./.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONS/CSC/4
26 October 1999
(99-4646)
Committee on Specific Commitments
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS
TO THE COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN SERVICES
1. The Committee on Specific Commitments has held six formal meetings in 1999.  The minutes
of these meetings appear in documents S/CSC/M/7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12.  In its meeting held on
23 March 1999, the Committee re-elected Mr. Juan A. Marchetti of Argentina as its Chairman.  The
discussions of the Committee focused on four items:  the procedures for the implementation of
Article XXI of the GATS (modification of schedules) , classification issues, the institution of a system
of electronically consolidated and updated schedules, and the revision of the scheduling guidelines.
I. PROCEDURES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ARTICLE XXI OF THE GATS
2. Following consultations on the finalization of the procedures for the implementation of GATS
Article XXI (modification of schedules) conducted by the Chairman throughout the year, the
Committee recommended at its meeting of 19 July, the adoption of these procedures.  Subsequently,the procedures were adopted by the Council for Trade in Services at its meeting of 20 July.  The text
of the procedures and a declaration of the Chairman referring to its adoption appear respectively in
documents S/CSC/W/21 and S/CSC/W/23.  The Committee has also held consultations on the text of
a draft decision by the Council for Trade in Services on certification of rectification or improvements
to schedules of specific commitments.
II. CLASSIFICATION
3. As far as classification issues are concerned, the Committee began the examination of the
points on classification raised during the Exchange of Information Programme conducted by the
Council for Trade in Services, on the basis of a compilation of these points drawn up by the
Secretariat and of working documents submitted by delegations.  It was agreed that, at each meeting
of the Committee dedicated to classification, the Secretariat would produce an informal document
listing and updating the suggestions and solutions proposed by Members with regard to the varioussectors.  The Committee agreed on a Member-driven process based on concrete proposals made by
delegations.  In this context it undertook a detailed examination of environmental and
environmentally-related services and began similar work on legal services, energy services, postal
services and construction services.
4. Secondly, the Committee began discussions on the question of the definition and treatment of
new services.  There was broad agreement that this was more a question of classification than of
coverage and that a pragmatic approach, based on concrete examples identified during the Exchange
of Information Programme of the Council, was needed.
III. ESTABLISHMENT OF A NON BINDING ELECTRONIC COMPILATION OF
SCHEDULES OF COMMITMENTS
5. The Committee approved the establishment of a system of electronically consolidated and
updated schedules of commitments.  It was agreed that these electronic schedules would not have
legal status.  The Committee approved the propositions made by the Secretariat with regard to
calendar, format, circulation, language, prices and verification procedure for this project.  It agreed inS/CSC/4
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particular that the outcome of this work should be published and sold to the general public in a CD-
ROM format and that, in view of budgetary constrai nts, the elaboration of a CD-ROM version was a
priority as compared to an online version.
IV. REVISION OF THE SCHEDULING GUIDELINES
6. On scheduling guidelines the Committee requested the Secretariat to produce, as a basis for a
future examination of the guidelines, an informal and technical document on scheduling problems
emerging from the guidelines themselves and from their implementation (S/CSC/W/19).  On this
basis, the Committee has been discussing the issues raised by the Secretariat as well as alternatives to
address them.  Subsequently, the Committee began the examination of a first revised draft of the
scheduling guidelines containing the points on which there is an emerging understanding.  The
Committee also asked the Secretariat to produce a checklist of outstanding problems on scheduling
matters and began its examination.
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