EU-GCC Trade and Investment Dialogue
16-17 May 2017, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Comments on the Gulf Technical Regulation for Low-Voltage
Electrical Equipment and Appliances (BD-142004-01)
Wamda Saeid Elsirogi
EMEA Compliance Manager
Canon Europe, Sustainability Group
[email protected]
Rue de la Science 14, 1040 – Brussels [Belgium]
T: +32 2 609 53 10 F: +32 2 431 04 89
www.digitaleurope.org - [email protected]
May, 2017
About the EU-GCC Trade and Business Cooperation Facility

The EU-GCC Trade and Business Cooperation Facility is a three-year project, financed by the EU Commission with
the aim at strengthening trade, investment and business cooperation between the EU and the GCC through
business networks, mutual understanding and dialogue.

The project will embark on various activities such as policy working groups, SME trainings and annual high level
Business Forum conferences with the aim of forging closer links between the business communities in the EU and
GCC and enhancing policy dialogue between policymakers and the private sector.

The project is managed by the leading EU and GCC private sector organizations that represent a membership base
of over 2.5 million firms: Federation of GCC Chambers, BUSINESSEUROPE, the Confederation of Danish Industry and
DIGITALEUROPE as a project partner.
May, 2017
About DIGITALEUROPE
Vision:
A European Union and global markets that nurture and support digital technology
industries, and that prospers from the jobs we provide, the innovation and economic
benefits we deliver and the societal challenges we address.
Mission:
To foster, on behalf of our members, a business, policy and regulatory environment that
best realises our vision.
We will achieve this by working as positive partners with the European Institutions and
other European and global bodies and, through our national trade associations, the
member states of Europe.
May, 2017
About DIGITALEUROPE
Members

A wide range of Multinational Companies (60) and National Trade Associations (37)

Which represent more than 27,000 businesses and two million employees…

Thus bringing credibility and legitimacy to the organisation…

Which has become the voice of the European Digital Technology Industry.
May, 2017
DIGITALEUROPE - Corporate Members (I)
May, 2017
DIGITALEUROPE - National Trade Associations
Austria: IOÖ
Belarus: INFOPARK
Belgium: AGORIA
Bulgaria: BAIT
Cyprus: CITEA
Denmark: DI Digital, IT-BRANCHEN
Estonia: ITL
Finland: TIF
France: AFNUM, Force Numérique,
Tech in France
Germany: BITKOM, ZVEI
Greece: SEPE
Hungary: IVSZ
Ireland: Technology Ireland
Italy: ANITEC
Lithuania: Infobalt
Netherlands: Nederland ICT, FIAR
Poland: KIGEIT, PIIT, ZIPSEE
Portugal: AGEFE
Romania: APDETIC, ANIS
Slovakia: ITAS
Slovenia: GZS
Spain: AMETIC
Sweden: IT & Telekomföretagen,
Foreningen Telekomföretagen i Sverige
Switzerland: SWICO
Turkey: Digital Turkey Platform, ECID
Ukraine: IT Ukraine
United Kingdom: TechUK
May, 2017
The EU-GCC regulatory dialogue

The digital industry (DIGITALEUROPE) and the Toy Industries of Europe (TIE) welcome the efforts of the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) and its GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) in creating consistent regime for
product compliance based on GSO regulations and related standards and conformity assessment procedure for the
whole region.

Industry appreciates the first steps in this direction, namely the regulation for Low Voltage Electrical Equipment
and Appliances (BD-142004-01).

These regulations rely on the same principles and technical requirements as the EU for importing and selling
products in the region.

This makes the GCC marketplace accessible and open for the latest innovation and product developments of our
industries.
May, 2017
The EU-GCC regulatory dialogue

Based on the experiences with the European compliance model and international practices the toy and digital industries suggest
focussing in future on the following principles for GSO’s product compliance legislation, namely to ensure that:

that once a GSO regulation enters into force, all national legislation with the same scope is repealed or effectively
superseded. This will create the necessary legal certainty for manufacturers, importers and distributors that the same
requirements apply across the region without deviations;

that guidance and recommendations agreed at GSO-level and the GCC Committee on Conformity Assessment (GCCA) is
consistently implemented by GSO member states and made public;

that a structured and regular stakeholder engagement mechanism is developed and implemented;

that international and European standards or the equivalents GSO standards can continue to be used for compliance
purposes to avoid regional fragmentation; however, this requires to also align transition periods of GSO standards with
the implementation schedule of the respective international or European standards they originate from.
May, 2017
Collaboration of the EU-GCC delegation on LVE Gulf TR
 The EU-GCC Trade and Business Cooperation Facility
assisted in reaching out to the GSO back in 2015.
Facilitating roundtable discussion in 2016 that qualify
recommendations and focus areas on the Impact of the
new Gulf Technical regulation.
 Stakeholders were invited to a workshop, that gave
business leaders in the GCC ICT sector a platform to
discuss business concerns with fellow peers in the EU.
 The success continued and once more the EU-GCC Trade
and Business Cooperation Facility established a strong
foundation for a second roundtable discussion in March
this year, for a comprehensive dialogue between the two
communities.
May, 2017
Next steps of the collaborative EU-GCC delegation on LVE Gulf TR

To continue the fruitful dialogue and the success of the EU-GCC delegation exchange over the last year, the digital
industry (DIGITALEUROPE) would welcome the opening of a regular annual “EU-GCC regulatory technical roundtable”.

Establishing a strong foundation for a new structure for a comprehensive dialogue between the two communities.

Representatives from the European Commission and GCC as well as the industry stakeholders should participate in these
roundtable exchanges to assess the progress made in the two regions and to share best practices.

We recommend that the roundtable would be again facilitated as in the past by the EU-GCC Trade facility.

DIGITALEUROPE would like to invite the GSO to Brussels in Autumn, 2017 to address next steps and to work on the
individual action items identified during the EU-GCC delegation on LVE Gulf TR

DIGITALEUROPE would like to express their full support to ensure proper engagement, alignment and follow-up from the
industry and business community in the future.
Annex I - EU-GCC delegation on LVE Gulf TR
Action Items agreed
May, 2017
Action Items agreed

List (1) products: to come up with an industry proposal on what products to add to the scope of “List (1)”.
To note: there will be a minimum 6 months transition period from the date of list (1) publication. B2C (consumer
products) products, are the top priority to be added to List (1).


List of standards: once DIGITALEUROPE finalised a proposal for List (1) products, will provide a list of common
reference standards that industry uses for these products.
Transition period for new “harmonised“ standards: under the Gulf Technical Regulation GSO confirmed a 2-years
default transition.
To note: GSO explained exceptions are allowed if justified (with a view to become part of the LVE guide).



Traceability: DIGITALEUROPE will provide an alternative proposal based on “e-labelling” to address CTS and QR
codes system requirements.
Importer’s Document of Conformity (DoC): DIGITALEUROPE to provide GSO with an alternative proposal based on
the EU blue guide and clear separation of roles and obligations (with a view to become part of the LVE guide).
Harmonisation in the GCC: GSO regulations supersede national legislations and related schemes such as the CoC.
Once we G-mark products and use self-declaration national obligations should cease to exist.
To note: SASO has confirmed that GSO regulations supersede national legislations of the GCC member states.
Thank You
Wamda Saeid Elsirogi
EMEA Compliance Manager
Canon Europe, Sustainability Group
[email protected]
Rue de la Science 14, 1040 – Brussels [Belgium]
T: +32 2 609 53 10 F: +32 2 431 04 89
www.digitaleurope.org - [email protected]