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WT/REG/M/9 7 
 
8 October  2020 
(20-6914) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Regional Trade Agreements  
Ninety -Seventh  Session    
 
 
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 22 SEPTEMBER  2020 
Chairman: Ambassador H.E. Mr. Mārtiņš KREITUS (Latvia)  
A.  ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  
1.1.  The 97th Session of the Committee on Regional Trade Agreements (hereinafter "CRTA " or the 
"Committee ") was convened in Airgram WTO/AIR/RTA/ 22/Rev.1  dated 8 September  2020. The 
Agreement between the European Union and Cameroon had been removed from the original agenda 
following a request by the Parties.  
1.2.  The Chairman  referred to the note delegations had received regarding "Organizational and 
Technical Arrangements" for the meeting. As stated therein, th e meeting was in -person with a virtual 
add-on through the Interpr efy platform. He drew delegates' attention to a few practical points for 
the smooth conduct of the meeting.  
1.3.  With respect to Agenda Item D "Other Business", the Chairman  wished to inform Members 
about the proposed schedule for CRTA meetings for the rest of  the year.  
1.4.  The Committee  accordingly adopted  the following Agenda:  
 Adoption of the Agenda  
 Implementation of the RTA Transparency Mechanism  
I. Early Announcements  
II. Notifications of Regional Trade Agreements  
III. Non-notified RTAs  
IV. Status on the Preparation of Factual Presentations  
 Consideration of Regional Trade Agreement s 
I. Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement between the European 
Union and Armenia,  Services  
II. Free Trade Agreement between Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) and 
Israel,  Goods 
 Other Business  
B. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RTA TRANSPARENCY MECHANISM  
1.5.  As was usual practice, the Chairman  provided an update of the Committee's work and the 
implementation of the Transparency Mechanism.  
B.I  Early announcements  
1.6.  The Chairman  indicated that a  total of 36 early announcements were currently on the WTO 
website (not counting those which ha d been subsequently notified). The latest early announcement 
received was for the FTA between Canada and MERCOSUR. He thank ed Members who ha d submitted 
information in line with the requirements of the Transparency Mechanism and encourage d others to 
do so. He remind ed Members to inform the Secretariat of any changes in the status of early 
announcements . WT/REG/M/9 7 
 
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  B.II Notifications of regional trade agreements  
1.7.  The Chairman indicated that o ne notification  had been received since the circulation of the 
airgram of the 96th Session of the CRTA held on 27 July 2020 and  had thus been included in the 
airgram  for this Session . This  was the notification of the Free Trade Agreeme nt between the 
European Union and Viet  Nam, good and services (document WT/REG406/N/1 –S/C/N/1016).  
Further, a notification of an agreement had been  received since the distribution of the airgram – 
that of the Agreement between Canada, the United States of  America and the United Mexican States . 
As was customary, this notification would  be included in the airgram for the Committee's  forthcoming 
session.  
1.8.  The representative of Canada  congratulated the European Union and Viet Nam on the entry 
into force  of the ir Agreement. Canada  took note of the inclusion of rules on g overnment procurement 
and state -owned enterprises in the Agreement.  
1.9.  The representative of the United States  thanked th e Parties for notif ying this Agreement. She 
looked forward to learn ing more about the EU -Viet Nam Agreement.  
B.III Non-notified  RTAs 
1.10.   The Chairman  stated that a n updated list of non -notified RTAs had been  circulated on 
16 September 2020 as WT/REG/W/151 and contain ed 54 RTAs issued in factual presentations up to 
14 September 2020. He noted that a c ompari son of  the list to  the one presented in the previous 
Session in July (WT/REG/W/149)  showed  that the number of RTAs included therein had increased 
from 53 to 5 4, with three RTAs being added to the list and two being removed.  
1.11.   The Chairman  recalled Brazil's enquiry at the July Session regarding the inclusion in the list 
of the services aspects of the Mercosur -Peru and Mercosur -Andean Community agreements as well 
as of the Mercosur -Colombia agreement. He confirmed that f ollowing communication between the 
Secretariat and the  delegation of Brazil both the  Mercosur -Peru and Mercosur -Andean Community 
agreements h ad been removed from the list as they did not contain services provisions, while 
Mercosur -Colombia remain ed therein, since it had not yet been referred to in any of the LAIA's 
notifications of changes.  
1.12.   The representative of Brazil  thanked the Secretariat for repl ying to Brazil's  questions and for 
remov ing the agreements from the list.  
B.IV Status on the preparation of Factual Presentations  
1.13.   As regards the preparation of th e factual presentations under the remit of the CRTA , the 
Chairman  indicated that  in the case of RTAs involving WTO members only , there  were 19 RTAs for 
which a factual presentation had to be prepared, counting goods and services separately. He recalled 
that at the Committee's 52nd Session held on 4 March 2009, Members had agreed to begin 
considering RTAs involving non Members under the Transparency Mechanism's procedures. Thus, 
factual presentations on a further 23 RTAs involving non -members  were to be prepared. Members 
had agreed that those RTAs notified since 14 December 2006, including future notifications, should 
be taken up before the others. Data requests for RTAs notified since the adoption of the Transparency 
Mechanism ha d been sent to the relevant Parties. Further more, factual presentation s for six other 
services agreements  were on hold, pending the negotiation of services commitments. Of these, only 
one involve d non-members.  
1.14.   He had held consultations with delegations regarding the backlog due to  the late receipt of 
data necessary for the preparation of factual presentations and comments on factual presentations. 
It was his  hope that delegations would provide the missing information as soon as possible. An 
updated list of all such RTAs had b een recently circulated as document WT/REG/W/152, dated 
18 September 2020.  
1.15.   As regards agreements among WTO Members, a representative of the Secretariat  said that 
for GCC-Singapore , services, comments ha d been received from Singapore but not from most of th e 
GCC parties. For EU -Singapore , goods and services , data had been received and the factual 
presentation was being drafted. For Peru -Australia , goods and services , the deadline to receive data WT/REG/M/9 7 
 
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  had been extended to 25 September  and data from Australia had been received the day before . For 
EU-Viet Nam , goods and services , data had been received from the EU on 21 September ; data w ere 
pending for Viet Nam and were due on 22 September . For EU -Central America , goods and services , 
the Secretariat was awaiting data from the E uropean Union. For E U-PNG, Fiji, goods , data was not 
complete . For ECOWAS , good and services , some data had been received from some of the Parties . 
For the GCC , goods, the Secretariat was awaiting responses t o questions that had been raised by 
Members.  Finally, f or the Agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada, goods and 
services, the data requested had recently been sent to the Parties.  
1.16.   As regards agreements involving  non-members, for the CIS Agr eement, goods, some 
comments had been received. For the EAEU -Iran Agreement , goods , the deadline for data 
submission was 22 June 2020 and no data had been received. Data was not complete for 
EFTA-Lebanon, Turkey -Syria, Ukraine -Azerbaijan, Ukraine -Turkmenis tan, and the Russian 
Federation -Turkmenistan.  
1.17.   With respect to Agreements notified but which were not yet in force for all Parties, the 
Secretariat had previously indicated that it would be starting preparation of the factual presentation 
for the Parties fo r which the Agreement was in force. With respect to the CPTPP, the Secretariat had 
received data from all Parties for which the Agreement was  in force , it was drafting the factual 
presentation, and hoped to send it shortly for comments to the Parties.   
1.18.   She hoped Members would continue to cooperate with the Secretariat as well as they had in 
the past so the Secretariat would be able to do its job.  
C. CONSIDERATION OF REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS  
ITEM C.I 
(The minutes of the consideration of this A greement  were being distributed as a separate document 
WT/REG 405/M/1)  
 
ITEM C.II  
 
(The minutes of the consideration of this Agreement  were being distributed as a separate document 
WT/REG 398/M/1) 
 
D. OTHER BUSINESS  
1.19.   The Chairman  informed the Committee of t he tentative dates for the last CRTA meeting in 
2020, scheduled for 18–19 November 2020. The November dates would be confirmed once the date 
of the General Council was fixed.  
1.20.   The Chairman  thanked the Secretariat for having resolved the technical difficulties at the 
beginning of the meeting as well as the active participation of Geneva -based delegates and those in 
capitals , including at high level , and in  very different time zones. He appreciated the engagement in 
the Committee 's work and noted the number of participants,  which appeared higher tha n when 
meetings were only conducted in-person . 
1.21.   The Committee took note  of the comments made.  
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