Standards for Trade

Overview

Cabo Verde does not develop unique national standards unilaterally or with a company.  Cabo Verde is in the process of joining the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), of which the United States is also a member, and largely uses its standards.  The country is a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which also develops standards and has a body responsible for the regional normalization of standards (ECOSHAM).  Cabo Verde is bound by the ECOWAS treaty to apply European Union (EU) standards through the EU’s Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), an association agreement with ECOWAS.  The body responsible for standardization in Cabo Verde is the Institute of Quality and Intellectual Property.

Standards

The Cabo Verdean normative documents include all Cabo Verdean standards, technical specifications, technical reports, guides, and technical agreements and are published in the official gazette as adopted.  Also included are all regional and international normative documents that Cabo Verde has adopted.  In addition to the published or adopted standards, Cabo Verde may adopt additional standards from recognized international entities.

Testing, Inspection, and Certification

The Multisectoral Regulatory Agency for the Economy (ARME) and the Regulatory Agency for Health (ERIS) are responsible for inspections and certification of products entering the market.  The Institute of Quality and Intellectual Property supports national inspection authorities’ efforts to guarantee best international practices, ensuring that the National Quality System and the Conformity Assessment System adhere to international standards.  In June 2020, the government created a National Certification Commission (CONCERT) to develop and implement certification processes for products and services and to promote national private initiatives in the field of certification.  CONCERT includes representatives of the Institute for Quality Management and Intellectual Property; General Directorate for Agriculture, Forestry and Livestock (DGASP); the Institute for Research and Agrarian Development (INIDA); National Directorate of Industry, Commerce, and Energy (DNICE); Chamber of Commerce of Barlavento (CCB); Chamber of Commerce of Sotavento (CCISS); Cabo Verdean Quality Association (ACQ); Association for Defense of Consumers (ADECO); and the Independent Health Regulatory Authority (ERIS).

Publication of Technical Regulations

Regulations are published in the government’s official gazette Boletim Official de Cabo Verde. 

Use ePing to review proposed technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures 

The ePing SPS&TBT platform (https://epingalert.org/), or “ePing”, provides access to notifications made by WTO Members under the Agreements on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), distributed by the WTO from January 16, 1995 to present.  ePing is available to all stakeholders free of charge and does not require registration unless the user wishes to receive customized e-mail alerts.  Use it to browse notifications on past as well as new draft and updated product regulations, food safety and animal and plant health standards and regulations, find information on trade concerns discussed in the WTO SPS and TBT Committees, locate information on SPS/TBT Enquiry Points and notification authorities, and to follow and review current and past notifications concerning regulatory actions on products, packaging, labeling, food safety and animal and plant health measures in markets of interest.

Notify U.S., operated and maintained by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) since 2003 to distribute and provide access to notifications (and associated draft texts) made under the WTO TBT Agreement for US stakeholders, has reached its end of life.  Per obligation under the TBT Agreement, each WTO Member operates a national TBT (and an SPS) Enquiry Point.   National TBT Enquiry Points are authorized to accept comments and official communications from other national TBT Enquiry Points, which are NOT part of the WTO or the WTO Secretariat.  All comment submissions from U.S. stakeholders, including businesses, trade associations, U.S domiciled standards development organizations and conformity assessment bodies, consumers, or U.S. government agencies on notifications to the WTO TBT Committee should be sent directly to the USA WTO TBT Inquiry Point.  Refer to the comment guidance at https://tsapps.nist.gov/notifyus/data/guidance/guidance.cfm for further information.