The Andean Community has an Andean System of Standardization, Accreditation, Assays, Certification, Technical Regulations and Metrology, henceforth known as the Andean Quality System, created by Decision 376 in April 1995 and perfected by Decision 419 of July 30, 1997, whose aim is to foster more free-flowing intra-Community trade by eliminating unnecessary barriers and by improving the quality of the goods produced in the Andean Subregion.

The Andean Quality System includes all of the variables that constitute the quality infrastructure: standardization, accreditation, assays, certification, technical regulations and metrology.  It is applicable to all of the Subregion’s products, the only exceptions being sanitary and phytosanitary measures or others regulated by a specific Decision.

Technical standardization operates within the context of the Andean Standardization Network (RAN), whose purpose is to harmonize and adopt Andean technical standards in production and service sectors that are considered to be of Subregional interest, such as foods, textiles-garments, leather-footwear, wood-furniture, and motor vehicles, among others.  The RAN’s Regulations (Resolution 313) establish the guidelines for the RAN’s operation.

In the case of Technical Regulation,  sanitary legislation has been harmonized with regard to low-risk products (cosmetics, domestic hygiene products and absorbent personal hygiene products) and includes requirements for their access and marketing, together with procedures for the sanitary notification, control and surveillance of these products in the intra-Community market.  In addition, vehicle size and weight limits for international passenger and cargo transportation have also been harmonized.

The Andean Community Information System on Technical Notification and Regulation (SIRT) (Decision 615) is part of the Andean Quality System and its purpose is to apply the principle of transparency to the formulation and notification of technical regulations issued by CAN Member Countries.

Accreditation  is carried out in the context of the Andean Network of National Accreditation Bodies.  These Bodies are responsible for establishing supervisory mechanisms that will ensure the reliability of the results obtained by the conformity assessment bodies they themselves have accredited, whether they be called testing laboratories, calibration laboratories, certification bodies (products, systems, persons) and inspection bodies.

The Andean Quality System encourages the application of the International System of Units and the achievement of Andean traceability that will guarantee the technical credibility of the results obtained by the Member Countries’ different conformity assessment bodies.

With regard to Metrology, Decision 376 created the pertinent Andean Network that operates in that area, which has merged with the Inter-American Metrology System’s (SIM) ANDIMET Regional Group because they have the same membership, objectives and functions.  Nonetheless, the (CAN) Andean Committee on Standardization, Accreditation, Assays, Certification, Technical Regulations and Metrology continues to define metrology policy at the Andean level.