WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/L/591 
11 November 2004 
 (04-4791) 
  
 
  
REPORT (2004) OF THE COMMITTEE ON 
TRADE IN CIVIL AIRCRAFT 
 
 1. This report is submitted under Article 8.2 of  the Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft 
(hereinafter the "Agreement") and Article IV.8 of the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World 
Trade Organization.  It sets out the activities of the Committee since November 2003. 
2. There are 30 Signatories to the Agreement:  Bu lgaria, Canada, the European Communities, 
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Gr eece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, 
Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Egypt,  Estonia, Georgia, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, 
Macao, China, Malta, Norway, Romania, Switzerland , Chinese Taipei and the United States.  Those 
WTO Members with observer status in the Committee are:  Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, 
Cameroon, China, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Fi nland, Gabon, Ghana, Hungary, India, Indonesia, 
Israel, the Republic of Korea, Mauritius, Nigeri a, Oman, Poland, Singapore, the Slovak Republic, 
Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia and Turk ey.  In addition, the Russian Federation and 
Saudi Arabia are also observers.  The IMF and UNCTAD are also observers.  
3. Since its last Annual Report to the Genera l Council (WT/L/544 and WT/L/544/Corr.1), the 
Committee on Trade in Civil Aircraft held  two regular meeti ngs, on 9 June 2004 and 
10 November 2004. 
4. The agenda and minutes of the 9 June 2004 m eeting can be found in document TCA/M/18, 
which was circulated on 19 July 2004.  At that  meeting, the Committee considered the following 
matters on its agenda:  the status of the 1979 Agr eement on Trade in Civil Aircraft under the WTO;  
"end-use" customs administration, including the pr oposal by one Signatory concerning the definition 
of "civil" vs. "military" aircraft based on initial certif ication;  an informal proposal by one Signatory 
that the Committee identify factors that could facilitate  the effectiveness of Article 4, with regard to 
inducements, including a better mechanism for co mmunication among Signatories;  enlargement of 
the EU and Article 9 of the Agreement;  and th e date of the next regular meeting.    
5. At the 10 November 2004 meeting, the Committ ee considered the following matters on its 
agenda:  the status of the 1979 Agreement on Trad e in Civil Aircraft under the WTO;  "end-use" 
customs administration, including a revised proposal by one Signatory concerning the definition of "civil" vs. "military" aircraft based on initial certificati on;  an informal proposal by one Signatory that 
the Committee identify factors that could facilitate the effectiveness of Article 4, with regard to 
inducements, including a better mechanism for comm unication among Signatories;  the date of the 
next regular meeting; and the adoption of this annual report.  The following item was raised under 
"other business":  questions regard ing EU enlargement.  The agenda and minutes of this meeting will 
be issued as document TCA/M/19. 
6. The Technical Sub-Committee of the Committee on Trade in Civil Aircraft did not meet 
during the period under review and neither did the Sub-Committee of the Committee on Trade in 
Civil Aircraft. 
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