G/SCM/W/583  
 
15 October 2021  
(21-7838) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures   
 
2021 OCTOBER MEETING OF THE SUBSIDIES COMMITTEE  
PROPOSAL FROM CANADA, THE EUROPEAN UNION,  
JAPAN AND THE UNITED STATES  
The following communication, dated and received on 13 October 2021, is being circulated at the 
request of the delegations of Canada, the European Union, Japan, and the United States.  
 
_____________  
PROCEDURE FOR REVIEW  
OF 2023 NEW AND FULL SUBSIDY NOTIFICATIONS1 
1. Pursuant to Article 25.1 of the SCM Agreement, 2023  new and full subsidy notifications must 
be submitted by 30 June 2023.  As delays in notification would make it difficult for the Secretariat 
to translate and circulate notifications in a manner which would allow the procedures set forth below 
to operate, t he Committee considers it important that all Members respect the 30  June 2023  
deadline for submission of notifications, as well as the deadlines for the questions and answers 
procedure set out below.  
2. The 2023  new and full subsidy notifications will be reviewed at special meetings to be held in 
conjunction with the regular meetings of the SCM Committee in Autumn 2023 , Spring 2024 , and 
(if required) Autumn 2024 . The length of the special meetings will be determined by the Chair in 
light of the number and extent of the notifications scheduled for review.  Only notifications distributed 
in all three WTO working languages not less than seventeen weeks before a meeting may be 
reviewed at that meeting.   
3. The review of new and full notifications will be held on  the basis of a written procedure, i.e.  on 
the basis of written questions and written answers provided before the meeting.  Written questions 
shall be submitted to the notifying Member and to the Secretariat not less than thirteen  weeks before 
the date of t he meeting at which a notification is to be reviewed, and written responses shall be 
submitted not less than four weeks before the date of that meeting. Members are required to 
provide written answers to all written questions posed, including questions reg arding 
specific subsidies not included in the notification . Members desiring clarification of answers, 
identifying issues for discussion, or otherwise following -up on written responses are encouraged to 
submit follow -up questions in writing in advance of t he meeting.  Written answers to follow -up 
questions are required only where the follow -up questions are submitted in writing.   
4. The written procedure is intended to avoid the repetition of lengthy questions and answers in 
the meeting and to allow the Comm ittee to (a) follow -up in areas where the written answers were 
unclear and (b) discuss issues identified as a result of the written procedure.  The result should be 
shorter and more focused meetings where meaningful discussion could occur.  
5. In order for this format to be effective, two conditions must be fulfilled.  First, questions and 
answers need to be provided on a timely basis.  Thus, a Member is not required to provide written 
 
1 This document contains proposed amendments by the delegations of Canada, the European Union, 
Japan, and the United States to the Secretariat Note contained in document G/SCM/117. The amendments are 
indicated in bold.  G/SCM/W/583  
 
- 2 - 
 
  answers in advance of a meeting where the questions were provided after  the deadline had passed.  
On the other hand, a Member that fails to provide written answers within the specified time period 
shall provide full oral answers at the meeting itself.  Second , the purpose of the written procedure is 
to allow better discussion i n the meetings, not to replace the meetings.  Meaningful discussion can 
only occur if the responsible officials are present;  thus, Members should make maximum efforts to 
bring appropriate capital -based officials to the reviews of their notifications.  
 
_____ _____