. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/AG/NG/1
31 March 2000
(00-1318)
Committee on Agriculture
Special Session
FIRST SPECIAL SESSION OF THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
Report by the Chairperson to the General Council
1. The Special Session of the Committee on Agriculture, which was established by the General
Council to conduct the negotiations for continuing the reform process under Article 20 of the
Agreement on Agriculture (WT/GC/M/53, paragraph 39 refers), held its first meeting on
23-24 March 2000.
2. As agreed by the General Council on 23 March 2000, this first Special Session was chaired by
the Chairman of the Council for Trade in Goods, Ambassador Roger Farrell, of New Zealand.
3. The Committee adopted the agenda as set out in WTO/AIR/1264.
4. With respect to the requirement that progress in  the negotiations be reported directly to the
General Council on a regular basis, it was agreed that on this occasion a short factual report would be
made to the General Council on the responsibility of the Chairperson.  This was on the understandingthat the report, once circulated, could if necessary be amended to correct any errors of a factual
nature.
5. A number of general statements were made in which participants outlined, inter alia , their
respective positions regarding the negotiations for the continuation of the reform process.  The
statements made and the related discussion will be fully reflected as appropriate in the detailed
summary report of the meeting to be prepared by the Secretariat.  It was noted that participants are
able to request that the full text of their stat ements be circulated as working documents.  (Such
statements are to be distributed in the document series:  G/AG/NG/W/-.)
6. In the light of the suggestions made in this regard and the ensuing discussion, the following
programme and arrangements for the first phase of the negotiations under Article 20 of the Agreement
on Agriculture were agreed:
(a) that work within the framework of paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (d) of Article 20 would
be based on technical papers and submissions to be contributed by interested
participants, as well as on the basis of information and data to be prepared by the
Secretariat at the request of the Committee;
(b) that negotiating proposals would be submitted by participants by the end of
December 2000, on the understanding that there would be flexibility for thesubmission of further or more detailed proposals thereafter, provided that such
submissions are tabled sufficiently in advance of a stock-taking exercise, covering all
proposals submitted, to be undertaken at a March 2001 meeting of the Special
Session;G/AG/NG/1
Page 2
(c) that appropriate provision would be made in the agendas of each of the Special
Session meetings for the discussion of technical papers submitted and proposals
made;
(d) that the Special Session meetings would be held back-to-back with the regular
meetings of the Committee on Agriculture in June, September and November 2000,with the possibility of an additional Specia l Session meeting being held in the interval
prior to the March 2001 stock-taking meeting on the first phase of the negotiations.
The timing of such a meeting, provisionally in the last week of January 2001, would
be decided by the Chairperson in the light of consultations as appropriate.
7. Various suggestions were made by participants for background technical papers by the
Secretariat.  Taking account of these suggestions as appropriate, including experience to date in
implementing commitments, the following background papers would be made available in advance of
the next meeting of the Special Session in June:
(a) revised and updated background papers based on notifications on tariff quotas,
domestic support, and export subsidies, as well as a table showing Members' usage of
domestic support categories, export subsidies and export credits in a common
currency;
(b) an updated background paper on the agricultural trade performance of developing
countries;
(c) a background paper in the context of Article 20(b);
(d) a background paper on implementation of the least-developed and net food-importing
developing countries' Decision.
8. As requested by the participants concerned, the following statements made at the meeting are
being circulated (in the series G/AG/NG/W/-):  Argentina (W/1);  Australia (W/2);  EEC (W/3);
Hungary (W/4);  Japan (W/5);  Norway (W/6);  United States (W/7).
9. The next Special Session is to be held on 29-30 June 2000, following on from the regular
meeting of the Committee on Agriculture which is to meet on Wednesday, 28 June.
__________