Standards and conformance regulatory system

System description and objectives

The standards and conformance system is an institutional framework that seeks to:

• protect the health, safety and wellbeing of individuals and consumers
• facilitate international trade
• sustain industry
• support innovation.

The system achieves these things by implementing and verifying adherence with domestic, joint (Australia and New Zealand) and international standards, measurements and technical regulations. Specifically it provides frameworks for:

• standards development and management
• scientific and legal metrology – the development and use of measurement standards and methods for trade and scientific purposes
• calibration, accreditation and conformity assessment services.

The system is foundational as an institutional framework that establishes service delivery agencies with specific functions. It is sometimes called the Quality Infrastructure system.

The conformance element of the system is supported by a strategy that was agreed by the Government in June 2019. The strategy provides a common direction and goals for enhancing conformance. More information about the implementation of the strategy is available below.

Ministerial portfolios and statutes

In addition to the statutes that establish the legislative framework for the standards and conformance system, the following international treaty agreement with Australia is an important foundational document that establishes a trans-Tasman delivery agency:

• Agreement between New Zealand and Australia concerning the Establishment of the Governing Board, Technical Advisory Council and Accreditation Review Board of the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand

Regulatory agencies and their roles

The diagram below shows key agencies involved in the standards and conformance system and their general functions.

MBIE is the agency with oversight, policy and regulatory stewardship responsibilities for the standards and conformance system.

The other key agencies in the system are delivery agencies:

• Standards New Zealand(external link) is responsible for the development and management of standards. It is a business unit within MBIE.
• The Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ)(external link) is responsible for providing accreditation services. It is an international organisation of Australia and New Zealand.
• International Accreditation New Zealand(external link) is responsible for providing accreditation services. It is part of a Crown Entity under the Crown Entities Act 2004.
• The Measurement Standards Laboratory (MSL)(external link) is part of Callaghan Innovation which is also a Crown Entity. It is responsible for implementing and verifying compliance with measurement standards and related services.
• Trading Standards(external link) is a team within MBIE. It undertakes monitoring, compliance and enforcement of trade measurement, monitors fuel quality and oversees New Zealand's product safety settings.

Collaboration and information-sharing

Most of the delivery agencies in the system are operationally independent of MBIE and formal statutory and treaty-based governance and accountability and reporting requirements apply to them.  

MBIE facilitates the Standards, Accreditation and Metrology Group as a collaboration and information-sharing mechanism between the agencies. The group includes MBIE’s Trading Standards team. MBIE also regularly engages with the agencies in other ways, such as regular meetings with the chief executives, chairs and boards.

There is a substantial international dimension to the standards and conformance system. The system supports exporters to get their goods into overseas markets and gain the trust of overseas consumers. It also provides an important check on the quality of imported goods.

MBIE works with other agencies to reduce unnecessary barriers to trade created by standards and conformance requirements in regulations. For more information, read the Technical Barriers to Trade Strategy.

MBIE and the delivery agencies participate in international bodies, networks and initiatives to facilitate trade, advance New Zealand’s interests and meet our international obligations.  Examples include:

• International standards setting bodies (eg International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC))
• International accreditation body networks (eg International Accreditation Forum)
• Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Sub-committee on Standards and Conformance
• World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade Committee.

The delivery agencies also cooperate closely with counterpart agencies overseas (for example with standards and conformance agencies in Australia).

Regulated parties and main stakeholders

Regulated parties

The standards and conformance system does not directly regulate third parties.  Rather, it provides frameworks that enable other regulatory systems to incorporate standards and conformance as a way of implementing and verifying adherence with those systems’ requirements.

Main stakeholders

Stakeholders include the businesses and regulatory agencies that use the system to achieve relevant business or policy objectives. The standards and conformance delivery agencies work with a range of regulators on a day-to-day basis.

Consumers are stakeholders too. The system plays an integral part in consumer safety and protection, and ensuring that goods and services are of an acceptable quality.

Processes for engagement with stakeholders

• MBIE uses and maintains stakeholder networks for engagement purposes.
• The delivery agencies engage closely with their own stakeholders.