WORLD TRADE WT/L/186
18October 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-4371)
EC-THE FOURTH ACP-EC CONVENTION OFLOMÉ
Extension ofWaiver
Decision of14October 19961
Noting that,following arequest bytheEuropean Communities (EC)andtheGovernments of
theAfrican, Caribbean andPacific (ACP) States which wereParties totheFourth Lomé Convention
andwhich were alsoGATT contracting parties2,theCONTRACTING PARTIES, byDecision of
9December 19943,waived until29February 2000 theprovisions ofparagraph 1ofArticle Iofthe
General Agreement, totheextent necessary topermit theEuropean Communities toprovide preferential
treatment forproducts originating inACPStates asrequired bytherelevant provisions oftheFourth
Lomé Convention, without being required toextend thesame preferential treatment tolikeproducts
ofanyother contracting party (hereinafter referred toas"theLomé IVwaiver");
Noting thatinaccordance withparagraph 2oftheUnderstanding inrespect ofWaivers of
Obligations under theGeneral Agreement onTariffs andTrade 1994 (hereinafter referred toas"the
Understanding inrespect ofWaivers"), anywaiver ineffect onthedateofentry intoforce ofthe
Marrakesh Agreement Establishing theWTO (hereinafter referred toas"theWTO Agreement") shall
terminate, unless extended inaccordance with theprocedures mentioned inparagraph 1ofthe
Understanding inrespect ofWaivers andthose ofArticle IXoftheWTO Agreement, onthedateof
itsexpiry ortwoyears fromthedateofentry intoforce oftheWTO Agreement, whichever isearlier;
thattherefore theLomé IVwaiver shallterminate on31December 1996, unless itisextended;
Taking noteoftherequest4oftheECandoftheGovernments oftheACP States which are
alsoWTO Members (hereinafter referred toas"theParties totheConvention"), made inaccordance
withparagraph 1oftheUnderstanding inrespect ofWaivers andparagraph 3ofArticle IXoftheWTO
Agreement, toextend theLomé IVwaiver until29February 2000;
./.
1Adopted inaccordance with theDecision-Making Procedures under Articles IXandXIIoftheWTO
Agreement agreed bytheGeneral Council (WT/L/93).
2Document L/7539 of10October 1994.
3Document L/7604 of19December 1994.
4G/L/108 .WT/L/186
Page2
Bearing inmindthe1979Decision onDifferential andMore Favourable Treatment, Reciprocity
andFuller Participation ofDeveloping Countries andthe1994 Decision onMeasures inFavour of
Least-Developed Countries;
Considering that,inthefieldoftrade, theprovisions oftheFourth Lomé Convention allow
forpreferential treatment bytheECforexports ofproducts originating inACP States;
Considering thattheConvention isaimed atimproving thestandard ofliving andeconomic
development oftheACP States, including theleast-developed among them;
Considering alsothatthepreferential treatment ofproducts originating inACPStates asrequired
bytherelevant provisions oftheConvention isdesigned topromote theexpansion oftradeandeconomic
development ofbeneficiaries inamanner consistent withtheobjectives ofGATT 1994 andwiththe
trade, financial anddevelopment needs ofthebeneficiaries andnottoraiseundue barriers ortocreate
undue difficulties forthetrade ofother WTO Members;
Noting thattherequest foranextension oftheLomé IVwaiver hasbeenmade bytheParties
totheConvention without prejudice totheirposition thattheConvention isentirely compatible with
theirobligations under Article XXIV ofGATT 1994 inthelightofPartIVofGATT 1994;
Noting thattheexceptional circumstances justifying thewaiver stillexist, andthattheParties
totheConvention havegiven assurances thattheywill,uponrequest, promptly enterintoconsultations
withanyinterested WTO Member withrespect toanydifficulty ormatter thatmayariseasaresult
oftheextension ofthewaiver;
Members, acting pursuant totheprovisions ofparagraph 2oftheUnderstanding inrespect
ofWaivers andparagraphs 3and4ofArticle IXoftheWTO Agreement.
Decide that:
1. Thewaiver forthefourth ACP-EEC Convention ofLomé granted byDecision ofthe
CONTRACTINGPARTIESof9December19945,includingthetermsandconditionssetoutthereunder,
isextended until29February 2000. ThisDecision doesnotaffect Members 'rights assetforth in
theUnderstanding inrespect ofWaivers ofObligations under theGeneral Agreement onTariffs and
Trade 1994.
5Document L/7604 of19December 1994.