. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONS/CSC/3
2 December 1998
(98-4869)
Committee on Specific Commitments
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS
TO THE COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN SERVICES
1. The Committee on Specific Commitments has held three formal meetings in 1998.  The
minutes of these  meetings appear in documents S/CSC/M/5, 6 and 7.  In its first formal  meeting held
on 2 April 1998, it elected Mr Juan A. Marchetti of Argentina as its Chairman.  Six informal
consultations on the finalization of the procedures for the implementation of GATS Article XXI
(Modification of Schedules) have also been conducted by the Chairman of the Committee.  The
formal discussions of the Committee focused on three items:  classification issues, the institution of asystem of electronically consolidated and updated schedules and the possible revision of the
scheduling guidelines.
2. As far as classification issues are concerned the activities of the Committee were twofold.
First the Committee examined the structure of the ongoing revision of the Central Products
Classification, which is the nomenclature established by the UN Statistical Commission, in order toappreciate its possible relevance for the Committee's future work.  The Secretariat produced detailed
structural and qualitative studies of the changes brought about by the revised CPC in a number of
service sectors: energy, construction, distribution, tourism, transport, research and development, real
estate, rental and leasing, business services, computer and related services, professional services other
business services, agricultural, mining and manufacturing services.  It also heard the views of the UN
Statistical  Division and the "Voorburg Group", the collective authors of this new classification.
3. On this basis the Committee concluded that a global conversion to this new classification
would be difficult at this stage but that the new classification could help to resolve the individual
problems of classification which may be identified by delegations in the future.  It was also agreed
that the question of "ad hoc" classifications, that is of classifications collectively agreed which depart
from the CPC, as in financial services, basic telecommunications and maritime transport, should be
kept on the agenda as another possible means of resolving problems of classification.
4. Subsequently the Committee, in accordance with a mandate given by the Council for Trade in
Services, began the examination of the points on classification raised during the Exchange of
Information Programme, on the basis of a compilation of these points drawn up by the Secretariat and
of working documents submitted by delegations.  It was agreed that, at each meeting of the
Committee dedicated to classification, the Secretariat would produce an informal document listingand updating the suggestions and solutions proposed by Members with regard to the various sectors.
5. Secondly the Committee began discussion of the question of the definition and treatment of
new services.  There was broad agreement that this was more a question of classification than of
coverage and that a pragmatic approach, based on concrete examples identified during of the
Exchange of Information Programme of the Council, was needed.S/CSC/3
Page 2
6. The Committee approved in principle the establishment of a system of electronically
consolidated and updated schedules of commitments.  It was agreed that these electronic schedules
would not have legal status.  The Committee also considered the calendar, budget, format, circulation,
prices and verification procedure applicable to this project and the possibility of assigning dates to
these commitments.  It agreed in particular that the outcome of this work should be published and soldto the general public in a CD-ROM format and th at, in view of the budgetary constraints, the
elaboration of a CD-ROM version was a priority as compared to an online version.
7. On scheduling guidelines the Committee requested the Secretariat to produce, as a basis for a
future collective reading of the guidelines, an informal and technical document on scheduling
problems emerging from the guidelines themselves and from their implementation.
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