The National Assembly has passed the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Standards and Technical Regulations, which will take effect from January 1, 2026.
The Law, adopted on June 14, stipulates that organizations and individuals engaged in production and business activities subject to the application of technical regulations are responsible for declaring conformity for products, goods, services, processes, environments, and other entities involved in socio-economic activities.
The Law also simplifies procedures by allowing exemptions from the requirement to declare conformity for products and goods that fully meet quality management requirements as stipulated by other relevant laws, provided these requirements are equivalent to those in national technical regulations. Organizations and individuals must register their declarations of conformity through the National Database on Standards, Metrology, and Quality.
A member of the National Assembly presses the voting button to pass the draft law at the Dien Hong Hall on June 14. Photo: National Assembly’s Web Portal
The National Assembly Standing Committee stated that the declaration of conformity consists of two main components: assessment of conformity with the corresponding technical regulations, and registration of the declaration of conformity with the relevant specialized agency.
Conformity assessment is the process of determining whether a product or good complies with the technical specifications and management requirements set out in applicable technical regulations. This assessment provides the technical and legal basis for state authorities to conduct inspections, handle disputes, and enforce regulations on product quality. It helps build consumer trust and meets the core requirements of mutual recognition agreements and next-generation free trade agreements.
Therefore, the declaration of conformity is a necessary measure to ensure effective state management, protect consumers, and enhance the reputation of enterprises. Meanwhile, registration of the declaration of conformity is simply an administrative procedure to notify the regulatory agency.
To reduce administrative procedures and costs for businesses, the revised Law allows broader use of conformity assessment results as a basis for declaring conformity. It also exempts products and goods from the declaration process if they fully meet quality management requirements under other specialized laws that are equivalent to national technical regulations. “Businesses will now only need to follow one procedure instead of two as before,” the report noted.
To promote the application of digital technology in administrative processes, the Law simplifies conformity registration: organizations and individuals now only need to submit conformity declarations via the National Database on Standards, Metrology, and Quality.
In addition to the above, the newly adopted Law also adjusts procedures for the formulation, appraisal, and issuance of technical regulations. Appraisal authority is now assigned to the agencies responsible for issuing Vietnamese technical regulations, as proposed by the Government.
The Law also includes provisions on replacing or abolishing technical regulations to promote decentralization and delegation of authority, ensure that each task is assigned to a single responsible agency, enhance flexibility in state management, and reduce the time required for appraisal and promulgation.
Son Ha