. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/Notif.00/491
12 October 2000
(00-4196)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   SWITZERLAND
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:   Federal Office for Communications, CH-2501 Bienne
Agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification shall be
indicated if different from above:   State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (seco), Berne
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [    ], other:           
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   Telecommunications
equipment: radio equipment and telecommunications terminal equipment as referred to in
Directive 1999/5 EC of 9th March 1999 (OJ # L 91/10 of 7 April 1999).
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Decree of the Federal
Office for Communications on Telecommunications Terminal Equipment (OOIT);  Draft
Modification of October 2000;  (3 pages, in French)
6. Description of content:   After the implementation into Swiss legislation of the
Directive 1999/5/EC of 9th March 1999 on radio equipment and telecommunications
terminal equipment and the mutual recognition of their conformity (OJ # L 91/10 of 7thApril 1999), the OOIT is still object to certain ad aptations, most of them rather formal.  The
only material change proposes to introduce new interface requirements according to the
development of new technologies (RLAN in the 5 GHz and 17 GHz frequency bands
[HYPERLAN], TETRA [Terrestrial Trunked Radio], RTTT [Road Transport & Traffic
Telematics]) and to cover radio interfaces not covered by the previous directives (radio
amateur commercially available equipment).  The other modifications are of a formal nature
and affect the following items:  user information must indicate the foreseen use of theequipment (precision and not introduction of a novelty), the indication of the identification
number of the conformity assessment body, the definition of user categories of amateur
radio equipment and finally the introduction of a transitional period in case of application of
additional essential requirements according to Art. 3.3 of the Directive 1999/5/EC in order
to allow time to the manufacturers to updat e the equipment to the new requirements.
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
Ensure an efficient use of the frequency spectrum, avoid harmful radio interference,
consumer protection.
8. Relevant documents:   Decree of 9 December 1997 of the Federal Office for
Communications on telecommunications installations (RO 1998 485) and its modifications
of 9th March 1999 (RO 1999 4091) and 17 of April 2000 (RO 2000 1077).G/TBT/Notif.00/491
Page 2
9. Proposed date of adoption:  December 2000
Proposed date of entry into force:  1 January 2001
10. Final date for comments:   15 December 2000
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ X] or address, e-mail and telefax
number of the other body:           