RESTRICTED  
  
JOB/MA/151  
 
29 November 2021  
(21-8970) Page: 1/8 
Committee on Market Access    
 
 
GUIDELINES ON HOW TO USE E -AGENDA FOR THE COMMITTEE ON MARKET ACCESS  
NOTE BY THE SECRETARIAT1 
1  BACKGROUND  
1.1.  In February  2020, the Committee on Market Access  (CMA)  started exploring the possible use 
of the eAgenda platform following the practice of other WTO  committees , most notably the SPS and 
TBT Committees, and requested the Secretariat to prepare a trial version . On 1  February  2021, the 
first version of eAgenda for the CMA was made available to Members  and a  "mock" meeting was 
organiz ed on 1  March  2021 for delegates to test the system, provide feedback to the Secretariat, 
and familiarize themselves  with the system before it could be used for the formal meeting of the 
CMA in April  2021.2 Following the introduction of some adjustments t o take into account the feedback 
received, the eAgenda was used for the second time for the formal meeting of the Committee in 
October  2021.3 The Secretariat regularly reports to Members about the different changes and 
improvements that are implemented to the system and Members have the opportunity to provide 
their feedback. At its informal meeting of 21 September  2021, the Committee tasked the  Secretariat 
to prepare  written guidelines on how to use an eAgenda for the CMA.  
2  E-AGENDA  
2.1.  The eAgenda  is an online platform that is commonly used by an increasing number of 
committees .4 Since the rules of procedure and type of work vary across committees,  the eAgenda 
incorporates ad hoc features in response to the specific needs and working procedures of each 
committee , while maintaining a common interface that helps the user navigate across the different 
versions of the system .  
2.2.  The eAgenda for  the CMA is meant to assist delegates and the Secretariat  mainly  in three ways:  
i. To draft the agenda for a meeting in a collaborative way and facilitate the exchange of 
information before the meeting , thereby enabling delegates to get acquainted with the i ssues 
to be discussed and prepare  well before the Airgram  convening the meeting  is circulated ; 
ii. to facilitate the collection and , eventually , dissemination of information (on a voluntary 
basis) after the meeting takes  place; and  
iii. to facilitate the search and analysis of items discussed in past CMA meetings, for example 
specific trade concerns (STCs) . 
3  MAIN FUNCTIONS OF E -AGENDA FOR THE CMA  
3.1.  The eAgenda for the CMA is available at the following URL: https://agenda.wto.org/en/cma . 
 
1 This document is without prejudice to Members' rights and obligations under the WTO  Agreement.  
2 Document  G/MA/M/74, para graph  30.7. 
3 Document  G/MA/M/75 (to be issued).  
4 As of the date of this document, the following WTO  bodies agreed to use the eAgenda  platform : 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade; Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures; Committee on 
Market Access; Committee on Import Licensing; and the Committee on Government Procurement.  JOB/MA/151  
 
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  3.2.  In order to access the system, delegates must be registered. Delegates wishing to request 
access to the eAgenda  platform should send an email to the CMA  team ( Roberta.Lascari@wto.org , 
Simon.Neumueller@wto.org , and Karine.Grange@wto.org ). Capital-based officials can submit a 
request through their Permanent Mission to the WTO.  It is possible to grant "read -only" access  for 
certain users  at the request of delegations . It is the responsibility of each delegation to inform the 
CMA team in case a delegate should no longer  have access to the eAgenda  platform . 
3.1  Collaborative Agenda  
3.3.  The eAgenda homepage  is called the "Collaborative Agenda ". It shows summary  information 
with respect to an upcoming meeting of the  CMA (formal meetings only), such as the duration of 
the submission period for including agenda items, the number of trade concerns raised  (whether 
new or previously raised concerns ), and the number of  Members concerned. It also shows the 
preliminary agenda for the meeting and allows delegates to add , modify , and delete  agenda items 
in full autonomy . 
3.4.  From the top menu, users can access other sections  of the eAgenda, namely : "Previous 
Meetings", "STCs" ( specific trade concerns ), "Download Statements" , and " Account Settings" . 
Figure 1: eAgenda homepage: summary information  
 
 
3.5.  The Collaborative Agenda  section is constantly updated , which means that  it always shows  the 
most recent and complete version of the agenda for a formal meeting  of the CMA . Delegates can 
access the system at any time before the meeting to consult the full list of items raised and available 
documents . This greatly facilitates the ir work when p reparing for a meeting as delegates  do not need 
to wait for the official Airgram to be circulated to know which items will be discussed  and which they 
would wish to co-sponsor . They also have immediate and direct access  to documents and reports as 
soon as they become available . 
3.2  When does the eAgenda open?  
3.6.  The eAgenda  for the CMA becomes active app roximately one month  before the date of the 
Committee's next formal meeting . In addition, the opening of eAgenda coincides with the circulation 
of the draft Airgram5 convening the meeting. Once the eAgenda opens, the Collaborative Agenda  
section shows the prelimina ry list of items as described in the draft Airgram , including  the CMA's 
different "standing" items that  are taken up at the Committee's spring and autumn meeting s. From 
that date, Members can add an agenda item  by connecting to the system directly  from the 
Collaborative Agenda  section . The Secretariat regularly adds documents , reports , and other 
information , as soon as they become available.  
 
5 See the WTO/AIR/MA  document series . 
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  3.7.  The field "submission period" (see figure  1) shows a countdown clock, which is set to end on 
the date on which the revised and final version of the Airgram is circulated, that is , at the latest 
10 days before the meeting  takes place. Currently, Members can request the inclusion of agenda 
items directly through the eAgenda or by contacting the CMA  team ( Roberta.Lascari@wto.org , 
Simon.Neumueller@wto.org , or Karine.Grange@wto.org ) by email . To ensure transparency and the 
proper  functioning of the eAgenda, any information received by the Secretariat outside of the system 
will also be inclu ded. 
3.8.  The eAgenda  remains active for a longer period  of time  with respect to statements only. 
Members have the possibility to upload or modify the status of statements during a n additional 
period  of time lasting approximately one week after the meeting itself takes  place.  
3.3  What items can be added  to the agenda ? 
3.9.  From the Collaborative Agenda  section , any Member can add three  types of agenda items by 
clicking on the relevant button  in the " Agenda of the Meeting" section  (see figure  2): 
i. General issues;  
ii. new trade concerns  (that is,  concerns that have not been previously raised in the CMA) ; and 
iii. previously raised concerns  (which are already stored in the system ). 
Figure 2: Items that can be added to the agenda  
 
 
3.10.   For each of th ese items, the requesting Member must provide some basic information 
(including the proposed title of the item, whether other Member(s) are concerned, and the symbol 
reference s of any relevant document) ; the requesting Member also has the possibility to upload a 
draft statement  and/or any relevant document s. 
3.11.   There is no limitation to the number of agenda items that can be added , and the se items  can 
be modified for as long as the submission period remains open. This means that  Member s that have 
included a specific item  can edit or delete  it at any time within the active period . 
3.12.   In some cases, t he Secretariat may be required to take action with respect to certain  agenda 
items . For example, when it is necessary to adjust the name or title of an agenda item , to merge 
items, or to change the order  and sequence of the agenda items . As appropriate , the Secretariat will 
contact the Member(s) concerned in advance of any change . 
3.4  What other actions can be taken?  
3.13.   In addition to adding general agenda items and trade concerns, Members can also:  
i. Add a statement  in relation to any agenda item ( including  items raised by any other 
Members , or by the Secretariat ). This is done by clicking the "+" button next to each agenda 
item; 
ii. join a trade c oncern raised by (an)other Member(s) as a co -sponsor. This is done by clicking 
on the "flag" icon next to each trade concern. Members joining as co -sponsors will appear 
in the title of the agenda item  of the Airgram ; 
iii. express interest in a specific trade co ncern raised by (an)other Member(s). This is done by 
clicking on the "thumb s up" icon next to each trade concern. Interested Members will appear 
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  below the title of the trade concern as "other interested" Members . Those expressing interest 
prior to the meet ing are  expected to take the floor and read a statement ;  
iv. modify the title of a previously raised agenda item  (for example,  to reflect a change in the 
composition of the Members concerned).  
 
Figure 3: Possible a ctions and associated icons  
 
 
3.5  What happens t o statements uploaded in eAgenda?  
3.14.   Member s that upload statements in eAgenda  retain full control of the documents at all times , 
including who has access to them, and when . The Member can always choose  whether the statement 
can be made available  to the interpreters only ( the default option)  or to all other  Members  in addition 
to the interpreters . The system further  allows Members to indicate if the statement is final and can 
be used "For incorporation i n the minutes " of the meeting  (see figure  4). 
3.15.   The relevant M ember is the only user authorized to change the default option for  its 
statement.  No statement will be automatically distributed to other Members unless the relevant 
Member expressly selects this option.  
3.16.   The options for statements can be changed  at any time  before, during , or after the meeting.  
Even after the submission period for agenda item s is closed and the CMA  meeting has taken place,  
the eAgenda remains open  for an additional week to allow  for the submission or modification of 
statements , so that these can be aligned to what was actually delivered at the meeting . Members 
can therefore choose whether the statements can be made available to other Members and/or  used 
in the preparation of the  minutes, thereby facilitating the reporting of meetings both for delegates 
and the Secretariat.  
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  Figure 4: Options for statements  
 
 
 
3.6  How do I know when a new item has been added?  
3.17.   Every time an  item is added to the eAgenda, it will automatically  and immediately  appear in 
the Collaborative Agenda  section . Delegates  and the Secretariat receive a notification that a new 
item has been added. In order to manage their  e-mail alerts , delegates can go to "Account Settings" 
→ "My prof ile" section and select their preferred notification options.  
3.18.   A "search " field option  has been added at the top of the agenda allow ing Members to search 
an eAgenda by specific words . 
3.7  Previous Meeting s section  
3.19.   The section "Previous Meetings" provides the list of all  CMA formal meetings  since 2011. For 
each meeting , users have direct access to the main documents and resources relating to a specific 
meeting, such as the Minutes, the Airgram , and the Annotated Agenda. The column " All meeting 
documents" provide s a direct link to the relevant section in WTO Documents Online  
(https://docs.wto.org/ ), which lists all documents associated with a specific meeting  (currently in 
progress) . 
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  Figure 5: Previous Meetings section  
 
 
3.8  Specific Trade Concerns (STCs) section  
3.20.   The " Specific Trade Concerns" (STCs) section has two sub -sections: (i) "Previously Raised 
STCs"; and (ii) "My STCs" section s. 
3.21.   The "Previously Raised STC s" section shows  the list of all STCs that have been  raised in the 
CMA since 2011. This section allows delegates to : (i) search and explore STCs that have been raised 
in the CMA; and (ii) allow Members to raise  again  at an upcoming meeting an  STC already raised at 
a previous meeting . Each STC is identified by an ID  number , which is assigned sequentially in the 
order that a concern is raised . By clicking on the STC  title, the user can see how many times an STC 
has been raised , and at which meeting (s). The system also records which Member(s) raised the 
concern, the Member (s) that co -sponsored the item, and other interested Members. If statements 
are uploaded in the eAgenda and made available to all Members, these will also appear  and can be 
downloade d. This allows users to keep track of STCs and how they have evolved  over time . 
Documents associated with a specific trade concern , if available,  will also be displayed in the final 
column , with a direct link to WTO  Documents Online.  
3.22.   Data in the STCs table can be sorted by clicking on each column header.  
3.23.   By clicking on the "flag" icon, Members  can raise a concern that has already been discussed 
in a previous  CMA meeting directly from the STCs section . This simplifies the task of raising an STC, 
since the information  does not need to be entered agai n; it is already stored  in the system . Previously 
raised concern s can also be added to the agenda from the Collaborative Agenda  section . 
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  Figure 6: Previously raised STCs  
 
 
3.24.   "My STCs " section summarizes information concerning STCs that  are directly or indirectly 
relevant for a specific delegation ("my delegation "). The section provides an overview of the STCs 
that: (i) have been raised by  "my delegation "; (ii) have been raised by other Members with respect 
to "my delegation "; and (iii) concerns that "my" delegation is co -sponsoring. This information is 
available for  both "new" STCs ( that is,  concerns that have been raised for the first  time at the current  
meeting)  or for "previously raised" STCs (concerns that have been raised in previous CMA meetings). 
The user also has the possibility to access this information for the current and previous  meeting s as 
well, thereby receiving a clear picture of all the issues of interest to its delegation.  
3.9  Download Statements  section  
3.25.   This section allows users  to download in a n MS Word document all the statements that have 
been shared by Members , as well as th e Secretariat reports under the different agenda items.  This 
function is particularly useful for delegates having to report back to their capital s about the various 
discussions held in the Committee.  
3.26.    Members can choose to download statements for "all" agenda items , "STCs" only, or "all 
other agenda items" . It is also possible to download all the statements made by a particular Member.  
3.27.   As previously explained , statements uploaded to the eAgenda are  not shared automatically ; 
rather, it is incumbe nt upon each Member to decide whether statements can be made available to 
other Members , or not. If all Members were to share their statements, it would be possible 
automatically to generate  a comprehensive  report of the meeting . However, if no Member decides 
to make its statement available, or only some Members do so, the system will generate either a 
blank page  or a partial report of what was discussed at the meeting . All statements  made by the 
WTO Secretariat are made available to all Members by default.  
3.28.   It is w orth underscoring that statements uploaded  onto the eAgenda platform are only 
accessible to users that have received authorization to use the eAgenda platform for the CMA , and 
are not disseminated further . 
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  Figure 7: Download statements - All 
 
 
3.10  Languages  
3.29.   The eAgenda platform  for the CMA is available in the three WTO  official languages. The 
preferred language can be selected from the bar at the top of the page.  
3.30.   Members can add an agenda item, as well as upload their statement s, while using the eAgenda 
platform in any of the three  official languages  of the WTO . However, w hile the titles of agenda items 
will be translated and made available in the WTO's three  official  languages, Members' statements 
will only be available  in the language in which they were subm itted. 
4  CONTACT AND SUPPORT  
4.1.  For any question in relation to the eAgenda platform, please contact the CMA team: 
Roberta.Lascari@wto.org , Simon.Neumueller@wto.org , and Karine.Grange@wto.org . 
 
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