RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/SCM/Q2/NZL/3
12September 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-3549)
Original: English Committee onSubsidies andCountervailing Measures
SUBSIDIES
Replies toQuestions from theUNITED STATES Regarding theNew
andFullNotification ofNEW ZEALAND1
Thefollowing communication, dated 27August 1996, hasbeenreceived fromthePermanent
Mission ofNewZealand.
_______________
TheUnited States hasposed questions astothebasis onwhich NewZealand hasdetermined
eachofthefollowing programmes failstomeetthenotification requirements:
A. Research andDevelopment Funding bytheFoundation forResearch, Science andTechnology
B. Fellowship Funding bytheFoundation forResearch, Science andTechnology
Thefollowing programmes areadministered under eachofthose headings:
A. Research andDevelopment Funding bytheFoundation forResearch, Science andTechnology
- Public Good Science andTechnology (thisistheGovernment ’sprimary intervention);
- Non-specific output funding; and
Activitiesfundedundertheseprogrammesarethoselikelytoincreaseknowledgeorunderstanding
ofthephysical, biological orsocial environment orlikely todevelop, maintain orincrease skills or
scientific ortechnological expertise thatisofparticular importance toNewZealand orwhich arelikely
tobeofbenefit toNew Zealand butareunlikely tobefunded, oradequately funded, from
non-governmental sources.
Theappropriated budget forthisfor1996/97 is$NZ24,715,000.
1G/SCM/N/3/NZL.
./.G/SCM/Q2/NZL/3
Page2
- Promotion ofTechnology forBusiness Growth.
Thisprogramme operates tosupport andencourage investment byenterprises inresearch and
development,eitheraloneorcooperativelywithpublicagencies,intechnologytransfer;theestablishment
oftechnological capabilities; practices andskills infirms forwhich technology isanimportant
contributor tocompetitiveness andimprovement ofinformation about andaccess toNewZealand and
overseas technology andtechnologists byfirms.
Theappropriated budget forthisoutput for1996/97 is$NZ11,274,000.
B. Fellowship Funding bytheFoundation forResearch, Science andTechnology
Previously, theFoundation administered theMarsden Fund in1995/96, butthisFund isnow
administered bytheRoyal Society ofNewZealand.
TheMarsden Fund operates tosupport andencourage excellence inscience, enhance the
underpinning scientific knowledge baseandbroaden anddeepen theresearch skillbaseinNewZealand,
regardless ofwhether ornottheresearch contributes totheGovernment ’ssocio-economic priorities.
Theappropriated budget forthisoutput for1996/97 is$NZ10,839,000.
Thefellowships administered bytheFoundation are:
- Graduates inIndustry Fellowships
Theappropriated budget forthisoutput for1996/97 is$NZ2.56 million.
- Post-doctoral Fellowships; and
Theappropriated budget forthisoutput for1996/97 is$NZ2.535 million.
- Maori Fellowships.
Theappropriated budget forthisoutput for1996/97 is$NZ300,000.
TheNewZealand Government hasdetermined theabove programmes donotfallwithin the
notification requirements. Theprogrammes arenotspecific noraretheycontingent onexport
performance. Article 2.1oftheSCM Agreement provides thatwhere asubsidy isgoverned byneutral
eligibility criteria, “specificity shallnotexist”andanalysis ofother factors ispermissible onlyif“there
arereasons tobelieve thatthesubsidy mayinfactbespecific ”.Theeligibility criteria forallofthe
above programmes areneutral, objective andautomatic andarestrictly adhered to.