RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/MA/SPEC/16
29 September 2000
(00-3974)
Committee on Market Access
DRAFT
REPORT (2000) OF THE COMMITTEE ON MARKET ACCESS
1. The Committee on Market Access held four formal meetings (23 March, 27 June, 28 July and
12 October) and nine informal meetings (26 January, 14 February, 17 March, 3 April, 23 May,18 July, 28 July, 22 September, 2 October) during the reporting period 1 January to 12 October 2000.
The minutes of the formal meetings are contained in documents G/MA/M/23 to [G/MA/M/26 – to be
issued
1].  In addition, [two] periodic reports giving an overview of the issues discussed in the
Committee and providing factual information related to the requests for waivers and waiver
extensions, both for the introduction of HS96 change s and for the transposition of schedules into the
Harmonized System are contained in documen ts G/MA/107 and [G/MA/111-to be issued].
2. At its meeting of 27 June 2000, the Committee took note of the nomination of
Mr. Christophe Kiener (Switzerland) as Chairman of the Committee for the current year and elected
him by acclamation.  At that meeting, the Committee elected as Vice-Chairperson for the current year,Mrs. Lourdes Berrig (Philippines).
I. WAIVERS AND SUBMISSION OF HS96 DOCUMENTATION
3. As concerned the introduction on 1 January 1996 of the changes to the nomenclature of the
Harmonized System and the submission of documentation related to these changes, the Committee
examined the situation at its meetings of 23 March, 27 June and [12 October 2000] on the basis of
updated documents prepared by the Secretariat.
4. On 13 December 1995, several Members were granted individual waivers, for operational
reasons grouped into one single decision, for the introduction of HS96 changes into their schedules.
These waivers presently concern [--] Members and have been extended by successive decisions of the
General Council until 31 October 2000 (WT/L/351).  As concerns the submission of the requireddocumentation related to the introduction of HS96 changes in the respective WTO schedules of
concessions on goods, as of  [--], out of the [--]  Members under waivers [--] of them have not yet
submitted the required documentation, and the submissions of [--] Members, whether they have
requested an extension or not, remain pending due to ongoing consultations and/or negotiations.
5. Informal consultations on the HS96 transposition exercise were held on 26 January,
14 February, 17 March and 18 July 2000.  On 14 February 2000, the Committee agreed that the
Secretariat prepare an informal list detailing the situation with respect  to HS96 submissions.  The list
was prepared and sent out to all delegations through a letter from the Vice-Chairman
2 dated
24 February 2000.  At the informal meeting of 17 March 2000, it was also agreed that this list wouldbe continually updated.
                                                     
1 In this connection, please note that two document numbers (G/MA/M/21 and 22) do not exist in the
document series G/MA/M/- relating to the minutes of the Committees;  they were omitted due to a technical
problem in the Document Dissemination Facility.
2 Vice-Chairman in 1999, Mr. Christophe Kiener (Switzerland).G/MA/SPEC/16
Page 2
6. On 18 July 2000,  the Committee agreed to hold informal meetings dedicated to the review of
the HS96 situation based on the informal list.  The first such meeting was held on 22 September 2000.
II. HS2002
7. At its meeting of 27 June 2000, the Committee took note of the statement by the
representative of the World Customs Organization (WCO)on future HS2002 changes.  It was agreed
that informal consultations should be held on this matter.  At the informal meeting of 18 July 2000,
Members agreed that existing procedures to introduce HS changes to schedules of concessions had
been inadequate with respect to HS96 changes, and that improved procedures were required.  The
Committee agreed that the Chairman together with the Secretariat attempt to come up with a possible
procedure to introduce such future changes to schedu les of concessions.   [At the informal meeting of
2 October 2000, the Committee considered a first draft of a document (job no. 5247) containing apossible procedure to introduce future HS changes to schedules of concessions.] [At its meeting of
12 October 2000, the Committee took note of the Chairman's report on the discussions held at the
informal meeting.]
III. INTEGRATED DATA BASE
8. With reference to the modalities and operation of the Integrated Data Base, the Committee
examined the status of IDB submissions at its meetings of 23 March, 27 June [and 12 October 2000]
on the basis of documents G/MA/IDB/2/Rev.7, G/MA /IDB/2/Rev.8 and [G/MA/IDB/2/Rev.9].  As of
12 October 2000, [..] Members and [...] accedin g countries have provided IDB submissions.
9. The Committee began its review of the operation of the IDB and IDB technical assistance
activities pursuant to paragraph 19 of document G/MA/IDB/3 entitled "Dissemination of the IDB".
The review was conducted on the basis of docume nts G/MA/IDB/W/5, Rev.1 and Rev.2.  Following a
preliminary discussion at its formal meeting of  23 March 2000, the Committee agreed to hold
informal consultations on this subject.  The consultations were held on 23 May 2000 where it wasagreed that the Vice-Chairman
3 would send letters to all Members reminding them of their IDB
notification obligations and indicating that technical assistance was available for those needing it.  It
was also agreed that a second letter would be sent by him to Members recently having undergone a
trade policy review seeking authorization from them to use for the IDB any relevant information
submitted in connection with the TPRM exercise.  The letters were sent on  27 June 2000.   The
review has continued in the context of further informal meetings held on 18 July and 2 October 2000,
[as well as the formal meeting  of 12 October 2000].
10. The Committee was also updated periodically by the Secretariat on the status of processing of
IDB submissions, the status of software development and the technical assistance activities that had
been carried out. In this connection, IDB seminars in English, French and Spanish, as well as IDB
workshops were organized for Geneva-based delegations.
IV. CONSOLIDATED TARIFF SCHEDULES (CTS) DATABASE
11. At its formal meeting of 23 March 2000, the Committee agreed to hold informal consultations
concerning the question of agricultural commitments.  At the informal meeting of 3 April 2000, a
document containing the Secretariat's proposed format for inclusion of agricultural commitments intothe CTS database was distributed to all delegations.   Additional informal meetings were held on 18
and 28 July 2000 to further consider the document, which was finally adopted
4 at the formal meeting
of the Committee which was also held on 28 July 2000 for this purpose.
                                                     
3 Vice-Chairman in 1999, Mr. Chrisophe Kiener (Switzerland).
4 G/MA/110.G/MA/SPEC/16
Page 3
12. At its formal meeting of 27 June 2000, the Committee took note of document G/MA/W/23
containing information on the status of Members' schedules.  The Committee also noted that this
document had been prepared by the Secretariat on its own responsibility and had no legal implications
regarding Members' rights or obligations.
13. [At its formal meeting of 12 October 2000, the Committee took note of the Secretariat report
on the status of the Consolidated Tariff Schedules Database Project.]
V. REVIEW OF PARAGRAPH 1 OF THE UNDERSTANDING ON THE
INTERPRETATION OF ARTICLE XXVIII OF THE GATT 1994
14. At its meeting of 24 January 2000, the Council for Trade in Goods requested the Market
Access Committee to conduct the review envisaged in paragraph 1 of the Understanding on the
Interpretation of Article XXVIII of the GATT 1994.  The item has been on the agenda of the formal
meetings of the Committee this year.  [At its meeting of 12 October 2000, the Committee … ].
VI. OBSERVER STATUS OF INTERNATIONAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL
ORGANIZATIONS
15. At its meeting of 27 June 2000, the Committee considered requests for observer status in the
Committee from the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and from the Common
Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).  The Committee agreed to revert to these
requests at an appropriate time in the future.  [At its meeting of  12 October 2000, the Committee
considered a request for observer status in the Committee from the Gulf Organization for IndustrialConsulting.]
VII. OTHER ACTIVITIES
16. At its meeting of 23 March 2000, the Committee took note of the tariff information available
in the Secretariat as contained in document G/MA/TAR/3/Rev.5.  The Committee noted that aconsensus had not been possible on a request from the International Cotton Advisory Committee
(ICAC) for access to the PC IDB CD-ROM Release 3.  The Committee agreed that the Secretariat
send an appropriate reply along those lines to the ICAC.
17. At its meeting of 27 June 2000, the Committee took note of the statement by Australia
concerning the timely completion of the work on the IDB, the CTS project and the HS96 transposition
exercise.   The Committee also took note of the statement by India regarding its concern at the lack ofnotification by the EC and the US of a mutually agreed solution in the area of rules of origin.
18. [At its meeting of 12 October 2000, the Committee took note of the status of quantitative
restriction notifications containe d in document G/MA/NTM/QR/1/Add.7.]
19. [At its meeting of 12 October 2000, the Committee adopted its annual report.]
[To be completed in light of the discussion at the meeting of 12 October 2000.]
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