Representative offices of foreign authentication organizations in China are now forbidden to engage in any authentication business, according to a State Council ordinance promulgated yesterday.

The new regulation was released to establish clear rules for the product certification and accreditation activities of the watchdog and those organizations qualified to conduct certification, training and national accreditation for laboratories.

The China Certification and Accreditation Administration (CNCA) said the unveiling of the regulation is an important step for China's certification reform.

The regulation takes effect on November 1.

The representative offices of foreign authentication organizations, after legal registration with the Chinese administration for industry and commerce, can only conduct business promotion, but cannot engage in actual authentication business.

However, the ordinance allows the establishment of foreign-financed authentication organizations, with specific restrictions.

China encourages the mutual recognition of authentication and certification standards among countries, based on the principles of equality and mutual benefit, according to the regulation, and such recognition should in no way damage national security and public interests.

All authentication activities should be conducted under the principle of  "objectivity, independence, openness, fairness, honesty and trustworthiness,'' states the ordinance.

According to the regulation, the CNCA, established in 2001, is the only watchdog authorized by the central government to supervise certification in the market.

The anonymous official with CNCA said the accreditation procedures included in the regulation are in line with international practices and World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, and create a fair environment for both domestic and overseas products.

He also said China spent a long time forming its unified and standardized certification and accreditation system, which was set up before China's entry into WTO in 2001.

There were previously two sets of quality authentication systems in China -- one was established by the former State Administration for Quality and Technology Supervision, while the former State Administration for Exit-Entry Inspection and Quarantine set up the other.

In August 2000, the State Council pushed for these two independent quality supervision authorities and the quarantine authority to become the ministerial-level State General Administration for Quality Supervision and Inspection and Quarantine. This paved the way for the merger of the two systems.

Now, according to the official, all products that have passed the new accreditation procedures will have a newly designed  "China Certification'' symbol printed on their packaging. In the past, products have had to carry two symbols representing the two different certifications.

Products that have previously passed each of the two accreditation systems will be allowed to use the new symbol without having to be re-certified.

In recent years, China has worked hard to unify its separate quality authentication systems and improve efficiency for domestic and foreign enterprises in this regard.

 "This shows that China is acting in accordance with international practices and that we will keep our promise that China would observe WTO rules after it became a member,'' said the official.

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