WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/L/483
28 September 2001
(01-4650)
COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE (REGULAR MEETINGS)
GENERAL COUNCIL OVERVIEW OF WTO ACTIVITIES (2001)
Report by the Vice-Chairman
The present report on the regular meetings of the Committee on Agriculture held thus far in
2001 is submitted on the responsibility of the Vice- Chairman, Minister Yoichi Suzuki, as agreed by
the Committee at its meeting on 27 September 2001.
_______________
1. Since its last annual report (G/L/417 dated 20 November 2000) the Committee on Agriculture
has held three regular meetings:  on 29-30 March, 28-29 June and 27 September 2001 (Secretariat
summary reports of these meetings, G/AG/R/26 to 28 refer).  A further regular meeting is scheduled
for 6 December 2001.
2. In accordance with Article 18.1 of the Agreement on Agriculture ("the Agreement"), the
Committee, at each of these meetings, reviewed progress in the implementation of commitments
negotiated under the Uruguay Round reform programme.  This review process was undertaken on the
basis of notifications submitted by Members in the areas of market access, domestic support and
export subsidies and under the provisions of the Agreement relating to export prohibitions and
restrictions.  In total, 237 notifications in these four areas were subject to review in the Committee.
At each of its meetings, the Committee also reviewed  the overall position with respect to compliance
with the notification obligations under Article 18.2 and other relevant provisions of the Agreement.
The current situation concerning compliance with notification requirements is summarized in the
Annex to this report.
3. The Committee addressed a wide range of general and specific matters relevant to the
implementation of commitments that were raised, independently of notifications, under the provisionsof Article 18.6 of the Agreement.  A number of these matters have been subject to informal
consultations.
4. The following implementation-related issues were considered or further considered at the
Committee's meetings in line with relevant de cisions of the General Council (WT/GC/M/59 and
WT/L/384 refer), with progress reports being submitted to the General Council as appropriate:
(i) the development of internationally agreed disciplines to govern the provision of export credits,
export credit guarantees or insurance programmes pursuant to Article 10.2 of the Agreement on
Agriculture, taking into account the provisions of paragraph 4 of the Decision on Measures
Concerning the Possible Negative Effects of the Reform Programme on Least-Developed and
Net Food-Importing Developing Countries (progr ess reports:  G/AG/8  and G/AG/9 and Corr.1
refer);G/L/483
Page 2
(ii) examination of possible means of improving the effectiveness of the implementation of the
Decision on Measures Concerning the Possible Negative Effects of the Reform Programme on
Least-Developed and Net Food-Importing Devel oping Countries (progress reports:  G/AG/7
and G/AG/10 refer);  and
(iii) the submission by Members administering tariff quotas of addenda to their notifications to the
Committee on Agriculture (Table MA:1) in accordance with paragraph 1.1 of the decision ofthe General Council in WT/L/384 regarding the administration of tariff rate quota regimes in a
transparent, equitable and non-discriminatory manner.
5. At its meeting on 27 September, the Committee approved recommendations concerning the
above implementation-related issues in a report to be submitted to the General Council on the
responsibility of the Vice-Chairman.  (This report has been circulated as G/AG/11.)
6. At the meeting of the Committee in March, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines were included in the WTO list of ne t food-importing developing countries (G/AG/5/Rev.4
refers).  This list currently comprises the least-developed countries as recognized by the United
Nations, and the following 21 developing country Members of the WTO:  Barbados, Botswana,
Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Honduras, Jamaica, Kenya, Mauritius, Morocco,
Pakistan, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal,
Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia and Venezuela.  The follow-up to the Decision as a whole ismonitored annually by the Committee, with the next monitoring exercise to be undertaken at the
December 2001 meeting of the Committee.
The following international intergovernmental organizations have regular observer status in
the Committee:  FAO, the IMF, the International Grains Council, the OECD, UNCTAD, the UN
World Food Programme and the World Bank.  No consensus was reached as regards requests forobserver status by ten other international/intergovernmental organizations (G/AG/W/29/Rev.4 refers).G/L/483
Page 3
OUTSTANDING NOTIFICATIONS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION YEAR 1995
1. The following Members are yet to submit the notification of imports under tariff and other
quotas (Table MA.2 ):
Nicaragua Tunisia
2. The following Member is yet to submit the annual notification concerning the use of the special
safeguard provisions (Table MA.5 ):
Swaziland
3. The following Members without  Total AMS reduction commitments are yet to submit the
relevant domestic support notification (Table DS:1 ):
Antigua and Barbuda Bahrain Barbados* Belize
Brunei Darussalam Cameroon Côte d'Ivoire Dominica
Ghana Kuwait Mauritius   Nicaragua
Saint Lucia St Vincent a nd the Grenadines Senegal
Suriname Swaziland
4. The following Members without  export subsidy reduction commitments are yet to submit the
relevant notification (Table  ES:1 ):
Antigua and Barbuda Bahrain Bangladesh Belize
Brunei Darussalam Burkina Faso Burundi* CameroonCentral African Rep. Côte d'Ivoire Djibouti Guinea Bissau
Guinea, Rep. of India Kuwait  Lesotho
Malawi Mali* Mauritania Mauritius
Mozambique Myanmar Saint Lucia
St Vincent & Grenadines Senegal Sierra Leone Suriname
Swaziland Tanzania TogoG/L/483
Page 4 ANNEX:  N OTIFICATIONS RECEIVED FOR THE YEARS 1996-2000
MA:1 MA:2 MA:5 DS:1 ES:1 ES:2
One- Imports under tariff quotas Special safeguard Domestic support Export subsidies Total exports
off 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
A l b a n i a N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN AN AN AN AN A N AN AN AN A N AN AN AN A N A
Angola NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) NA NA NA NA NA NA
A n t i g u a  a n d  B a r b u d a N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A NA NA NA NA NA
A r g e n t i n a N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A X X * X * XXXXXXXXX X
Australia X X X XX XX XXXX X X X X X X X X X XXXX X
B a h r a i n N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A XX NA NA NA NA NA
Bangladesh NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) NA NA NA NA NA
Barbados X X X XX X XXX X * X * X * X * XXXX NA NA NA NA NA
Belize NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Benin NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) X (NA) (NA) NA NA NA NA NA
B o l i v i a N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A XXXXXXXXXX NA NA NA NA NA
Botswana NA NA NA NA NA NA XX NA NA NA NA NA
Brazil XXX X NA NA NA NA NA X X X X X X XXX
B r u n e i  D a r u s s a l a m N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A NA NA NA NA NA
Bulgaria X NA XX NA XXX NA XXX NA XXX NA XXX
Burkina Faso NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) XX X NA NA NA NA NA
B u r u n d i N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A X* (NA) X* (NA) X* X* X* X* X* X* NA NA NA NA NA
Cameroon NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Canada X X X X X XXXX X X X X X X X XXXX
Central African Rep. NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) NA NA NA NA NA
Chad NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) X* (NA) X* (NA) X* X* X* X* X* NA NA NA NA NA
C h i l e N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A XXXXXXXXXXXXXX X
Colombia X X X XX XX XXXX X X X X X X X X X XXX
C o n g o N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN AN A N A N AN AN AN A N A
Costa Rica X X X XX X XXX X X X X XXXX XXXX
Côte d'Ivoire NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
C r o a t i a N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN AN AN AN AN A N AN AN AN A N AN AN AN A N A
Cuba NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Cyprus NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA X X X X X X X XXX
Czech Republic X X X XX XX XXXX X X X X X X X X X XXXX XG/L/483
Page 5ANNEX:  N OTIFICATIONS RECEIVED FOR THE YEARS 1996-2000
MA:1 MA:2 MA:5 DS:1 ES:1 ES:2
One- Imports under tariff quotas Special safeguard Domestic support Export subsidies Total exports
off 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
D e m o c r a t i c  R e p .  C o n g o N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN AN A ( N A ) ( N A ) N A N AN AN AN A N A
Djibouti NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) NA NA NA NA NA
Dominica NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA XX NA NA NA NA NA
Dominican Republic NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA XXXX XXXX NA NA NA NA NA
EC-15 XXX X X X XX X X X X X X X X XXXX
Ecuador X X X XX XX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX NA NA NA NA NA
E g y p t N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A XXX XXX NA NA NA NA NA
El Salvador X X X X XX XX X NA NA NA NA NA
E s t o n i a N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN AN AN AN AN A N AN AN A XX NA NA NA NA NA
Fiji NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA XX XX NA NA NA NA NA
G a b o n N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A XXXXXXXXXX NA NA NA NA NA
G a m b i a ,  T h e N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A ( N A ) X (NA) (NA) X NA NA NA NA NA
G e o r g i a N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN AN AN AN AN A N AN AN AN A N AN AN AN A N A
G h a n a N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A XXXXX NA NA NA NA NA
G r e n a d a N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A NA NA NA NA NA
Guatemala X X X XX X XXX XXXX NA NA NA NA NA
G u i n e a  B i s s a u N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A ( N A ) ( N A ) N AN AN AN A N A
Guinea, Republic of NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) NA NA NA NA NA
Guyana NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA XXX XXX NA NA NA NA NA
H a i t i N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A ( N A ) X (NA) X (NA) XXXX NA NA NA NA NA
Honduras NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA XX XX XXX X
H o n g  K o n g ,  C h i n a N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A XXXXXXXXXX NA NA NA NA NA
Hungary XXX X X X XX X X X X X XXXX
Iceland X X X XX X XXX X X X X X X X XX
I n d i a N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A NA NA NA NA NA
Indonesia X X X XX X * X XXX X * XXXX X * X X X X X* XXXX X *
Israel X X X XX XX XXXX X X X X X X X X X XXXX X
J a m a i c a N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A XXXX XXX NA NA NA NA NA
Japan X X X XX XX XXXX X X X XXXXX NA NA NA NA NA
Jordan NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NAG/L/483
Page 6 ANNEX:  N OTIFICATIONS RECEIVED FOR THE YEARS 1996-2000
MA:1 MA:2 MA:5 DS:1 ES:1 ES:2
One- Imports under tariff quotas Special safeguard Domestic support Export subsidies Total exports
off 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
K e n y a N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A XX X NA NA NA NA NA
Korea, Republic of XXX X XX X X X X X XXXX NA NA NA NA NA
Kuwait NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Kyrgyz Republic NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA X NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Latvia X NA NA NA X NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA X NA NA NA XX NA NA NA NA NA
L e s o t h o N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A ( N A ) ( N A ) N AN AN AN A N A
Lithuania (31 May
2001)NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
M a c a u ,  C h i n a N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A XXXXXXXXXX NA NA NA NA NA
Madagascar NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA X (NA) X (NA) XXXX NA NA NA NA NA
Malawi NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) NA NA NA NA NA
Malaysia X X X* X* X X X X X X X X X X
Maldives NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA XXX (NA) XXX NA NA NA NA NA
Mali NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) NA NA NA NA NA
M a l t a N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A XXXXXXXXXX NA NA NA NA NA
Mauritania NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) NA NA NA NA NA
M a u r i t i u s N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A NA NA NA NA NA
Mexico X X X XX X XXX X X X X X X X* X* X* X*
Moldova (27 July 2001) NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Mongolia NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA XXX NA XXX NA NA NA NA NA
Morocco X X X XX X XXX X X X X XXX NA NA NA NA NA
Mozambique NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) NA NA NA NA NA
M y a n m a r N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A ( N A ) ( N A ) N AN AN AN A N A
Namibia NA NA NA NA NA NA X XXX XXXX XXXX NA NA NA NA NA
New Zealand X X X XX XX XXXX X X X X X X X X X XXXX
Nicaragua X NA NA NA NA NA
N i g e r N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN AN A ( N A ) ( N A ) N A N AN AN AN A N A
N i g e r i a N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A XX XX NA NA NA NA NA
Norway X X X XX X XXXX X X X X X X X X XXXX
Oman, Sultanate of NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Pakistan NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA XXXX XXXX XXXG/L/483
Page 7ANNEX:  N OTIFICATIONS RECEIVED FOR THE YEARS 1996-2000
MA:1 MA:2 MA:5 DS:1 ES:1 ES:2
One- Imports under tariff quotas Special safeguard Domestic support Export subsidies Total exports
off 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Panama X NA XX * X * NA XXX NA NA NA
Papua New Guinea NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Paraguay NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA XXXX XXXX NA NA NA NA NA
Peru NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA XX XXXX NA NA NA NA NA
Philippines X X X X X XX XXX XXX XX
Poland X X X XX XX XXX X X X X X X X X X XXXX X
Q a t a r N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A XXX NA NA NA NA NA
Romania X X X XX X XXX XXXX X X X X XXXX
Rwanda NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) (NA) NA NA NA NA NA
S a i n t  K i t t s  a n d  N e v i s N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A NA NA NA NA NA
S a i n t  L u c i a N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A NA NA NA NA NA
St Vincent &
GrenadinesNA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
S e n e g a l N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A NA NA NA NA NA
S i e r r a  L e o n e N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A ( N A ) ( N A ) N AN AN AN A N A
S i n g a p o r e N A N A N A N AN A N AN A N AN AN AN A XXXX XXXX NA NA NA NA NA
Slovak Republic X X X XX XX XXXX X X X X X X X X X X XXXX X
Slovenia XXX X X X NA NA NA NA NA X X X X X* XXXXX NA NA NA NA NA
Solomon Islands NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) (NA) NA NA NA NA NA
South Africa X X X XX X XXX X X X X X X X XXXX
Sri Lanka NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA XX XX NA NA NA NA NA
Suriname NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Swaziland NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Switzerland-
LiechtensteinXXX X XX X X X X X X X XXX
Tanzania NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) NA NA NA NA NA
Thailand XXX X X XX X X X X XX XX
Togo NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) NA NA NA NA NA
Trinidad and Tobago NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA XX NA NA NA NA NA
Tunisia X X X XX X XXX X X X X XXXX NA NA NA NA NA
Turkey NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA XXXXX X X X X X XXXX X
Uganda NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA X (NA) X (NA) XXXX NA NA NA NA NAG/L/483
Page 8 ANNEX:  N OTIFICATIONS RECEIVED FOR THE YEARS 1996-2000
MA:1 MA:2 MA:5 DS:1 ES:1 ES:2
One- Imports under tariff quotas Special safeguard Domestic support Export subsidies Total exports
off 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
United Arab Emirates NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA XXXX XXXX NA NA NA NA NA
United States X X X XX X XXX X X X X X X X XXXX
Uruguay NA NA NA NA NA NA X XXX XXXX X X X X XXXX
Venezuela XXX X XX X X X X X X X XXX
Zambia NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA X (NA) X (NA) XXX NA NA NA NA NA
Zimbabwe NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA XXXX XXXX XXXX X
EXPLANATORY NOTES
(a) A blank indicates that the requirement applies to the Member concerned for the implementation year, but that no notification  was received up to the cut-off date.
(b) An " X" indicates a notification has been received.  No assessment of the completeness or the quality of the notification with respec t to requirements is made or implied.  Cases in
which a notification or draft notification has been provided to the Secretariat but, for various reasons, has not been circulat ed, are indicated by an asterisk  "X*".
(c) "NA" indicates that the requirement was not applicable for this Member during the period covered either because no relevant measures are in place (e.g. tariff quotas) or because
WTO membership did not take place hence there were no notification requirements pertaining to that period. " (NA) " indicates that domestic support notifications are required every
second year from least-developed country Members.
(d) Shaded boxes indicate that the Member concerned has a domestic support and/or an export subsidy reduction commitment shown i n Part IV, Section I and/or Section II, of its
Schedule.
_________