WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION  
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DU COMMERCE  
ORGANIZACIÓN MUNDIAL DEL COMERCIO  
 
 
Centre William Rappard    Rue de Lausanne 154    Case postale    CH - 1211 Genève 21 
 Téléphone:  (+41 22) 739 51 11    Fax:  (+41 22) 731 42 06 
Internet:  http://www.wto.org  
Línea directa: (+41 22) 739 53 48 
Fax directo: (+41 22) 739 57 88 
Email: tessa.jurin@wto.org   
 
4 de junio de 2002 
Referencia:  WLI/100 
 
  
 
  
ACUERDO DE MARRAKECH POR EL QUE SE ESTABLECE 
LA ORGANIZACIÓN MUNDIAL DEL COMERCIO 
HECHO EN MARRAKECH EL 15 DE ABRIL DE 1994 
 
ACUERDO GENERAL SOBRE EL COMERCIO DE SERVICIOS 
 
CERTIFICACIÓN DE RECTIFICACIONES O MEJORAS DE LAS 
LISTAS DE COMPROMISOS ESPECÍFICOS 
 
EGIPTO 
 
ENVÍO DE COPIA AUTENTICADA
 
  
 Tengo el honor de remitirle adjunta una copia autenticada de la Certificación de mejoras de la 
Lista de compromisos específicos de Egipto.  Los pr ocedimientos para introducir esas mejoras han 
concluido de conformidad con las disposiciones establecidas en los Procedimientos para la 
certificación de rectificaciones o mejoras de las Listas de compromisos específicos 
(documento S/L/84).  Las mejoras certificadas de la Lista de compromisos específicos de Egipto forman parte integrante de la Lista de compromiso s específicos con efecto a partir del 3 de junio 
de 2002.
1 
  
 
  
 
 
 Mike Moore 
 Director General  
 
  
0 2 - 3 2 4 4           W T / L e t / 4 2 1  
                                                      
1 Para facilitar la consulta, el texto de es tas mejoras se ha distribuido también en el 
documento GATS/SC/30/Suppl.3. 
  
 
 
ACUERDO DE MARRAKECH POR EL QUE SE ESTABLECE 
LA ORGANIZACIÓN MUNDIAL DEL COMERCIO 
HECHO EN MARRAKECH EL 15 DE ABRIL DE 1994 
 
ACUERDO GENERAL SOBRE EL COMERCIO DE SERVICIOS 
 
CERTIFICACIÓN DE RECTIFICACIONES O MEJORAS DE LAS  
LISTAS DE COMPROMISOS ESPECÍFICOS  
 
EGIPTO  
  
 CONSIDERANDO que el Consejo del Comercio de Servicios adoptó el 18 de abril de 2000 
una Decisión (documento S/L/83) por la que se adopt aron los Procedimientos para la certificación de 
rectificaciones o mejoras de las Listas de  compromisos específicos (documento S/L/84); 
 
 CONSIDERANDO que, de conformidad con lo dispuesto en los Procedimientos antes 
mencionados, el 19 de abril de 2002 se comunicó a los Miembros de la Organización Mundial del 
Comercio, en el documento S/C/W/207, un proy ecto que contiene las mejoras de la Lista 
GATS/SC/30 (Egipto); 
 
 CONSIDERANDO que han concluido los procedimientos para la certificación de rectificaciones o mejoras de la Lista de compromisos específicos (S/L/103); 
 
 POR LA PRESENTE SE CERTIFICA que las mejoras de la Lista de compromisos específicos de Egipto que figuran anexas se han establecido de conformidad con los Procedimientos 
antes mencionados y forman parte integrante de la Lista de compromisos específicos de Egipto con 
efecto a partir del 3 de junio de 2002.  
 La presente Certificación quedará depositada en poder del Director General de la 
Organización Mundial del Comercio, quien remitirá sin dilación una copia autenticada a cada uno de los Miembros de la Organización Mundial del Come rcio, y será registrada de conformidad con las 
disposiciones del Artículo 102 de la Carta de las Naciones Unidas. 
  HECHA en Ginebra el cuatro de junio de dos mil dos. 
 
  
 
 Mike Moore 
 Director General 
  
 
  
Copia autenticada: 
  
 
  
 
 Director General   
- 1 -  
EGYPT 
 
General Agreement on Trade in Services 
 
Schedule of Specific Commitments 
 
Supplement 3 
 
(This is authentic in English only) 
 
This text is inserted as the telecommunications services section in document GATS/SC/30. 
  
4 June 2002   
- 2 - EGYPT – SCHEDULE OF SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS 
 
 
 Modes of supply:  1)  Cross-border supply  2) Consumption abroad  3) Commercial Presence    4) Presence  of  natural persons 
Sector or Sub-sector Limitations on Market Access Limi tations on National Treatment Additional Commitments 
2.C. Telecommunications 
 Services 
 This schedule does not 
include telecommunication 
services supplied for 
distribution of radio or television programming 
for direct reception by 
service consumer.  
(3) a) Licenses for the provision of all 
telecommunication services in Egypt are to 
be granted by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority. A transparent and 
non-discriminatory Economic Needs Test 
shall be the main basis for granting licenses until 31/12/2005.
2 
 
 b) Licenses are to be provided only to 
companies registered in Egypt. 
   
The government of Egypt 
undertakes additional 
commitments as set out in the attached reference paper hereto. 
Egypt is currently in the process 
of presenting a new Telecommunications Act to the 
People's Assembly (Egyptian 
Parliament).  
  c) Telecom Egypt ha s exclusive rights to 
provide cross-border tr ansmission into or 
out of  Egypt using any means of 
technology for an exclusivity period that 
terminates no later than 31/12/2005. 
Licensees providing international data 
communication services have to lease international private lines from Telecom 
Egypt throughout the period of exclusivity. 
  d) Companies working in the 
telecommunications sector must train local 
human resources. 
   
                                                      
2 Continuation of ENT beyond 31/12/2005 shall be subject to consultations between Egypt and WTO Members, taking into considerati on progress of the CTS 
discussions on ENT.   
- 3 -  Modes of supply:  1)  Cross-border supply  2) Consumption abroad  3) Commercial Presence    4) Presence  of  natural persons 
Sector or Sub-sector Limitations on Market Access Limi tations on National Treatment Additional Commitments 
 
International and domestic services 
using any means of technology: 
2.C.a Voice telephone 
services 2.C.d Telex services 
2.C.e Telegraph services 
2.C.f  Facsimile services 2.C.g  Private leased lines 
 (International Only) 
 (1) Unbound until 31/12/2005. After that date, 
none.
3  
(2) None. 
(3) a) Telecom Egypt has an exclusivity for the 
provision of the services that terminates no 
later than 31/12/2005. After that date, 
none. (1) None 
(2)  None 
(3)  None  
  b) Resale of services is allowed based on 
agreements with Telecom Egypt. 
 
 c) Telecom Egypt is currently privatizing 
part of its shares through an initial public 
offering or sale to a strategic investor. 
Telecom Egypt may continue the privatization up to 49% of its shares in 
subsequent stages. 
 d) Public payphones, none. 
  
 
 
  
 
   
 (4)  Unbound, except as indicated in the 
horizontal section. (4)  Unbound, except as indicated in 
the horizontal section. 
  
International services using any 
means of technology: 
 
2.C.b&c Data services 2.C.o Internet Services (1)  Unbound until 31/12/2005. After that date, 
none.
2 
(2)  None 
(3)  None (4)  Unbound, except as indicated in the 
horizontal section. (1)  None 
 
(2)   None 
(3)   None (4)   Unbound, except as indicated in 
the horizontal section. 
  
                                                      
3 A license is required.    
- 4 -  Modes of supply:  1)  Cross-border supply  2) Consumption abroad  3) Commercial Presence    4) Presence  of  natural persons 
Sector or Sub-sector Limitations on Market Access Limi tations on National Treatment Additional Commitments 
Domestic services using any 
means of technology: 
2.C.b&c  Data services 
2.C.g  Private leased 
lines  
2.C.o  Internet Services (1)  Unbound until 31/12/2005. After that date, 
none.2 
(2) None 
(3) None  (4)  Unbound, except as indicated in the 
horizontal section. 
 (1)   None 
 
(2)  None 
(3)   None (4)   Unbound, except as indicated in 
the horizontal section.  
Other services: 
2.C.o  Mobile services 
  (Digital Only) (1)  Unbound until 31/12/2005. After that date, 
none.2 
(2)  None 
(3) Two private GSM900 operators have 
licenses to provide the services in Egypt 
with exclusive right until 30/11/2002. 
After that date, none. 
(4)  Unbound, except as indicated in the 
horizontal section. 
 (1)  None. 
 
(2)  None. 
(3)  None.  
 
 (4)  Unbound, except as indicated in 
the horizontal section.  
Other services using any means of 
technology: 
2.c.o  Paging services 
2.c.o  VSAT 
2.c.h.-n. Value Added Services  
 
(1)  Unbound until 31/12/2005. After that date, 
none.2 
(2)  None (3)  None 
(4) Unbound, except as  indicated in the 
horizontal section   
 
(1) None. 
 
(2)  None. 
(3)  None. 
(4)  Unbound, except as indicated in 
the horizontal section 
  
 
     
 
 _______________  
2A license is required 
 - 5 - 
  
 Reference Paper
 
 Scope  
 The following are definitions and principl es on the regulatory framework for the basic 
telecommunications services.  Definitions 
 
Users
 mean service consumer s and service suppliers. 
 
Essential facilities   mean facilities of a public telecommuni cations transport network or service that 
  (a) are exclusively or predominantly provided by a single or limited number of 
suppliers; and 
 
 (b) cannot feasibly be economically or tech nically substituted in order to provide a 
service. 
 A major supplier
 is a supplier which has the ability to materially affect the terms of participation (having 
regard to price and supply) in the relevant market for basic telecommunications services as a result of: 
 
 (a) control over esse ntial facilities; or 
  (b) use of its position in the market.  
1. Competitive safeguards 
 1.1 Prevention of anti-competitive practices in telecommunications
 
  Appropriate measures shall be maintained for the purpose of preventing suppliers who, alone or 
together, are a major supplier  from engaging in or continui ng anti-competitive practices. 
 
1.2 Safeguards
 
  The anti-competitive practices referred to above shall include in particular:   (a) engaging in anti-competitive cross-subsidization; 
 
 (b) using information obtained from competitors with anti-competitive results; and   (c) not making available to other servi ces suppliers on a tim ely basis technical 
information about essential fa cilities and commercially rele vant information which are 
necessary for them to provide services. 
 2. Interconnection 
 
2.1 This section applies to linking with supplie rs providing public teleco mmunications transport 
networks or services in order to allow the users of  one supplier to communicate with users of another 
supplier and to access services provided by a nother supplier, where sp ecific commitments are 
undertaken.  - 6 - 
  
 2.2 Interconnection to be ensured
 
  Interconnection with a major suppl ier will be ensured at any tec hnically feasible point in the 
network. Such interc onnection is provided 
  (a) under non-discriminatory terms, conditions (including  technical standards and 
specifications) and rates and of a quality no less favourable than that provided for its 
own like services or for like services of non-affiliated se rvice suppliers or for its 
subsidiaries or other affiliates; 
  (b) in a timely fashion, on terms, condi tions (including technical standards and 
specifications) and cost-oriented rates that are transparent, reasonable, having regard to 
economic feasibility, and suffi ciently unbundled so that the supplier need not pay for 
network components or facilities  that it does not require for the service to be provided; 
and 
 
 (c) upon request, at points in addition to the network terminatio n points offered to 
the majority of users, subject to charges that  reflect the cost of construction of necessary 
additional facilities. 
 2.3 Public availability of the procedures for interconnection negotiations
 
 
 The procedures applicable for interconnec tion to a major supplier will be made publicly 
available.  2.4  Transparency of interconnection arrangements
 
 
 It is ensured that any supplier with a dominant  position will make publicly  available either its 
interconnection agreements or a reference interconnection offer. 
 2.5  Interconnection: dispute settlement
 
  A service supplier requesting in terconnection with a major supplie r will have recourse, either: 
 
 (a) at any time or   (b) after a reasonable period of time  which has been made publicly known 
 
to an independent domestic body, which may be a regu latory body as referred to  in paragraph 5 below, 
to resolve disputes regarding a ppropriate terms, cond itions and rates for interconnection within a 
reasonable period of time, to the extent that  these have not been established previously. 
 
3. Universal service  
 Any Member has the right to define the kind  of universal service obligation it wishes to 
maintain. Such obligations will not be regarded as anti-competitive per se, provided they are administered in a transparent, non-discriminatory and comp etitively neutral manner and are not more 
burdensome than necessary for the kind of universal service defined by the Member. 
 - 7 - 
  
 4. Public availability of licensing criteria 
 
 Where a licence is required, the following will be made publicly available:   (a) all the licensing criteria and the pe riod of time normally required to reach a 
decision concerning an application for a licence and 
 
 (b) the terms and conditions of individual licences.  The reasons for the denial of a licence will be made known to the applicant upon request. 
 
5. Independent regulators  
 
 The regulatory body is separate from, and not accountable to, any supplier of basic 
telecommunications services. The decisions of and the procedures used by regul ators shall be impartial 
with respect to all market participants.  6. Allocation and use of scarce resources 
 
 Any procedures for the allocation and use of scarce resources, including frequencies, numbers and rights of way, will be carr ied out in an objective, timely, transparent and non-discriminatory 
manner. The current st ate of allocated frequency bands will be made publicly available, but detailed 
identification of frequencies allocated for specific government us es is not required.  
 
__________