. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/MIN(03)/W/12
10 September 2003
(03-4730)
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Fifth SessionCancún, 10 - 14 September 2003Original:  English
AGRICULTURE - PARAGRAPH 4 AND ANNEX A TO THE
DRAFT MINISTERIAL TEXT
Communication from Bulgaria, Chinese Taipei, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Liechtenstein,
Norway and Switzerland
The following communication, dated 10 September 2003, has been received from the Swiss
delegation on behalf of the above delegations.
The submission proposes changes to the Framework for Establishing Modalities in
Agriculture (JOB (03)/150/Rev.1:  Draft Cancún Ministerial Text and Annex A).  The core issue of
the submission is market access and this is of vital importance to the proponents.
_______________
Draft Cancún Ministerial Text
…
4. We reaffirm our commitment to the mandate on agriculture as set out in paragraph 13 of the
Doha Ministerial Declaration.  We take note of the progress made by the Special Session of
the Committee on Agriculture in this regard and agree to intensify work to translate the Doha
objectives into reform modalities.  To this end, we adopt the framework set out in Annex A to
this document concerning the further commitments and related disciplines on key outstanding
issues on market access, export competition  and domestic support as the basis for concluding
the work in these areas.  We direct the Special Session of the Committee on Agriculture to
conclude its work on establishing modalities for the further commitments, including rules and
disciplines, provisions for special and differential treatment , and non-trade concerns  being
duly taken into account, by [...].  We agree that participants will submit their comprehensive
draft Schedules based on these modalities no later than [...] and confirm that the negotiations,
including with respect to rules and disciplines and related legal texts, shall be concluded as
part and at the date of conclusion of the negotiating agenda as a whole.
…
Annex A
Framework for Establishing Modalities in Agriculture
Participants reaffirm their commitment to the mandate on agriculture as set out in
paragraph 13 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration.  Participants recognize that reforms in all areas of
the negotiations are inter-related and agree to conclude the work to establish modalities for the furthercommitments, including provisions for special and differential treatment and taking into account non-
trade concerns as provided for in the Agreement on Agriculture
paragraph 13 of the Doha MinisterialWT/MIN(03)/W/12
Page 2
Declaration , within the timeframe specified in paragraph 4 of the Cancún Ministerial Text, on the
basis of the following framework:
…
Market Access
…
2.1 The formula applicable for tariff reduction by developed countries shall be a blended formula
under which each element will contribute to substantial improvement in market access.  The
formula shall be as follows:
(i) […]% of tariff lines shall be subject to a […]% average tariff cut and a minimum of
[…]% ; for these import-sensitive tariff lines marke t access increase will result from a
combination of tariff cuts and TRQs .
(ii) […]% of tariff lines shall be subject to a Swiss formula coefficient […].
(iii) […]% of tariff lines shall be duty-free.
2.2 For the tariff lines that exceed a maximum of [ …]% developed-country participants shall
either reduce them to that maximum, or ensure effective additional market access in these or
other areas through a request-offer process that could include TRQs. New commitments on
TRQs may be added to the above tariff cuts to reach an overall balance in concessions.
…
2.6 The formula applicable for tariff reductions by developing countries shall be as follows:
(i) […]% of tariff lines shall be subject to a […]% average tariff cut and a minimum of
[…]% ; for these im port-sensitive tariff lines market access increase will result from a
combination of tariff cuts and TRQs .  Within this category, developing countries shall
have additional flexibility under conditions to be determined to designate Special
Products (SP) which would only be subject to a linear cut of a minimum of […]% and
no new commitments regarding TRQs.
…
Other
…
6. Subject to the provisions of the framework set out in paragraphs 1 to 5 above, the
contributions Members have submitted so far, relevant parts of the Revised First Draft of
Modalities and the related questions specified in the report of the Chairman of the Committee
on Agriculture Special Session to the TNC (TN/AG/10 refers) will serve as reference
documents for the further work on modalities, including with respect to the following issues
of interest but not agreed: product-specific commitments in domestic support, terms of
expansion/opening of TRQs, in-quota tariff rates, single desk export privileges, export taxes,
proposals for flexibility for certain groupings, certain non-trade concerns, implementationperiod, sectoral initiatives, inter-pillar linkages,  peace clause, continuation clause, GIs, and
other detailed rules.
__________