WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SCM/93/Add.1/Suppl.1
9 December 2003 
 (03-6511) 
Committee on Subsidies and  
Countervailing Measures Original:   Spanish 
 
 
 
EXTENSION OF THE TRANSITION PE RIOD UNDER ARTICLE 27.4 OF THE 
AGREEMENT ON SUBSIDIES AND COUNTERVAILING MEASURES 
FOR THE ELIMINATION OF EXPO RT SUBSIDIES PURSUANT TO 
PARAGRAPH 10.6 OF THE MINISTERIAL DECISION ON  
IMPLEMENTATION-RELATED  
ISSUES AND CONCERNS 
 
COLOMBIA 
 
Free-Zone Regime  
 
Decision of 8 December 2003 
 
Supplement  
   The following communication, dated 8 December 2003, is being circulated at the request of 
the delegation of Colombia.  
  
 G/SCM/93/Add.1/Suppl.1 
Page 2 ACTIONS AND TIMETABLE  FOR THE ENTRY INTO FORCE OF FREE ZONES REFORM LAW  
 
This work timetable includes actions which the  Ministry of  Tr ade, Industry and Tourism has taken or intends to take in the fu ture, as well as the periods within 
which, under normal circumstances, the draft law covering issues similar to those covered by the decision in G/SCM/93 could be expected to be processed. 
 
2003 2004 2005 
 Remarks Nº Actions/Processes 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12   
 Phase I 
January to December 2003                           
1 Meeting convened by 
the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism 
with  government bodies 
to inform them of the decision taken by the WTO Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing 
Measures in  document 
G/SCM/93 of 17 December
 2002  __   
                        
2 Analysis by various 
State bodies of the implementation of commitments contained 
in  document G/SCM/93 
of 17 December 2002    __   
                      
3 Examination of 
proposals submitted by governmental bodies   responsible for the fulfilment of obligations 
undertaken by  
Colombia in  document G/SCM/93 of  17 December 2002      _ _                      
4 Meeting of industrial users of goods and services in free zones 
and users of special         _ _                    
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 Remarks Nº Actions/Processes 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12   
economic export zones 
to  present proposals aimed at the adoption of measures  necessary for the fulfilment of commitments assumed 
by Colombia in 
document G/SCM/93 of 17 December 2002
 
5 Preparation of a draft decree to bring domestic legislation into line with commitments assumed 
by Colombia in 
document G/SCM/93 of  17 December 2002 
(Draft revision of 
Decree 2233 of  1996 
transmitted to Geneva 
on 26 June 2003)          
   _ _                  
6 Receipt of observations 
and discussion of  the best legal mechanism for adjusting Colombian legislation in accordance 
with the commitments 
assumed in document G/SCM/93 of 17 December 2002           _ _                 
 Phase II 
January to December 2004                            
7 Consultations with 
various State bodies, industrial users of goods 
and services in free 
zones and users in special economic export            
  _ _                
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Page 4 2003 2004 2005 
 Remarks Nº Actions/Processes 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12   
zones on the draft law 
pertaining to the elimination of prohibited export subsidies, in conformity with commitments 
assumed by Colombia in 
document G/SCM/93 of 17 December 2002 
8 Definition of the statement of grounds for the elimination of prohibited export 
subsidies, in accordance 
with the commitments assumed by Colombia in document G/SCM/93 of 17 December 2002              
 _ _              
9 Presentation to the 
political parties 
represented in the 
Congress of the Republic                  _ _             
10 Presentation of the draft law on the elimination of prohibited export subsidies by the 
Ministry of Finance and 
Public Credit and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism to the secretariat of the 
House of 
Representatives (Article 143, Law 5 of 1992).  (Pursuant to                  _ _         Presentation 
of the draft 
law on 
30 June 
2004  
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 Remarks Nº Actions/Processes 
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Decision xxxxxxx, this 
presentation must take place no later than 1 July 2004)  
11 Start of legislative process 
                          *Procedure 
12 Upon approval the draft 
law must be published in the Official Journal (Article 119, Law  489 
of 1998)                        _ _   1 and 2 
 
Observations:   
 1. The regulatory statute of the Congress of the Republic (Law 5 of 1992), within the ordinary process applicable to all draft law s, provides for stages whose 
completion is not subject to any fixed time-limit, and for po ssible additional stages depending on the outcome of discussions. 
 2. Among these additional or extraordinary stages is the possibility  for the committees of the H ouse of Representatives and the Se nate to call on the appropriate 
Deputy Ministers to participate in the discussion of the draft la w, and both the House and the Senate may approach the Minister  of Finance and Public Credit 
and the Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism for discussion of the draft law in plenary.  To that end, a questionnaire is pr epared and sent to the official 
concerned, no earlier than ten calendar days  in advance, and a written response is due  within the following five calendar days.   
 
 
* The secretariat of the House of Representatives orders the publi cation of the draft law in the Journal of the Congress for cir culation to the relevant permanent 
committee (Article 144 of Law No. 5 of 1992).  
Official filing of the draft law with the appropria te permanent committee (Article 149, Law 5 of 1992). 
 The Chairman of the committee appoints a rapporteur within 15 working days from the filing of the draft law and sets a period f or the submission of the report, 
depending on the work load of the committee (Articles 150 and 153, Law 5 of 1992).  
The rapporteur submits his report on the draft law within the period set by the Chairman of the committee, and this report is p ublished in the Journal of the 
Congress within three working days following its submission (Article 156, Law 5 of 1992). 
  
 G/SCM/93/Add.1/Suppl.1 
Page 6 Once the draft law has been published, it is sent to the committee for the first round of  discussions.  Each article of the dra ft law must be discussed in two 
sessions of the committee (Articles 157 and 164, Law 5 of 1992). 
If  the report of the rapporteur is approved in the first round, the draft law returns to the rapporteur who then drafts the re port for the second round (Article 165, 
Law 5 of 1992).  A minimum of eight working days must transpire between  the first and second rounds (A rticle 168, Law 5 of 1992) 
 If the committee approves the draft law,  the Chairman appoints a rapporteur for the debate in the plenary of the House of Repr esentatives and sets the time-limit 
for the submission of the report, depending on the work  load of the committee (Article 174, Law 5 of 1992). 
 Once discussions have been held and finalized, the rapporteur prepares the corresponding report within the following five worki ng days (Article 182, Law 5 of 
1992).  
The Chairman of the House of Representatives sends the draft law to the Senate of the Republic.  Discussion in the Senate must commence within a minimum 
period of 15 working days after the approval of the draft law in the House of Representatives (Article 183, Law 5 of 1992). 
 Under Article 185 of Law 5 of 1992, the proce dure in the Senate must be the same as th at which is followed in the House of Repr esentatives. 
 
This procedure is as follows: 
 The secretariat of the Senate of the Republic requests the pub lication of the draft law in the Journal of the Congress and its circulation to the respective permanent 
committee (Article 144, Law 5 of 1992).  Official filing of the draft law with the respectiv e permanent committee (Article 149, Law 5 of 1992). 
 
The Chairman of the committee appoints a rapporteur within 15 work ing days from the filing of the draft law, and sets a time-li mit for the submission of the 
report, depending on the work load in the committee (Articles 150 and 153, Law 5 of 1992).  The rapporteur presents his report on the draft law within the peri od set by the Chairman of the committee, and this report is published in the Journal of the 
Congress within three working days following its submission (Article 156, Law 5 of 1992). 
 Once the draft law has been published, it is  sent to the Committee for the first round of  discussions.  Each article of the dra ft law must be discussed in two 
sessions of the Committee (Articles 157 and 164, Law 5 of 1992). 
If the report of the rapporteur is approved in the first round, th e draft law returns to the rapporteur who then drafts the rep ort for the second round (Article 165, 
Law 5 of 1992). 
 
A minimum of eight working days must transpire between  the first and second rounds (A rticle 168, Law 5 of 1992).  
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If the committee approves the draft law, the Chairman appoints a rapporteur for the debate in the plenary of the House of Repre sentatives and sets the time-limit 
for the submission of the report, depending on work load of the committee (Article 174, Law 5 of 1992). 
 Once discussions have been held and finalized, the rapporteur prepares the corresponding report within the following five worki ng days (Article 182, Law 5 of 
1992).  When the draft law has been adopted at the plenary session of th e Senate of the Republic it is sent for presidential approval.  The President of the Republic has six 
working days in which to approve the draft law if the text contains up to twenty artic les, ten working days if it contains betw een twenty-one and fifty articles, and 
twenty working days if it contains more than fifty articles (Article 196, Law 5 of 1992, and Article 166 of the Political Const itution). 
 
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