The concept of Common Regulatory Objectives (CROs):
At the core of the model is the concept of Common Regulatory Objectives (CROs). CROs address legitimate Government concerns related to public health, safety or protection of the environment. They are jointly defined, preferably with reference to international standards. They specify:
- How compliance is assessed?
- Which conformity assessment bodies are recognized as competent?
- What competence criteria are to be fulfilled, as well as other flanking issues?
Common Regulatory Objectives (CROs) are not binding, but authorities should transpose these agreements into national technical regulations. Once this is done, products that have been assessed in the exporting country as compliant with the CROs can automatically be sold in other markets with no further assessment.