WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/AG/NG/8
5 October 2001
(01-4831)
Committee on Agriculture
Special Session
EIGHTH SPECIAL SESSION OF THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
Report by the Chairperson, Ambassador Apiradi Tantraporn, to the General Council
1. The Special Session of the Committee on Agriculture, which was established by the General
Council to conduct the negotiations for continuing the reform process under Article 20 of the
Agreement on Agriculture (WT/GC/M/53, paragraph 39 refers), held its eighth meeting on
28 September 2001 on the basis of the agenda as set out in WTO/AIR/1612.
2. The meeting provided an opportunity for reviewing the work being carried out under the
programme for the second phase of the negotiations.  Under this programme in-depth work is being
carried out in informal Special Sessions on all issues and options for policy reform set out in
Members' proposals, with further elaboration as appropriate (G/AG/NG/7, dated 29 March 2001,
refers).  An overview presented by the Chairperson summarized the discussions at the informalSpecial Sessions held in May, July and September on the following trade and non-trade issues:
(i) tariff quota administration;  (ii) tariffs;  (iii) Amber Box;  (iv) export subsidies;  (v) export credits;
(vi) state trading enterprises;  (vii) export restrictions;  (ix) food security;  (x) food safety;  (xi) rural
development;  (xii) geographical indications;  (xiii)  Green Box;  (xiv) Blue Box; and (xv) special
agricultural safeguard. This overview will be included in the Secretariat summary report on the
meeting (to be issued as G/AG/NG/R/8).  The elaborated proposals and other informal papers
submitted at these three informal Special Sessions  are listed in the attachment to this report.
3. The following trade or non-trade issues are to be taken up at the next informal Special Session
meeting on 3-5 December: environment, trade preferences, food aid, consumer information and
labelling, and sectoral initiatives.
4.  The next formal Special Session is scheduled to be held on 7 December 2001.G/AG/NG/8
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ATTACHMENT
Elaborated Proposals and Other Informal Papers∗
May, July and September 2001 Informal Special Sessions
I. Tariff Quota Administration
Australia:  Paper on Tariff Quota Administration
Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Kenya, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri
Lanka, Tanzania and Zimbabwe:  Tariff Rate Quotas
European Communities:  Views of the EC on Tariff Rate Quotas Administration
Japan:  Questions on TRQ Administration
Switzerland:  Administration of Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQ) – The Case for Auctioning
II. Tariffs
Australia:  Paper on Tariffs
Japan:  Paper on Tariff Quota Commitment
Japan:  Questions on Tariff
Mercosur, Chile and Bolivia:  Paper on Market Access:  Ensuring the Continuity of the
Reform Process
III. Amber Box
Australia:  Paper on Amber Box Support
European Communities:  Amber Box – Views of the ECJapan:  Questions on Amber Box
IV. Special and Differential Treatment
Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Hondur as, Indonesia, Kenya, Nicaragua, Nigeria,
Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Venezuela and Zimbabwe:  Special and
Differential Treatment in Agriculture – "Establishing the Objectives"
V. Export Subsidies
Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Guyana,
Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Republic of Trinidad and
Tobago, and Suriname:  Domestic Support and Export Competition
Cairns Group:  Export Subsidies
Israel:  Export SubsidiesJapan:  Elaboration of Japan's Negotiating Proposal:  Export Enhancing Measures – Export
Subsidies
Japan:  Questions on Export Subsidies
Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Venezu ela and Zimbabwe:  Export Subsidies
Switzerland:  Export Subsidies:  Modaliti es for Further Commitments to Reduce Export
Subsidies
                                                     
∗ Copies of these informal papers are available, in the working languages, in the informal document
series:  SS(INF)AG/1 to 3.G/AG/NG/8
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VI. Export Credits
Australia:  Export Credits
European Communities:  Export Credits
Japan:  Elaboration of Japan's Negotiating Proposal:  Export Enhancing Measures – Export
Credits
Japan:  Questions on Export Credits
United States:  Export Credit Guarantee Programmes
VII. State Trading Enterprises
Japan:  Elaboration of Japan's Negotiating Proposal:  State Trading Enterprises
Japan:  Questions on State Trading Enterprises
United States:  Disciplines on Export State Trading Enterprises
United States:  Disciplines on Import State Trading Enterprises
VIII. Export Restrictions
Japan:  Elaboration of Japan's Negotiating Proposal:  Export Prohibitions and Restrictions
Japan:  Questions on Export Restrictions
United States:  Disciplines on Export Taxes
IX. Food Security
Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras , Kenya, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan,
Peru, Sri Lanka, Venezuela and Zimbabwe:  Food Security
Japan:  Elaboration of Japan's Negotiating Proposal:  International Environment Surrounding
Agricultural Trade and Food Security
Japan:  Questions on Food Security
Peru:  Food Security
United States:  Food Security
X. Food Safety
European Communities:  Food Safety
Japan:  Elaboration of Japan's Negotiating Prop osal:  Consumers' Concern on Food Safety and
Quality
XI. Rural Development
Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Kenya, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Sri Lanka,
and Zimbabwe:  Rural Development
Cyprus:  Rural Development
Japan:  Elaboration of Japan's Negotiating Proposal:  Importance of Agriculture in Rural
Areas (Rural Development)
Japan:  Questions on Rural Development
Norway:  Rural Development
XII. Geographical Indications
European Communities:  Geographical Indications
Japan:  Questions on Geographical Indications
Switzerland:  Geographical Indications and AgricultureG/AG/NG/8
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XIII. Green Box
Argentina:  Green Box Measures:  Approach for a Work Programme
Cyprus:  Green Box
Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras , Kenya, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
and Zimbabwe:  Green Box
European Communities:  Green Box
Japan:  Elaboration of Japan's Negotiating Proposal:  Domestic Support (Green Box)
Japan:  Questions on Green Box
Namibia:  Elaboration of Namibia's Negotiating Proposal:  Green Box Measures
XIV. Blue Box
Cairns Group:  Blue Box
Japan:  Questions on Blue Box
XV. Special Agricultural Safeguard
Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, the Philippines and Thailand:  Special and Differential
Treatment for Developing Countries:  Transitional Instruments to Expeditiously
Countervail Subsidized Imports (SDCM)
Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Kenya, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Senegal, Sri
Lanka and Zimbabwe:  "An Appropriate Safeguard Mechanism for Developing Countries"
Japan:  Elaboration of Japan's Negotiating Proposal:  A New Safeguard Measure
Japan:  Questions on Special Agricultural Safeguard
Namibia:  Elaboration of Namibia's Negotiating Proposal:  Special Agricultural Safeguard
Norway:  Special SafeguardsSwitzerland:  WTO Agreement on Agriculture – Special Safeguard
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