WT/DS537/12  
 
10 May 2019  
(19-3195) Page: 1/3 
  Original: English  
 
CANADA – MEASURES GO VERNING THE SALE OF WINE  
COMMUNICATION FROM T HE PANEL  
The following communication, dated 7 May 2019 , was received from the Chairperson of the Panel 
with the request that it be circulated to the Dispute Settlement Body.  
 
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Paragraph 2(5) of the Working Procedures for the Panel proceedings in the dispute Canada – 
Measures Governing the Sale of Wine (DS537) provides:  
 
The Panel shall circulate its Working Procedures and timetable, and any 
amendments thereto,  to WTO Members through the DS document series 
for this dispute.  
Accordingly, p lease find enclosed the additional Working Procedures on open panel meetings adopted 
by the Panel today.   
 
I would be grateful if you would circulate this document to the DSB.  
  WT/DS537/12  
 
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ADDITIONAL WORKING P ROCEDURES FOR THE PA NEL: OPEN MEETINGS  
Adopted on 7 May 2019  
1. Subject to the availability of suitable WTO meeting rooms, the Panel will open its first and 
second substantive meetings with the parties to the public ("open session") pursuant to 
paragraph 10(1) of its Working Procedures.1  
2. If the Panel or any of the parties considers it necessary to close any part of the substantive 
meetings ("closed session"), the Panel shall close the meeting immediately or convene a 
closed  session at a time to be determined by the Panel.  
3. The Panel will invite the parties to introduce the members of their delegations in a closed 
session at the beginning of the substantive meetings. The Panel will then start the open 
session with the parties ' opening statements. After the parties' opening statements, each 
party will be given the opportunity to pose questions or make comments, through the Panel, 
on the other party's statement. The Panel may subsequently pose questions to the parties. 
Once the questioning has concluded, the Panel shall afford each party an opportunity to 
present a brief closing statement.  
4. The Panel will start the third party session of its first substantive meeting with a session open 
to the public ("open third party session"). Each third party wishing to make its statement in 
the open third party session shall do so. After such third parties have made their statements, 
the parties will be given the opportunity, through the Panel, to pose questions on any matter 
raised in these t hird parties' submissions or statements. The  Panel may subsequently pose 
questions to these third parties. If any of the third parties wishes to make its statement in a 
closed session ("closed third party session"), such session will be held immediately af ter the 
open third party session. The procedures for the open third party session will equally apply to 
the closed third party session.  
5. During the first and second substantive meetings, the following persons shall be admitted into 
the meeting room:  
• Members of the Panel;  
• Members of the delegations of the parties;  
• Members of the delegations of the third parties, unless a party requests otherwise ; and  
• WTO Secretariat staff assisting the Panel.  
 
6. During the third party session of the first substantive mee ting, the following persons shall be 
admitted into the meeting room:  
• Members of the Panel;  
• Members of the delegations of the parties;  
• Members of the delegations of the third parties; and  
• WTO Secretariat staff assisting the Panel.  
 
7. Subject to the availabili ty of suitable WTO meeting rooms, the open sessions of the substantive 
meetings and the open third party session of the first substantive meeting will be open to 
other WTO Members, Observers, staff members and registered members of the public  via a 
live cl osed-circuit television broadcast to a separate viewing room in the WTO. The closed 
sessions of the meetings will not be filmed.  
8. The viewings will be open to officials of WTO Members, Observers and staff members of the 
WTO Secretariat upon presentation of their official badges. No later than  four weeks before 
the substantive meetings , the WTO Secretariat will place a notice on the WTO website 
informing the public of the open sessions.  The notice shall include a link through which 
members of the public, inc luding accredited journalists and representatives of relevant non -
governmental organizations (NGOs), can register directly with the WTO. The date of the  
                                                
1 The Working Procedures of the Panel were circulated as document WT/ DS537/10 . WT/DS537/12  
 
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  deadline for public registration will be communicated to the parties as soon as it has been 
established .  
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