in which the work programme is published, the period to which the work
programme applies, its price (if any), and how and where it can be obtained. The notification may
be sent directly to the ISO/IEC Information Centre, or, preferably, through the relevant national member
or international affiliate of ISONET, as appropriate.
K. The national member of ISO/IEC shall make every effort to become a member of ISONET
or to appoint another body to become a member as well as to acquire the most advanced membership
type possible for the ISONET member. Other standardizing bodies shall make every effort to associate
themselves with the ISONET member.
L. Before adopting a standard, the standardizing body shall allow a period of at least 60 days for
the submission of comments on the draft standard by interested parties within the territory of a Member
of the WTO. This period may, however, be shortened in cases where urgent problems of safety, health
or environment arise or threaten to arise. No later than at the start of the comment period, the
standardizing body shall publish a notice announcing the period for commenting in the publication referred
to in paragraph J. Such notification shall include, as far as practicable, whether the draft standard deviates
from relevant international standards.
M. On the request of any interested party within the territory of a Member of the WTO, the
standardizing body shall promptly provide, or arrange to provide, a copy of a draft standard which it
has submitted for comments. Any fees charged for this service shall, apart from the real cost of delivery,
be the same for foreign and domestic parties.
N. The standardizing body shall take into account, in the further processing of the standard, the
comments received during the period for commenting. Comments received through standardizing bodies
that have accepted this Code of Good Practice shall, if so requested, be replied to as promptly as possible.
The reply shall include an explanation why a deviation from relevant international standards is necessary.
O. Once the standard has been adopted, it shall be promptly published.
P. On the request of any interested party within the territory of a Member of the WTO, the
standardizing body shall promptly provide, or arrange to provide, a copy of its most recent work