59.  Poland has developed an extensive system of standards and certification to protect consumer interests; in the main they do not appear to be harmonized with international norms. Many of these product standards are mandatory and must be certified by accredited Polish testing agencies. A Polish "B" safety certificate has been required since 1997 for imports and domestic production of many goods.[20] Poland does not automatically accept the EU "CE" mark or other international product standards, nor self-certification by manufacturers, primarily because it has no product liability legislation (although pending). Non-acceptance of many international standards, certification, and conformity testing procedures have been associated with long delays, involving expensive testing processes

60.  Harmonization of standards, certification, and testing procedures with the EU, including greater reliance on voluntary standards, is now the main objective of Polish standardization policy. Under the European Conformity Assessment Agreement of 1997, Poland agreed to introduce an EC- compatible certification system. Poland agreed, inter alia, to gradually align its regulations and certification procedures with the EU; to remove from mandatory certification those products free from certification in the EU; and to automatically provide a B safety certificate to EU products subject to mandatory certification. However, while the list of products requiring mandatory certification in Poland was reduced from 1,400 industrial products to 700 in 1997, major delays have occurred in implementing the Agreement. Products covered by the B-mark requirement cover about one third of all goods marketed in Poland. They include wire rods, steel pipes and castings, motor vehicle components, bicycles, personal computers, fertilizers, and shampoo. The number of B certificates issued increased from 8,594 in 1997 to 11,810 in 1998

61.  Compulsory testing is performed by bodies mandated by the government certification agency, the Polish Centre for Testing and Certification (PCBC). Formed in 1994 under the Act on Testing and Certification of 1993, the PCBC is the national body responsible for the creation and supervision of testing and certification policies. Its main duties include organization and supervision of the testing and certification system; the accreditation of testing laboratories and certification bodies; and carrying out product testing and certification. ISO rules on accreditation are applied. As well as compulsory testing, the PCBC performs a range of voluntary product testing and certification, such as certification of the Q quality mark as well as ISO 9000 and 14000 certification. By end-1998, there were 70 accredited certification bodies, up from 59 in 1997, and 232 certificates for testing laboratories had been issued.[21]

62.  Poland's Standardization Law, effective from 1 January 1994, provides the foundation for moving towards a system based on voluntary standards and for greater harmonization with EU and international norms. The Polish Committee for Standardization (PKN) sets Polish standards.[22] Much of its recent work has focussed on reviewing Polish standards. There are currently 18,000 Polish standards, of which about 75% comply with EU norms, and about 15% cover international standards (ISO and IEC) not adopted by the EU. The remaining 10% of standards are Polish-based. The objective is to have at least 80% of Polish standards harmonized with EU norms by 2002.[23] Poland will invoke EU norms in cases where there are different EU and international standards. Legislation allowing type approval of vehicles entered into force on 1 July 1999

63.  Poland has established, and notified to the WTO, a number of bilateral mutual recognition agreements concerning standards and conformity testing procedures between the PCBC and overseas bodies.[24] Partners to these agreements include bodies from Ukraine, China, Belarus, Germany, the Czech Republic, the Russian Federation, Italy, and Switzerland. Legislation was amended in July 1999 to allow the importation of certain products from countries with which Poland has signed mutual recognition agreements based on conformity statements issued by the foreign producer

64.  Certain imported foodstuffs must be inspected by the Agricultural and Food Quality Inspection Agency to ensure that they are fit for human consumption (Law on State Standardization Supervision of Food and Agricultural Products in Foreign Turnover of 1996). Products covered are listed in the Regulation of the Ministry of Agriculture of July 1999

65.  SPS standards in Poland are primarily the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Economy (called the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development since late 1999). Regulations governing phytosanitary measures include the Law on Protection of Crop Plants of 1995; and the 1996 Directives from the Ministry of Agriculture on the Control of Harmful Organisms and on Principles for Granting the Authorization of Plant Protection Products to be Placed on the Polish Market. Since 1996, a number of phytosanitary measures have been implemented, including systems for plant and animal export certification and border control. Imports of a number of weeds are prohibited, and quarantine regulations on imported grains stipulating minimum weed contamination, such as for ragweed, are claimed by exporters to be particularly stringent

66.  Plant protection regulations are administered by the State Plant Protection Inspection Service, established in 1996. It is responsible for phytosanitary inspection of imported plants and plant products as well as issuing phytosanitary certificates on exports. Imports of a number of plants and plant products are banned, including seed potatoes from the Netherlands, or require a phytosanitary certificate issued from the relevant authority in the exporting country. Phytosanitary permits are also required to import live plants, fresh fruit and vegetables. According to the authorities, these regulations are in accordance with international standards, and do not discriminate against imports

67.  Poland also maintains phytosanitary restrictions on imports of animals and animal products for health reasons. Import permits, requiring a phytosanitary certificate from the exporting country, are required for meat, dairy, semen, embryos, gelatine and live animals. Poland introduced new regulations on genetically modified food in November 1999. Sale of such food requires permission and an evaluation of risks for human health and the environment. New milk-quality standards, implemented in January 2000, prohibit third-grade milk from being sold off-farm. Processing plants may only procure high quality milk that meets EU requirements

68.  Since 1992, Poland has signed bilateral agreements concerning phytosanitary matters with the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Bulgaria, the Republics of Belarus and Lithuania, and the Slovak Republic (1994); China and Turkey (1995); Morocco, Croatia, Slovenia, and Macedonia (1996); Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Czech Republic (1997); and Brazil (1999)

69.  In accordance with the provisions of the SPS Agreement, Poland has regularly submitted notifications to the WTO on its SPS measures, for comment, prior to their entry into force. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is the national notification authority and enquiry point

70.  Poland maintains regulations regarding labelling of food products and additives. These are harmonized with EU requirements, and according to the authorities, are based on the General Codex Standard on Food Labelling. From November 1999, products containing genetically modified organisms must be labelled accordingly