WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONTN/MA/2
10 July 2002
(02-3853)
Negotiating Group on Market Access
REPORT BY THE CHAIRMAN TO THE TRADE NEGOTIATIONS COMMITTEE
1. The meeting of the Negotiating Group on Market Access which was held on 11 April 2002
was suspended on agenda item C entitled "Work programme for the Market Access Negotiations".  A
report of that meeting was provided to the TNC at its meeting of 24 April 2002 and circulated in
document TN/MA/1.  Since that meeting, the Chairman has been carrying out intensive consultations
on a bilateral, plurilateral and multilateral basis on th is subject.  The Chairman has put forward for the
consideration of the Negotiating Group a total of five proposals dated 8 April, 10 April, 27 May, 21
June and 1 July 2002 on a possible "Programme of meetings" (the term "work programme" was
replaced by the term "programme of meetings" in the Chairman's latest proposal). Differences have
narrowed down considerably and there is agreement on all aspects of the Chairman's most recent
proposal with the exception of the target date for agreement on the modalities for the negotiations. Inthe Chairman's latest proposal this target date is 31 May 2003 and it is within square brackets.
2. A proposal was made by one participant that the Negotiating Group should continue its work
on the basis of the Chairman's most recent proposal on a "Programme of meetings" dated 1 July 2002,
on the understanding that the Chairman would contin ue to consult on the outstanding issue of the
target date for an agreement on the modalities for the negotiations. This proposal was supported by
some other participants. However, the view was also  expressed by some other participants that the
proposed "Programme of meetings" was a package, and if one aspect of it was left open then, in their
view, the whole package was open.
3. On 1 July 2002, the Chairman reconvened the formal meeting of the Negotiating Group of
11 April 2002 which had been suspended.  He proposed that pursuant to rule 2 of Chapter 1 of theRules of Procedure of the General Council (WT/L/28), the Negotiating Group take the decision to
shorten from 10 to 5 days the time-period required for convening a meeting, and then to suspend the
meeting.  In the meantime, he would continue consultations on his proposed "Programme of
meetings" dated 1 July 2002, and if results were positive an airgram would be issued on 5 July 2002
to convene the meeting of 11-12 July 2002 as scheduled in the "Programme of meetings".  TheNegotiating Group agreed to this proposal and suspended the meeting.
4. On 5 July 2002, at an informal meeting, the Chairman reported that a consensus had not been
possible, and as a result it was his view that the meeting of 11-12 July 2002 would not be useful to
hold at this stage.  He indicated that the matter was no longer in the hands of this Negotiating Group,and he would report this situation to the TNC at its 18 July 2002 meeting. He added that in the event
that the situation became unblocked subsequent to the TNC meeting and consultations in capitals, and
subject to agreement in the Negotiating Group, his intention would be to hold a meeting of the
Negotiating Group before the summer break.
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