On August 6, 2023, the Standardization Administration of China (SAC) issued the Interim Provisions on Conversion of Association Standards into Recommended National Standards (hereinafter referred to as “the Interim Provisions”). It is the first time that a national provision has been issued to specify a clear pathway and requirements for association standards to become national ones.
The Interim Provisions contains 17 articles that elaborate on the qualification of the to-be-converted standards, basic rules, documentation required, and conversion assessment criteria. The details of key contents are summarized below:
- Conversion qualification:
· Complying with the development requirements and scope of recommended national standards, the technical contents in the association standards are advanced and leading.
· Formulated and released by the social organizations that comply with the standard of Good Practice of Social Organization Standardization.
· Published on the National Association Standards information platform for 2 years, reaching sound effects.
- Applications can be submitted by a suggestion from a national TC to the association that formulated the standard or applied by the association to a national TC.
- Evaluation items for standard conversion:
· Whether meet the qualifications
· The necessity of conversion standards, including i) whether the standard users are extensive; ii) need and urgency of conversion standards.
· Feasibility of conversion standards
- The converted national standard will skip the formulation step and have a shortened call-for-comment period compared with regular standard developing procedures.
With the clarification of such conversion, association standards will practically play a more important role in China’s system. The reputable associations in China that have been formulating professional and applicable standards shall weigh in more into the country’s standard system. It also opens an indirect but more feasible and easier pathway for foreign stakeholders to participate in China’s standardization work.
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