. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/L/577
22 October 2002
(02-5770)
REPORT (2002) OF THE COMMITTEE OF PARTICIPANTS ON THE EXPANSION
OF TRADE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS
1. The Committee of Participants on the Expansi on of Trade in Information Technology Products,
hereinafter referred to as "the Committee", was establ ished pursuant to the provisions of the Ministerial
Declaration on Trade in Information Technology Pr oducts (WT/MIN(96)/16), hereinafter referred to as
"the Ministerial Declaration", and the provisions fo r the Implementation of the Ministerial Declaration
on Trade in Information Technology Products (G/L/ 160), in order to carry out the provisions of
paragraphs 3, 5, 6 and 7 of the Annex to the Declaration.
2. The Committee has held four formal meetings in 2002:  on 15 February,  3 May,  5 July, and
14 October.  A fifth meeting is envisaged for the end of the year. The minutes of these meetings are
contained in documents G/IT/M/30 to G/IT/M/33 (to be issued).  Mr. P. Gregersen (Denmark) was
elected Chairman of the Committee for 2002.
3. The total number of participants to the Ministerial Declaration is fifty-seven.  In the past year,
the schedule of the People's Republic of China was circ ulated to all participants.  However, its approval
by the Committee remained pending as consultations were still taking place between China and the US
on certain issues.  The Committee's rules of procedur e provide for observer status in the Committee for
WTO Members which are not participants to the Mi nisterial Declaration and Governments that are
observers to the Council for Trade in Goods.  Requests for observer status by international
intergovernmental organizations are considered on a case-by-case basis.  The International Trade Centre
(ITC) and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have been granted
observer status; and the World Customs Organiza tion (WCO) has been granted observer status to
meetings where the issues of HS classification and HS amendments are included in the agenda.
4.  The Committee continued work on the Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs) Work Programme.  It
took note of the Secretariat paper which provided an overview of the submissions to the NTMs Work
Programme.  The Committee agreed to the first phase of the pilot project as proposed by Canada, andin this connection, a factual survey on Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) and Electromagnetic
Interference (EMI) of information technology products was carried out.  Nineteen responses were
received to this survey and the Secretariat prepared an overview of the survey responses as well as a
bibliography on these two matters.  Concerning the second phase of Canada's pilot project, Canada
circulated a detailed proposal of a workshop on EMC/EMI which was adopted by the Committee,
subject to financing being available to enable the attendance to the Workshop of at least one regulator
from each developing country participant.  One Member stated that the scope of the products coveredin the context of the Workshop should be clarified. The Committee took note of the additional
submissions made under Phase II of the Work Programme
5.  The Committee continued work on classification divergences.  The Committee noted that an
official reply had been received from the WCO Harmonized System Committee regarding the list ofclassification issues sent to it by the Committee.  Canada made a submission on the existing listing of
classifications.  Following agreement in the Committee, an informal meeting of customs experts was
held on 6-8 May 2002.  The Committee took note of the summary provided by the Chairman on theG/L/577
Page 2
outcome of the work undertaken by the customs experts.  The Chairman indicated that a report of this
meeting was under preparation by the Secretariat and once finalized would need to be examined by
the Committee.
6. The Committee has consistently reviewed the status of implementation, a summary of which
is provided in document G/IT/1 and its revisions.  The document noted that most participants had
submitted the formal documentation for rectification and modification of their WTO schedules in
order to incorporate the commitments arising from the Ministerial Declaration and most had been
certified by the Director-General.  A few countries were still awaiting the completion of domestic
procedural requirements or had not yet submitted the necessary documentation.
7. The Committee also addressed the issue of circulation and derestriction of documents as the
new policy adopted by the General Council (WT/L/452) specifically excluded the documents of theCommittee.  The Committee agreed to follow the Ge neral Council decision with respect to the policy
for circulation and derestriction of documents of this Committee. In relation to documents which had
been issued thus far in the G/IT/SPEC/- series as restricted and which pertained to the NTMs Work
Programme, the Committee agreed that these documents should be derestricted.
8.  The Chairman regularly informed the Committee under "other business" that various
participants continued to consult among themselves on review of product coverage.  He encouraged
delegations to continue consultations.  Also under "other business", the Committee took note of the
response that the Chairman had provided to a request by the Chairman of the Committee on Trade and
Development for information on the Committee's work with respect to special and differential
treatment.
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