WORLD TRADE WT/TPR/39
6November 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-4859)
Trade Policy Review Body
TRADE POLICY REVIEW MECHANISM
EUROPEAN UNION
Arrangements forReview Meeting
Communication from theChairman oftheTrade Policy Review Body
1. Inpursuance ofArticle IV,paragraph 4andAnnex 3oftheWTO Agreement, ameeting of
theTrade Policy Review Body isscheduled for25-26 November 1997 toconduct thefourth review
ofthetrade policies andpractices oftheEuropean Union (WTO/AIR/713).
2. Thiscommunication setsoutarrangements concerning thereview meeting. Inthisconnection,
attention isalsodrawn totheprocedures fortheconduct ofreviews contained intherulesofprocedure
oftheTrade Policy Review Body (WT/TPR/6).
(i) Questions inwriting inadvance ofthemeeting
3. Where possible, Members shallsubmit written questions totheMember under review atleast
oneweek before thereview meeting toallow timetoprepare replies. Fortheforthcoming review,
suchquestions should therefore bewiththeTrade Policies Review Division oftheSecretariat by
18November 1997. Allquestions submitted willbemade available toMembers atthebeginning of
themeeting.
(ii) Discussants
4. Inconsultation withtheMembers under review, theChairperson oftheTrade Policy Review
Body maychoose discussants who, intheirpersonal capacity, willintroduce thediscussions inthe
Body. H.E.Mr.JohnWeekes (Canada) andH.E.Mr.Nestor Osorio (Colombia) willactasdiscussants
forthereview oftheEuropean Union. Documents summarizing themain points toberaised bythe
discussants willbecirculated oneweek inadvance ofthemeeting.
(iii) Structure ofthemeeting
5. Trade policy reviews cover fourbroad headings:
(a) appreciation ofthefullrange oftheMember 'strade policies andpractices;
(b) relevant background: wider economic anddevelopmental needs, including theexternal
environment;
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(c) impactoftheMember'stradepoliciesandpracticesonthefunctioningofthemultilateral
trading system; and
(d) general comments bywayofassessment andevaluation.
Meetings takeplace intwosessions. Thefirstsession isdevoted totheopening statements bythe
Member under review andthediscussants, andremarks andquestions fromthefloor. Thediscussion
inthesecond session, when theMember under review willreply toquestions, isbased onmainthemes
identified aftertheopening meeting bytheChairperson, discussants andSecretariat inconsultation
withtheMember.
(iv) Documentation andpress arrangements
6. Reports bytheMembers under review andtheSecretariat arecontained inthefollowing
documents:
WT/TPR/G/30 Report bytheEuropean Union
WT/TPR/S/30 European Union: Report bytheSecretariat
WT/TPR/S/30/Corr.1 European Union: Report bytheSecretariat,
Corrigendum
7. Thepress embargo forthereview oftheEuropean Union willlendat13.00 GMT (14.00 local
time) on26November 1997.
(v) Minutes
8. Minutes ofthemeeting willbecirculated promptly andwillbepublished together withthe
reports bytheEuropean Union andtheSecretariat.
(vi) Answers inwriting bythecontracting parties under review
9. Inthecourse ofthediscussions atthereview meeting, theMember under review mayindicate
thatitintends toprovide supplementary information, inwriting, onspecific points raised. Upon receipt,
theSecretariat willcirculate adocument containing thisinformation toallMembers. Suchinformation
willnotbereflected intheminutes ofthemeeting.