. /.RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/REG108/M/2
19 July 2001
(01-3587)
Committee on Regional Trade Agreements
Twenty-Ninth Session
EXAMINATION OF THE FREE TRADE AGREEMENT
BETWEEN ESTONIA AND UKRAINE
Note on the Meeting of 3 July 2001
Chairperson:  Ms. Margaret LIANG
1. The meeting was convened in document WTO/AIR/1568.
2. Under Agenda Item C.IX, the Committee on Regional Trade Agreements (CRTA) took up the
examination of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Estonia and Ukraine.
3. The Chairperson noted that this was the second round of examination of the FTA between
Estonia and Ukraine.  The proceedings of the first round, which took place in February 2001, had
been recorded in document WT/REG108/M/1.  Si nce then, the Parties had provided replies to
questions put by delegations, which had been circulated in document WT/REG108/4.
4. The representative of the United States noted that at the last meeting she had sought
confirmation that the commitments of Estonia under the Pan-European System of Cumulation of
Origin would not affect the implementation of the Agreement, and that the representative of Estonia
had replied that the cumulation system would not affect Estonia-Ukraine trade because of Protocol A,
which defined the rules of origin between the tw o countries.  She was however under the impression
that Protocol A seemed to suggest that the European Communities were a third party beneficiary to
the Agreement and asked for an explanation.  Furthermore, as Estonia had concluded 12 RTAs, she
requested information about the rules of origin within each of those Agreements and how those rules
interacted with this FTA.
5. The representative of Estonia explained that Ukraine had nothing to do with the
Pan-European System of Cumulation of Origin and that additional information would be provided in
written form.  As for the other Agreements to which Estonia was a party, they used the Pan-European
System of Cumulation of Origin.  The representative of the United States appreciated the offer of the
representative of Estonia to provide written responses and indicated that Article 4 of Protocol A,
which covered cumulation with materials originating in other countries, was the basis of the written
questions she would be submitting.
6. The representative of the United States inquired whether the safeguards provisions of the
Agreement had ever been used.  She asked if there had been efforts to open the procurement processes
in Estonia and Ukraine and if Parties intended to sign up to the Government Procurement Agreement.
7. Replying to the questions posed, the representative of Estonia referred to
document WT/REG108/4 in which it was stated that Estonia had not introduced any safeguards
measures, and indicated that this was also true regarding any of his country's agreements.  He also
indicated that while he did foresee the possibility of joining the Government Procurement Agreement,
that had not yet happened.WT/REG108/M/2
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8. The Chairperson noted that the second round of examination of this RTA had allowed the
Committee to clarify a number of issues but some outstanding questions seemed to remain.  She
invited those representatives who wished to ask additional questions to forward them to the
Secretariat by 10 July and the Parties to submit replies as soon as possible, but not later than
4 September.  The next round of examination coul d then be scheduled for the September meeting.
She had selected those dates after having taking into account the summer break; if they were not
respected, the examination of this Agreement would be postponed to 2002.
9. The Committee took note of the comments made.
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