RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/COMTD/W/16/Add.1
1October 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-3918)
Committee onTrade andDevelopment
Eleventh Session
4October 1996
IMPLEMENTATION OFURUGUAY ROUND PROVISIONS
INFAVOUR OFDEVELOPING COUNTRY MEMBERS
Note bytheSecretariat
Addendum
Thisdocument contains additional information received since document WT/COMTD/W/16
wasissued.1
Provision Implementation
Agreement onTechnical Barriers toTrade (TBT)
Allow areasonable interval between thepublication
andentry intoforce ofatechnical regulation and
requirements concerning conformity assessment
procedures (Art. 2:12, 5:9).
The Secretariat istodraw theattention to
notifications relating toproducts ofparticular
interest todeveloping countries (LDCs) (Art. 10:6).
Advice onthepreparation oftechnical regulations,
upon request (Art. 11:1).According toaformal decision bytheTBT
Committee, specific needs fortechnical assistance,
aswell asinformation thatmay beprovided by
potential donor Members ontheir technical
assistance programmes, may becommunicated to
Members through theSecretariat andonaninformal
basis, ifsoagreed. Even iftheinformation was
multilateralized inthismanner, technical assistance
would continue tobeprovided onabilateral basis.
Technical assistance would remain anitem ofthe
agenda oftheTBTCommittee onapermanent basis,
andwould beincluded intheagenda ofaregular
meeting oftheCommittee upon request.
InMay, aSeminar onImplementation ofthe
Uruguay Round Agreement onTBT wasorganized
bytheAsia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forits
members, inwhich theSecretariat hadbeen invited
toparticipate.Advice andassistance fortheestablishment of
national standardizing bodies andtheparticipation in
international standardizing bodies, upon request
(Art. 11:2).
Advice andassistance fortheestablishment of
regulatory bodies orbodies fortheassessment of
conformity with technical regulations, andonthe
methods tobestmeet technical regulations, upon
request (Art. 11:3).
Advice andassistance fortheestablishment of
bodies fortheassessment ofconformity with
standards, upon request (Art. 11:4).
Advice andassistance onthesteps tobetaken to
have access tosystems forconformity assessment,
upon request (Art. 11:5).
1Replies have alsobeen received from theChairmen oftheCommittee onRules ofOrigin, theCommittee
onMarket Access andtheCouncil forTrade inGoods. These however have notbeen listed inthisdocument
duetothefactthattheChairmen reported anabsence ofdiscussions relevant totheCommittee 'sexercise.WT/COMTD/W/16/Add.1
Page2
Provision Implementation
Assistance inensuring that preparation and
application oftechnical regulations, standards and
conformity assessment procedures donotcreate
unnecessary obstacles toexports (Art. 12:7).TheSecretariat hasbeen exploring thepossibility of
organizing specialized technical assistance seminars
onasub-regional basis, possibly jointly with the
InternationalStandardsOrganizationand
International Trade Centre. The goal ofthe
seminars would bethreefold: toprovide technical
assistance tonewMembers, tohelp build human
andinstitutional resources, andtohelp Member
governments, aswell asproducers andexporters,
particularly from LDCs, tobenefit fully from the
TBT Agreement. Two seminars ofthiskind have
been planned for1996, oneforthesouthern African
countries inNovember andoneforthecentral
American countries inDecember.
TheSecretariat isalsolooking intothepossibilities
ofcoordinating itstechnical assistance activities with
Members and other international and regional
intergovernmental bodies which areplanning to
provide technical assistance. Inthatregard, the
Secretariat participated inatechnical assistance
seminar being organised bytheOrganization of
American States inSeptember.
Consideration ofspecial needs ofLDCs inthe
implementation andoperation oftheAgreement
(Art. 12:2).
Consideration ofspecial needs ofLDCs inthe
preparation andapplication oftechnical regulations,
standards andconformity assessment procedures
(Art. 12:3, 12:9).
Facilitation ofparticipation ofrelevant bodies in
LDCs ininternational standardizing bodies and
international systems forconformity assessment
(Art. 12:5).
Examination byinternational standardizing bodies of
thepossibility ofpreparing international standards
forproducts ofspecial interest toLDCs, upon
request (Art. 12:6).
Periodical examination ofthespecial anddifferential
treatment provided toLDCs (Art. 12:10).The TBT Committee will conduct such an
examination onitsmeeting of16October 1996.WT/COMTD/W/16/Add.1
Page3
Provision Implementation
Agreement onTrade Related Investment Measures (TRIMs)
Exceptions forLDCs from theprohibition ofTRIMs
contained inArticle 2(Art. 4).This provision does notcallforanyaction onthe
partoftheTRIMs Committee.
Members arerequired tonotify anyexisting TRIMs
which areinconsistent withtheAgreement within a
period ofninety days after theentry intoforce of
theWTO Agreement (Art. 5:1).Forstates andseparate customs territories eligible to
become original Members ofWTO thatacceded to
theWTO after theentry intoforce oftheWTO
Agreement, theGeneral Council adopted, inApril
1995, arecommendation stating thatthe90days
period would startfrom thedateoftheir acceptance
oftheWTO Agreement.
Transition period fortheelimination ofTRIMs
inconsistent withtheAgreement extended from two
years (fordeveloped country Members) tofiveyears
forLDC Members and toseven years for
least-developed country (LLDC) Members.
(Art. 5:2).Outofthe23Members whohavemade notifications
ofmeasures under Art.5:1-therefore being ableto
benefit from thetransition periods -22areLDC
Members (noLLDCs).
TheCouncil forTrade inGoods may extend the
transition periods upon request byadeveloping
country Member oraleast developed country
Member (Art. 5:3).Theissue ofthepossible extension oftransition
periods bytheCouncil forTrade inGoods hasnot
yetarisen.