WORLD TRADE WT/TPR/34
14July1997
ORGANIZATION(97-2941)
Trade Policy Review Body
DRAFT PROGRAMME OFREVIEWS FOR 1998
Note bytheSecretariat
1. Attached isaninitial draftprogramme ofTrade Policy Reviews for1998.
2. Theprogramme assetoutisdivided intofourgroups:
Reviewscarriedoverfrom1997(India,Hungary,NigeriaandTrinidad&TobagowithJamaica),
which willbeheldinthefirsthalfof1998.
Reviews planned forthefirsthalfof1998. Three ofthese arerepeat reviews (Argentina,
Australia andGhana); threearefirst-time reviews ofleast-developed countries, twocomprising
grouped reviews (Solomon Islands, MaliwithTogo, Burkina FasowithGuinée).
Reviews planned forthesecond halfof1998. Allofthese arerepeat reviews, one(Canada)
onthetwo-year cycle, two(Hong Kong, China andTurkey) onthefour-year cycle, andtwo
(Egypt andUruguay) onthesix-year cycle.
Thetablealsocovers reviews onwhich work willstartin1998, butwhose TPRB meetings
willbeheldinearly1999; thisincludes theUnited States onthetwo-year cycle, onefirst-time
review (United Arab Emirates), onerepeat review onthefour-year cycle (Israel) andoneon
thesix-year cycle (Romania).
3. Itishoped, byestablishing afullrange ofreviews inthisway, tocreate abetter spread of
TPRB meetings throughout theyearandavoid theunfortunate bunching ofreviews thathastended
totakeplace attheendoftheyearinthelasttwoyears.
4. Itwillbenoted thatthereview oftheUnited States onthe"two-year" cycle isproposed for
early 1999. Given theheavy programme overall, thisistomake useoftheflexibility available to
theTPRB indetermining thetiming ofreviews. Itshould alsobenoted thatthisreview, andthatof
Canada, willbe"interim" reviews, asagreed intheTPRB in1996.
5. Inthereport oftheTrade Policy Review Body totheMinisterial Conference inSingapore,
itwasstressed thatMembers oweittothehealth ofthesystem toobserve strictly thedeadlines laid
down foranswering questionnaires anddelivering documentation; theTPRB noted thatdelays inthe
completion ofreviews bothaffect thereview process fortheMember concerned andslowdown the
programme ingeneral. During thisyear, inafewcases, suchdelays haveunfortunately recurred,
causing somerescheduling; Members willsurely appreciate theneedtomaintain thesmooth functioning
ofthesystem.
6. TheSecretariat isgrateful totheGovernments ofAustralia andDenmark foragreeing tomake
available trustfunds under which consultants willbeengaged toassist theSecretariat withpreparing
thereports ontheSolomon Islands, Mali, Togo, Burkina FasoandGuinée. Thefullresponsibility
forthecontent andquality ofSecretariat reports inthese cases, asinallothers, willnaturally remain
withtheWTO Secretariat.
./.WT/TPR/34
Page2
PLANNED TRADE POLICY REVIEWS FOR 1998
Member Planned review date Lastreview
India January 1998* October 1993
Hungary May 1998* April 1991
Trinidad &Tobago withJamaica 1sthalf1998* ---
Nigeria 1sthalf1998* October 1991
Australia 1sthalf1998 February 1994
Argentina 1sthalf1998 March 1992
Ghana 1sthalf1998 March 1992
Mali withTogo 1sthalf1998 ---
Burkina Faso withGuinée 1sthalf1998 ---
Solomon Islands 1sthalf1998 ---
Turkey 2ndhalf1998 January 1994
Uruguay [September 1998] July1992
Egypt 2ndhalf1998 October 1992
Hong Kong, China 2ndhalf1998 October 1994
Indonesia 2ndhalf1998 November 1994
Canada 2ndhalf1998 November 1996
Romania Late1998/early 1999 December 1992
Israel Late1998/early 1999 December 1994
United Arab Emirates Late1998/early 1999 ---
United States Early 1999 November 1996
*Carried over from 1997