3.65.  There have been no changes to the legislation or regulations governing SPS in Sri Lanka during the period under review. Food imports are regulated by the Food Act No. 26 of 1980, regulations under the Act and subsequent amendments.[101] The importation of any animal, animal product, veterinary drug or veterinary biological product, animal semen or embryo is governed by the Animal Diseases Act No. 59 of 1992, while plant imports are governed by the Plant Protection Act No. 35 of 1999. The Ministry of Healthcare and Nutrition is Sri Lanka's enquiry point and notification authority on SPS matters.[102] Sri Lanka is a member of the Codex Alimentarius Commission and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), and a contracting party to the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)

3.66.  Under the Sri Lanka Standards Institution Act No. 6 of 1984, the SLSI operates a generalized hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) certification scheme to ensure food safety.[103] A certificate holder develops and maintains its food safety assurance programme based on the internationally accepted principles of ISO 22000

3.67.  Under the provisions of the Animal Diseases Act No. 59 of 1992, a special permit, issued by the Controller of Imports and Exports based on the recommendation of the Director General of the Department of Animal Production and Health (DAPH) in the Ministry of Rural Economic Affairs, is required for the import of any animal, animal product, veterinary drug or veterinary biological product, animal semen or embryo. A certificate from the Chief Veterinary Officer of the country of origin, stating that the product is free from any infective substance likely to cause disease in animals as well as zoonotic diseases is required for the issuance of a permit for the import of animal products. For live animals, a certificate is required from the Chief Veterinary Surgeon or an authorized veterinary surgeon of the country of origin. The certificate must set out: the country of origin of the animal; that the animal is and has been free from disease and has not been in contact with diseased animals for three months prior to its exportation; that the place of origin of the animal has been free from disease for 3-12 months (depending on the type of animal) prior to the date of the departure of the vessel carrying the animal from the port of exit; and that the animal has been immunized against the specified diseases. Imports of meat or meat products must be accompanied by a certificate issued by a competent authority in the country of origin warranting that they are fit for human consumption and free from any infective substance likely to cause disease in animals. Animal products to be imported into Sri Lanka must be slaughtered and processed in establishments registered with the veterinary authority in the country of origin. Imports of live animals for human consumption are prohibited

3.68.  A safety certificate from the Chief Veterinary Officer (or a veterinary surgeon authorized by him/her) in the country of origin is required for the importation of veterinary drugs or veterinary biological products. Furthermore, animal imports are subject to a minimum quarantine requirement of 30 days

3.69.  Plant imports are covered by the Plant Protection Act No. 35 of 1999 and its regulations in relation to plant quarantine activities. The Act is administered by the National Plant Quarantine Service in the Department of Agriculture. Plant imports need to be accompanied by a permit, issued by the Director General of Agriculture or the Additional Director of the National Plant Quarantine Service. Permits are issued immediately for vegetable seeds that are included in an approved list, which is published in newspapers periodically. In addition, consignments must also be accompanied by: a phytosanitary certificate issued within 14 days prior to shipment; an International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) certificate; a declaration stating that the consignment is free of soil, certain pests and seed treatment; and a certificate of origin. Imports of fresh fruits and vegetables for human consumption must be accompanied by a certificate from the plant protection authority of the country of origin stating that the fruit has been in cold storage for more than two weeks. Certificates from countries having an incidence of fruit flies are not accepted. The consignment is subject to inspection by a Plant Quarantine Officer

3.70.  The importation of certain plants is prohibited, except for research.[104] Imports of soil and living modified organisms (LMOs) are also prohibited. Imports of animals and animal products are only permitted from countries officially declared as "HPAI Provisional Free Status" by the OIE

3.71.  Imports of GM foods require prior approval from the Chief Food Authority in the Ministry of Healthcare and Nutrition

3.72.  Since January 2010, Sri Lanka has made 19 notifications to the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, covering inter alia: measures on foodstuffs covered by SLSI standards; shelf life of imported foods; food packaging materials and articles; meat and meat products; milk and milk products; plants, plant products, organisms, soil, and other culture media; food colouring substances; tea; coffee; rice flour; carbonated and caffeinated beverages; bottled or packaged drinking water; iodized salt; and genetically modified food

3.48.  During the period under review, there have been no changes to the legislative or regulatory framework governing technical regulations and standards in Sri Lanka. The main piece of legislation governing standards continues to be the Sri Lanka Standards Institution Act No. 6 of 1984, which is administered by the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI). The SLSI, which is under the ambit of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Research, is the national authority for notifications and the national enquiry point.[84] The SLSI is a member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Sri Lanka has accepted the WTO TBT Code of Good Practice.[85]

3.49.  According to the notifications submitted to the WTO, 123 trade-related technical regulations are in place.[86] The authorities stated that new products were introduced under the Imports (Standardization and Quality Control) Regulations 2013, while others were removed from the list.[87]

3.50.  Items on the list are subject to the Import Inspection Scheme (IIS), so as to ensure they are in conformity with the technical regulations specified in the relevant Sri Lanka standard (SLS). Consignments being imported are classified under five different categories. Categories 1 to 4 carry some kind of certificate of compliance with the stipulated standard, issued by a body recognized by the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI).[88] Samples of goods falling under these categories are checked randomly. Category 5 goods are sampled at the port and the consignment is not released until the test report is available, or where facilities are available, the goods may be released to a bonded warehouse, until clearance

3.51.  Furthermore, if the domestic and foreign standards are fully compatible with each other, a quality certificate need not be submitted. In cases where a particular requirement of the national standard deviates from the SLS, a test certificate is needed to certify that the particular requirement complies with the SLS

3.52.  SLS formulation takes into account the equivalent international standards including those established by international bodies such as the ISO, the IEC, and the Codex Alimentarius as well as those by other countries

3.53.  The categories of products specified in the gazetted list of technical regulations[89] include, inter alia: certain types of milk, milk powder, butter, certain vegetable oils, margarine, canned fish, brown sugar, biscuits, noodles, jams, fruit concentrates, some sauces, bottled water, turmeric, lozenges, salt, cement, some toiletries, safety matches, some polyvinyl pipes, motor cycle and bicycle tyres, some types of thread, some steel products, aluminium utensils, some electrical appliances, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soya sauce, lentils, batteries, LPG products, steel containers, fluorescent lamps, switches, plugs, cords, cables, umbrellas, tiles, and porcelain ware. The list has been expanded since the previous review, when it included 103 items. These have been notified to the WTO.[90]

3.54.  The national accreditation authority continues to be the Sri Lanka Accreditation Board for Conformity Assessment (SLAB), which is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Research.[91] The SLAB was established under Act No. 32 of 2005

3.55.  Five accreditation schemes come under the purview of the SLAB. The accreditation scheme for testing and calibration laboratories is based on ISO/IEC 17025. All types of laboratories covering chemical testing, biological testing, physical and mechanical testing, and calibration are included under this scheme. The accreditation scheme for medical/clinical laboratories is based on ISO 15189, and covers clinical pathology, clinical biochemistry, haematology, microbiology and serology, histopathology, immunology, molecular biology, pharmacology and nuclear medicine. The accreditation scheme for inspection bodies, based on ISO/IEC 17020, provides formal recognition to organizations required to conduct various types of inspections for regulatory purposes. The accreditation scheme for certification bodies (CBs) covers systems, product and person certification, and is based on ISO/IEC 17021, and on ISO/IEC 17065 and ISO/IEC 17024. The certification provided by these CBs includes certification of quality management systems (QMS), environmental management systems (EMS), food safety management systems, certification of products (e.g. tea and textiles), certification of persons (e.g. non-destructive testing) and occupational health and safety management systems. Lastly the accreditation scheme for greenhouse gas validation and verification bodies (GHG V/VBs) covers GHG assertion of different technical sectors based on ISO/IEC 14065

3.56.  There are currently 34 domestic laboratories and institutions accredited for chemical testing[92], 17 for mechanical testing[93], three for electrical testing[94], 11 for biological testing[95], and six for calibration.[96] Additionally, 20 medical laboratories, three certification bodies and 2 GHG validation/verification bodies are also accredited

3.57.  Sri Lanka has not signed any mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) with third countries pertaining to technical regulations, standards, or conformity assessment procedures

3.58.  The SLAB is a full member of: the Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Corporation (APLAC) and is a signatory to the APLAC's MRA; the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), and a signatory to ILAC's MRA; and, the Pacific Accreditation Council (PAC), an association of accreditation bodies whose objective is to facilitate trade and commerce among economies in the Asia Pacific region by promoting the international acceptance of the accreditations granted by its members. The SLAB is also a full member of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and a signatory to the Multilateral Arrangement (MLA) of the IAF. The SLAB was admitted as a signatory to the Multilateral Arrangement (MLA) of the IAF for management system certification (QMS, EMS) and product certification in March 2014 and for food safety and management systems (FSMS) in November 2015

3.59.  Technical regulations from trading partners are accepted as equivalent after evaluation of a declaration of conformity and a technical dossier. Pursuant to Cabinet Decision No. 16/0071/716/003 of 20 January 2016, accreditation is mandatory for all technical decisions pertaining to imports. As a result, certificates issued by accredited certification bodies that are signatories to the IAF MLA, as well as tests and inspection reports issued by accredited laboratories and inspection bodies that are signatories to the ILAC MRA, are accepted when taking technical decisions

3.60.  The Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI) continues to be responsible for formulating national standards. It also provides certification, inspection, testing and industrial calibration services.[97]

3.61.  Standards development takes place in requisite committees and is a consultative process involving all stakeholders such as: interested parties representing consumers, producers, users, public institutions, and independent technical organizations. To the extent possible, international standards are followed; priority is given to standards that facilitate internal and external trade and enhance the international competitiveness of Sri Lankan products.[98]

3.62.  There are over 1,400 standards relating to products, commodities, materials, processes and practices.[99] These standards are primarily voluntary; 41 out of some 1,400 standards (mainly on building materials, household electrical appliances, food and consumer products) are referred to as technical regulations

3.63.  The "SLS Marks Scheme", Sri Lanka's product certification scheme, enables the SLSI, under the provisions of the Sri Lanka Standards Institution Act, to grant permits to eligible local and foreign manufacturers to use the "SLS" mark on their products.[100] The SLS mark certifies that the product has been manufactured in accordance with the relevant Sri Lanka standard's specification and verified by regular inspections and tests by the SLSI. Permits are valid for three years and may be renewed; they may be revoked if production stops, if fees are not paid or if the product does not conform

3.64.  Furthermore, under the Sri Lanka Standards Institution Act No. 6 of 1984, the SLSI operates management systems certification schemes based on international standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 22001. In addition to the SLSI, the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) sets quality regulations and technical specifications for equipment and quality of service (QOS) standards in the telecommunications sector