G/TFA /W/31  
 
21 December 2020  
(20-9253) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Trade Facilitation  Original: English  
 
SHARING EXPERIENCES RELATED TO THE COVID -19 CRISIS  
COMMUNICATION FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION  
The following communication, dated 17 December  2020, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation the European Union.  
 
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1. We would like to share with the Membership the following proposal for consideration at the 
next formal Trade Facilitation Committee meeting.  
2. We have noted wit h interest the contributions made by Members and international 
organi zations for the informal TFC meeting of 30 September 2020. These contributions have 
highlighted the nature of the challenges that WTO Members had and continue to face in fighting 
COVID -19. They also stress the impact on the real economy, supply chains , and specifically, the 
adjustments to customs procedures that were deemed necessary.  
3. There seemed to be a growing acknowledgement at both the informal TFC meeting of 30 
September and the form al TFC meeting of 20 -21 October, that the crisis makes the Trade Facilitation 
Agreement even more relevant. The pandemic has accelerated Members' reforms and renewed 
efforts to implement the Trade Facilitation Agreement in numerous areas , including transpa rency, 
simplification, automation, and cooperation at the borders, to mention only a few.  
4. We would like to seize this opportunity and propose the following:  
5. We believe that it is timely to identify within these contributions what key difficulties and 
challenges Members and businesses have encountered when importing, exporting, or transiting 
territories during the crisis. It would also be useful to share what particular reforms and changes 
Members and businesses have made in response. Such a compilation will  constitute a good basis to 
discuss recommendations to address the ongoing pandemic, and what next steps would be 
appropriate for 2021.  
6. In order to facilitate the preparation of such a discussion we propose the following:  
7. First, to invite the WTO Secretari at to prepare a compendium document of the contributions 
of COVID -19 responses that the TFC Members and Observers have provided the TF Committee so 
far. It should  include the presentations made by Members and international organi zations. The 
compendium rep ort should be structured similarly to the TFA. For each provision, the report should 
present the issues/difficulties as well as the actions/reforms taken by Members when applicable. The 
source of the information should be clearly indicated. For example, un der transparency, the report 
should present all measures reported by Members such as reshaping of websites, updates of 
transparency notifications. If some issues or actions do not fit under an existing TFA provision, they 
should be grouped under "Other COV ID-19 related measures" ( for example the protection of customs 
staff operating on the ground).  
8. Whenever pertinent, identification of specific problems and solutions adopted by different 
categories of Members could be done (for example specific difficulties for landlocked WTO 
Members/LDCs/SME operator s). G/TFA/W/31  
 
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  9. Such a consolidation of existing measures reported by International Organi zations, Members 
and eventually business (within existing contributions already shared in the TFC) would avoid 
duplicatio n of efforts among entities working on TF measures to cope with COVID -19 challenges. 
This would also be a useful tool to help better structure the discussions of the future TFC meetings 
under the agenda setting "sharing of experiences at times of COVID -19" that we propose to be set 
up during 2021 as a pilot experience.  
10. As a second step, the TFC could consider discussing this document or part of it in order to 
outline what main recommendations may emerge and what sharing of practices may be important 
to do w ithout delay now that vaccine distribution is about to commence. Such discussions could take 
place in the TFC or informal meeting and should be Member -driven.  
11. Having in mind the review by the Committee that is planned for February 2021 in accordance 
with A rticle 23 (1) (1) (6)1, we would also like to propose that a meeting of the TFC be organi zed at 
the soonest possible in 2021 to allow for the WTO Secretariat to provide a preliminary compilation 
in time for the review. This would help the TFC organi ze its discussions in a structured manner.  
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1 "The Committee shall review the operation and implementation of this Agreement four years from its 
entry into force, and periodically thereafter ".