RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/REG72/6
19 June 2000
(00-2444)
Committee on Regional Trade Agreements
FREE TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN TURKEY AND BULGARIA
Questions and Replies
This document reproduces questions addressed to the Parties and the responses submitted.
The questions and replies set out below are organized in accordance with document WT/REG72/3.
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I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE AGREEMENT
2. Type of Agreement
Please confirm that no implementation of all items will occur within ten years.
Although the scope of the Agreement initially covers all industrial products but a number of
agricultural, processed agricultural and fishery products, there exists a provision envisaging that the
Parties shall examine the possibilities of granting each other further concessions with respect to
agricultural, processed agricultural and fishery products.  In this respect, the Parties can not confirm
that no implementation of all items will occur within ten years.
II. TRADE PROVISIONS
1. Import Restrictions
Do the Parties maintain quantitative restrictions between or among them?  Are there
any textile quotas?
As declared during the meeting of 30 March 2000, the Parties do not maintain quantitative
restrictions between them.  There are not any textile quotas applicable between the Parties.
Please provide additional information on the treatment of so-called "sensitive
products"?
As declared during the meeting of 30 March 2000, the Agreement provides for a transitional
period of three years for the sensitive products, which will be subject to gradual elimination of duties.
Turkey has made a 40 per cent reduction in the customs duties of her sensitive products on the date of
application of the Agreement (1 January 1999).  The reduction rate reached 60 per cent by
1 January 2000, shall reach 75 per cent by 1 January 2001 and the remaining duties shall be totallyeliminated by 1 January 2002.
Bulgaria made a 55 per cent reduction from the basic customs duties for sensitive products on
1 January 1999, the reduction was 70 per cent as of 1 January 2000.  On 1 January 2001 the reduction
shall reach 85 per cent and finally, as of 1 January 2002 all remaining duties will be eliminated.WT/REG72/6
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3.  Rules of Origin
Do the Parties employ the European System of Cumulation of Origin?  If yes, please
describe it and identify the countries which be nefit from cumulation treatment.  Has Bulgaria
begun implementing this system?
As of 1 January 1999, Turkey became a Party to the Pan-European System of Cumulation of
Origin, which applies among the European Communities, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, the
Slovak Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Slovenia, Iceland, Liechtenstein,
Norway and Switzerland.  The details of this System can be found in the WTO document
WT/REG/GEN/1.
5. Safeguards
Please describe how bilateral and global safeguard measures are applied.  Does the
Agreement provide for the exclusion of other party from safeguard measures?  On what basisand to whom safeguard measures are applied.  Have safeguard measures been implemented
under the agreement?
Bilateral safeguard measures are applied in the same way as global safeguard measures are
applied.  However, according to the Agreement, the Parties shall endeavour to solve any differencesbetween them through direct consultations before initiating the procedure for safeguard measures.
The Agreement does not provide for the exclusion of the other Party from safeguard measures.
Safeguard measures are applied in the cases of dumping, re-export and serious shortage and when
emergency action is required on import of particul ar products.  Safeguard measures have not been
implemented under the Agreement.
7. Subsidies and State-aid
Please provide additional information on the operation of Subsidies and State-aid
provisions?  Have they been used?
The State-aid provisions operate in conformity with the procedures and under the conditions
laid down by the GATT 1994 and by the Agreement establishing the WTO and any other relevant
instruments negotiated under their auspices.  They have not been used so far between the Parties.
8. Sector-Specific Provisions
8.1 Agriculture
Please describe in detail how agricultural products are treated under the agreement.
Initially, the Parties have granted each other preferential market access for a number of
agricultural and processed agricultural products in the context of tariff quotas, lists of which have
been submitted to the Secretariat.  As declared during the meeting of 30 March 2000, there exists a
provision in the agreement for the expansion of trade in agricultural products.
Please provide more detailed information on the treatment of agricultural products and
duty treatment of groups of products.  Please provide additional data adequate to allow an
informed analysis of the coverage of the agreement.
For Turkey, the answers are contai ned in the document WT/REG72/4.WT/REG72/6
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III. GENERAL PROVISIONS OF THE AGREEMENT
4. Relation with Other Trade Agreements
Please provide further information on the meaning of the statement provided in the
Standard format, as it is not clear.
As explained during the meeting of 30 March 2000, in certain matters such as anti-dumping
measures, balance of payment difficulties and state-aid reference is made to the relevant
WTO Agreements in the sense that measures concer ning such matters shall be in conformity with
those Agreements.
Does this Agreement in anyway prevent or discourage parties to the agreement from
making multilateral concessions, including tariff reductions?  Are there any implicit agreements
between the Parties to refrain from making multilateral concessions?
The Agreement does not prevent or discourage Parties to it from making multilateral
concessions.  There aren't any implicit agreements between the Parties to refrain from makingmultilateral concessions.
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