RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/ADP/Q1/CYP/1
G/SCM/Q1/CYP/1
ORGANIZATION 27November 1997
(97-5231)
Original: English Committee onAnti-Dumping Practices
Committee onSubsidies andCountervailing Measures
NOTIFICATION OFLAWS AND REGULATIONS UNDER
ARTICLES 18.5AND 32.6OFTHE AGREEMENTS
Replies ofCYPRUS
toQuestions Posed byHONG KONG1
Thefollowing communication, dated 7November 1997, hasbeenreceived fromthePermanent
Mission ofCyprus.
_______________
Q.1. Cyprus 'notification states thatCyprus hasundertaken areview oftherelevant domestic
legislation withtheaimtoensure itsconsistency withtheWTO ADAgreement (theAgreement).
(a) Does Cyprus 'existing legislation onADmatters have theforce oflaw? Ifyes,
could Cyprus inform theCommittee whether itintends tonotify itsADlegislation?
Ifso,when? Ifnot,why?
Reply
Cyprus 'existing legislation hastheforce oflaw. Because ofthefactthattheexisting
legislation isintheprocess ofbeing amended inorder tobring itintoconformity withthe
relevant provisions oftheWTO Agreement, Cyprus willnotify thenewlegislation afterits
completion.
(b) What isthelegalstatus oftheAgreement inCyprus 'legal system? Does ithave
thesame force oflawasanyother domestic legislation inCyprus? AreADofficials
ofCyprus required, legally orotherwise, toabide bytheprovisions ofthe
Agreement intheconduct ofADproceedings? Ifthedomestic legislation isin
conflict withtheAgreement, which willtakeprecedence?
Reply
ByvirtueofArticle169oftheCyprusConstitution,whichisthesupremelawinCyprus,
International Agreements when Implemented intotheCyprus legalsystem havesuperior force
toanydomestic/national law,provided always thattheconditions setoutinArticle 169.3 of
theConstitution arecomplied with.
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Thus incaseofconflict between thedomestic legislation andtheAgreement (once
implemented), theprovisions oftheAgreement prevail.
(c) How willCyprus ensure compliance withtheprovisions oftheAgreement before
itslawsarebrought intototalconformity withit?
Reply
Asindicated above inquestion 1(b), byvirtue ofArticle 169.3 oftheCyprus
Constitution, "...treaties andInternational Agreements havesuperior force toanymunicipal
lawoncondition ...",thusthisprovision ensures thecompliance ofCyprus totheprovisions
oftheAgreement before theconformity ofthenational lawwiththeprovisions ofthe
international agreements.
(d) What isthetimetable ofthereview andanypossible amendments totheexisting
legislation?
Reply
Thereview ofthelegislation isexpected tobecompleted in1998.
Q.2. What judicial review procedures hasCyprus putinplace inobservance ofitsobligations
under Article 13(Judicial Review) oftheAgreement?
Reply
Under theCyprus Constitution, thejudicial review procedures inCyprus areprovided forin
Article 146thereof which provides:
ARTICLE 146
1. TheSupreme Constitutional Court shallhaveexclusive jurisdiction toadjudicate finally on
arecourse made toitonacomplaint thatadecision, anactoromission ofanyorgan, authority
orperson, exercising anyexecutive oradministrative authority iscontrary toanyofthe
provisions ofthisConstitution orofanylaworismade inexcess orinabuse ofpowers vested
insuchorgan orauthority orperson.
2. Such arecourse maybemade byaperson whose anyexisting legitimate interest, which he
haseither asaperson orbyvirtue ofbeing amember ofaCommunity, isadversely anddirectly
affected bysuchdecision oractoromission.
3. Sucharecourse shallbemade within 75daysofthedatewhen thedecision oractwaspublished
or,ifnotpublished andinthecaseofanomission, when itcame totheknowledge oftheperson
making therecourse.
4. Upon sucharecourse theCourt may, byitsdecision:
(a) confirm, either inwhole orinpart,suchdecision oractoromission; or
(b) declare, either inwhole orinpart,suchdecision oracttobenullandvoidandofno
effect whatsoever; orG/ADP/Q1/CYP/1
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(c) declare thatsuchomission, either inwhole orinpart,ought nottohavebeenmade
andthatwhatever hasbeenomitted should havebeenperformed.
5. Anydecision given under paragraph 4ofthisArticle shallbebinding inallcourts andallorgans
orauthorities intheRepublic andshall begiven effect toandacted upon bytheorgan or
authority orperson concerned.
6. Anyperson aggrieved byanydecision oractdeclared tobevoidunder paragraph 4ofthis
Article orbyanyomission declared thereunder thatitought nottohavebeenmade shallbe
entitled, ifhisclaim isnotmettohissatisfaction bytheorgan, authority orperson concerned,
toinstitute legalproceedings inacourt fortherecovery ofdamages orforbeing granted other
remedy andtorecover justandequitable damages tobeassessed bythecourt ortobegranted
suchother justandequitable remedy assuchcourt isempowered togrant.
Thus forjudicial review theonlycompetent Court inCyprus istheSupreme Court. Inany
event please kindly notethatcurrently there arenooutstanding actions under theA-Dlegislation.
Ifadditional procedures areneeded, onemustbecareful toestablish them sothatthere isno
contravention ofanyArticle oftheCyprus Constitution
3. What isCyprus 'policy andlawfortheimplementation ofWTO Panel Reports?
Should theneedtoimplement theWTO Panel Reports arise, theprovisions oftheCyprus
Constitution willapply.