WT/REG/W/161  
 
11 October 2021  
(21-7665) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Regional Trade Agreements    
 
DRAFT REPORT ( 2021) OF THE COMMITTEE ON REGIONAL  
TRADE AGREEMENTS TO THE GENERAL COUNCIL  
CHAIRM EN: MR MĀRTIŅŠ KREITUS (LATVIA)  AND  
DR. CLEOPA KILONZO MAILU (KENYA)  
1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1.   Despite the limitations and restrictions caused by the pandemic, the Committee on Regional 
Trade Agreements ( CRTA ) pursue d its activities  with m eetings held in person with a virtual add on 
through the Interprefy platform. At its first meeting in March 2021 , the CRTA elected, by 
acclamation, Ambassador Dr. Cleopa Kilonzo Mailu (Kenya), as Chairman of the CRTA .  
1.2.  During 2021, the Committee held three sessions (in March, June and November) . The minutes 
of those meetings  are listed in the Attachment.  
2  OBSERVER STATUS  
2.1.  No decision was taken with respect to the requests for observer status listed in document 
WT/REG/W/11/Add.4/Rev.2.  
3  EARLY ANNOUNCEMENTS  
3.1.  In the period 16 October 2020 to 15 October 2021, no early announcements were received 
from Members.  
4  NOTIFICATIONS  
4.1.  In the period 16 October 2020 to 15 October 2021, the CRTA received 74 notifications of new 
regional trade agreements ( RTAs), 50 on trade in goods notified under Article XXIV of GATT 1994, 
and 24 on trade in services notified under Article  V of GATS . The majority of these notifications 
concerned the entry into force of various agreements concluded by the United Kingdom following its 
withdrawal from the European Union and the termination of a transition period lasting until 
31 December 2020 .1 The CRTA also received additional notifications concerning six RTAs already  
notified.2 
 
1 European Union (EU) -Pacific States, Accession of Samoa (G); EU -Pacific States, Accession of So lomon 
Islands (G); United Kingdom (UK) -Colombia (G&S); UK -Kosovo * (G) (*any reference to Kosovo shall be 
understood to be in the context of the United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 (1999) ); UK-Lebanon 
(G); UK -Pacific States (G); UK -Pacific States, Accession of Samoa (G); UK -Pacific States, Accession of Solomon 
Islands (G); UK -Palestine (G); UK -Kenya (G); UK -Cameroon (G); UK -Canada (G&S); UK -Cariforum States 
(G&S); UK -Côte d'Ivoire (G); UK -Central America (G&S);UK -Chile (G&S); UK -Faroe Islands (G); UK -Ecuador 
and Peru (G&S); UK -Egypt (G); UK -Eastern Africa States (G); UK -Israel (G); UK -Morocco (G); UK -Norway -
Iceland (G); UK -Republic of Korea (G&S); UK -Singapore (G&S);  UK-Tunisia (G); UK -Turkey (G); UK -Ukraine 
(G&S); UK -Viet Nam (G&S); UK -Switzerland -Liechtenstein (G); UK -North Macedonia (G&S); UK -Republic of 
Moldova (G&S); UK -Georgia (G&S); UK -Japan (G&S); China -Mauritius (G&S);UK -SACU and Mozambique (G); 
UK-Israel (G);EU -Eastern and Southern  Africa States, Accession of Comoros (G); Indonesia -Australia (G&S); 
EU-UK (G&S); ASEAN -Hong Kong, China (G&S); UK -Ghana (G); Namibia -Zimbabwe (G); Pacific Agreement on 
Closer Economic Relations Plus (PACER Plus) (G&S); India -Mauritius (S); Republic of Kor ea-Central America 
(G&S); UK -Jordan (G); UK -Albania (G&S); UK -Serbia (G&S); UK -Mexico (G&S) ; ASEAN Trade in Goods 
Agreement (ATIGA)  (G). 
2 EU Treaty (G&S); EU  - Central America (G&S); UK  - Kenya (G); UK  - Cameroon (G); UK  - Cariforum 
(G&S); UK - Canada (G&S) . WT/REG/W/161  
 
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  4.2.  In an effort to  encourage the notification of non -notified RTAs, the Chairmen with the help of 
the Secretariat continued to draw up and circulate in advance of CRTA meetings a list of non -notified 
RTAs which have been verified by their parties as being in force and appea red in factual presentations 
circulated between September 2009 and October 2021.3  
5  CONSIDERATION OF REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS  
5.1.  In the period 16 October 2020 to 15 October 2021, seven  factual presentations were 
distributed, six of which were used as the basis for consideration of RTAs in the CRTA in 2021 (see 
Attachment) . An additional f actual presentation was circulated to Members for review and will be 
considered at a subsequent meeti ng of the Committee4. 
5.2.  In an effort to unblock the backlog in the receipt of delayed data and comments, the Chairman 
consulted with a number of delegations and encouraged them to provide the missing information as 
soon as possible. The Chairman with the he lp of the Secretariat drew up and circulated in advance 
of CRTA meetings a list of such RTAs.5 
5.3.  Although considerable progress has been made in the preparation of factual presentations, the 
Committee continues to experience some difficulties in adhering to  its work programme. This is due 
to a number of factors: delays in the receipt of statistical data from parties, data discrepancies in 
Members' submissions, and delays in the receipt of comments from parties.  
6  SUBSEQUENT NOTIFICATION AND REPORTING  
6.1.  In the pe riod 16  October 2020 to 15 October 2021, two notifications of changes were received 
and posted on the RTA Database.6 
6.2.  The Secretariat circulated a list of RTAs subject to end of implementation (EOI) reports as of 8 
February 2021  (document WT/REG/W/ 156). EOI  reports were due for 156 RTAs, and the EOI for 
seventeen RTAs was in 2021. The EOI for 132 RTAs is from 2022 onwards , while for one RTA the 
EOI year is not available . No such report was submitted in the period 16 October 2020 to 
15 October  2021.  
7  DATABASE ON RTAS  
7.1.  The Secretariat continues to update the database on individual RTAs, in accordance with the 
requirements of the Transparency Mechanism for RTAs.  
8  TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE  
8.1.  [At the 101st Session of the Committee, the Secretariat gave an account of the RTA -related 
technical assistance activities it had undertaken in 2021 and those planned for 2022.] 
9  PROCEDURES TO IMPROV E AND FACILITATE THE EXAMINATION PROCESS  
9.1.  No discussion took place on this item.  
10  OTHER  
10.1.  The Director -General addressed the 100th Session of the Committee. She underlined the 
important role of the Committee and the significance of RTAs in world trade, noting  however that 
around 75% of world trade was still carried out under WTO terms.  At that occasion, the Chairman 
drew delegates' attention to new material posted in the RTA pages of the WTO website. These include 
a video from Ambassador Guillermo Valles Galmé s, Chair of the Negotiating Group on Rules at the 
 
3 Documents WT/REG/W/ 157, WT/REG/W/ 159 and WT/REG/W/ 162 (to be issued) . 
4 Ukraine -Israel (G).  
5 Documents WT/REG/W/ 158/Rev.1 , WT/REG/W/ 160 and WT/REG/ W/163 (to be issued) . 
6 EU Treaty (WT/REG39/N/1 an d S/C/N/ 6/Add.1)  and ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) 
(WT/REG457/N/1/Add.1) . WT/REG/W/161  
 
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  time of the adoption of the Transparency Mechanism for RTAs, and two infographics prepared by the 
Secretariat.  
10.2.  At the 99th Session, the Committee took note of a statement made by Parties to the Southern 
Common Market (MERCOSUR) of its 30 -year anniversary on 26 March 2021, the date of signature 
of the Treaty of Asunción, its constituent instrument.  
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 WT/REG/W/161  
 
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  ATTACHMENT  
MINUTES OF THE MEETINGS HELD IN 2021 
99th Session – 22 March 2021  
 
 WT/REG/M/ 99 
 
 WT/REG402 /M/1 European Union - Singapore , goods  and services  
 WT/REG404 /M/1 Peru - Australia , goods  and services  
 
100th Session  – 21 June 2021  
 
 WT/REG/M/ 100 
 
WT/REG395 /M/1 Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans -Pacific 
Partnership (CPTPP) , goods and  services  
 
101st Session – 1 November 202 1 (to be issued ) 
 WT/REG/M/ 101 
 
WT/REG/W/ 161 Draft Report (202 1) of the CRTA to the General Council  
WT/REG406 /M/1 European Union – Viet Nam , goods  and services   
WT/REG446 /M/1 Indonesia - Australia , goods and services  
WT/REG407 /M/1 United States -Mexico -Canada (USMCA/CUSMA/T -MEC), goods  
and services  
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