WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
WT/REG/W/71 
18 October 2012 
 (12-5668) 
  
  
 
DRAFT REPORT (2012) OF THE  
COMMITTEE ON REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS  
TO THE GENERAL COUNCIL 
 
Chairman:  Mr. François Riegert (France) 
  
I. INTRODUCTION 
1. At its first meeting in March 2012, the Comm ittee on Regional Trade Agreements (CRTA) 
re-elected Mr. François Riegert (F rance) as Chairman of the CRTA. 
2. During 2012, the Committee held four sessions (i n March, June, September and November).  
The minutes of those meetings are listed in the Attachment.  Four sessions are foreseen in 2013. 
II. OBSERVER STATUS 
3. The Committee agreed to continue the granti ng of observer status in the CRTA to the 
Latin American Integration Association (LAIA), on an ad hoc  basis.  No decision was taken with 
respect to the requests for observer status listed in document WT/REG/W/11/Add.3.  
III. CONSIDERATION OF REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS 
4. In the period 1 January to 15 October 2012, th e CRTA received 31 notifications of RTAs, 
18 in goods, notified under Article XXIV of GATT 1994, and 13 in services, notified under Article V 
of GATS.
1 
5. During 2012, 13 factual presentations were dist ributed reflecting 20 notifications, counting 
goods and services separately, all of which were used as the basis for consideration of RTAs in the 
CRTA.2   
6. Under paragraph 22(b) of the Transparency Mechanism (TM)3, in 2012, one factual abstract 
of an RTA for which the CRTA has concluded its  factual examination under Article XXIV of 
GATT 1994 was posted on the RTA Database; co mments are still awaited on two others.4 
                                                      
1 Dominican Republic-Central Am erica (G&S); New Zealand-Mala ysia (G&S); European Union-
Eastern and Southern Afri ca States Interim EPA (G);  Peru-Mex ico (G&S);  Japan-Peru (G&S);  
China-Costa Rica (G&S); United Stat es-Republic of Korea (G&S); Chile-Guatemala (G&S); Peru-Panama 
(G&S); United States-Colombia (G&S);  EFTA-Ukraine (G&S); Colombia-N orthern Triangle (G&S); Russian 
Federation-Azerbaijan (G); Russian Federation-Belaru s (G); Russian Federation-Kazakhstan (G); Russian 
Federation-Moldova (G); Russian Federation-Tajikistan  (G); EFTA-Hong Kong, China (G&S); East African 
Community (S). 
2 Turkey-Chile (G);  Hong Kong, China-New Zeal and (G&S);  Colombia-Mexico (G&S);  European 
Union-Republic of Korea (G&S); Peru-Republic of Korea (G&S);  Canada-Colombia (G&S);  
EFTA States-Albania (G);  EFTA St ates-Serbia (G); European Union-Egyp t (G);  European Union-South Africa 
(G); Turkey-Jordan (G);  Peru-Chile (G &S);  New Zealand-Malaysia (G&S).   WT/REG/W/71 
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  IV. EARLY ANNOUNCEMENTS 
7. Paragraph 1 of the TM provides for Members par ticipating in new negotiations and parties to 
a newly signed RTA to provide information to the S ecretariat, to be posted on the WTO website.  In 
2012, a total of 3 early announcements were recei ved from Members, 2 for RTAs under negotiation 
and 1 for newly signed RTAs.
5 
V. SUBSEQUENT NOTIFICATION AND REPORTING  
8. Paragraph 14 of the TM provides for changes affe cting the implementation of an RTA, or the 
operation of an already implemented RTA to be notif ied as soon as possible after such changes occur.  
Such communications are to be made available on the WTO website.  In the period 1 January to 
15 October 2012, notifications of changes for four  RTAs had been received and posted on the RTA 
Database.6 
9. Paragraph 15 of the TM provides for parties to  an RTA to submit a short written report on the 
realization of the liberalization commitments in the RTA as originally notified at the end of the RTA's 
implementation period.  No such repor ts were submitted during 2012.   
10. In order to assist Members in their discussion of implementation reports, the Secretariat 
prepared an informal background note (JOB/REG /1) that was discussed by Members in informal 
consultations and during the Committee's 65th-67th Sessions.  A follow-up note, issued in JOB/REG/3, 
summarizes Members' observations on the issue.  The Chairman has indicated his intention to continue informal discussions. 
VI. DATABASE ON RTAS 
11. Paragraph 21 of the TM provides for the Secr etariat to establish and maintain an updated 
electronic database on individual RTAs.  The databa se was launched in Janua ry 2009 and is available 
on the WTO public website. The database provides information on all notified RTAs, including the 
status of the consideration process. 
VII. PROCEDURES TO IMPROVE AND FACILITATE THE EXAMINATION PROCESS 
12. In an effort to address the issue of the re duction of documentation costs of the CRTA, the 
Secretariat issued a note (JOB/REG/2) that wa s used as the basis for discussion.  At its 66
th Session, 
Members were in agreement that the distribution of all documents in paper form for the CRTA be 
discontinued, provided that paper copies could be supplied to dele gations in the room upon request. 
                                                                                                                                                                     
3 The General Council Decision of 14 December establishing the Transparency Mechanism for 
Regional Trade Agreements (WT/L/671) is being implem ented on a provision basis. Members will review, and 
if necessary modify, this decision, in light of the experience gained from its provisional opera tion, and replace it 
by a permanent mechanism as part of the overall results of the Doha Round, in accord ance with paragraph 47 of 
the Doha Declaration (par agraph 23 of the General Council's Decision). 
4 EU (25) Enlargement (G); EFTA-FYROM (G) and EFTA-Morocco (G); all of these are notified 
under Article XXIV of the GATT 1994.   
5 Under negotiation: EFTA - Costa Rica, Guatem ala, Honduras and Panama; Russian Federation-
New Zealand.  Newly signed:  EFTA-Montenegro. 
6 China-Hong Kong, China; China-Macao, Chin a; EFTA-Republic of Ko rea; EFTA-Singapore.  WT/REG/W/71 
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  VIII. SYSTEMIC IMPLICATIONS OF REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS AND 
INITIATIVES FOR THE MULTILATERAL TRADING SYSTEM AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEM 
13. At the CRTA's 64
th, 66th [and 67th] Sessions, Members exchanged views on issues of 
relevance for the CRTA that were raised at the 8th Ministerial Conference.   
IX. FINAL REMARKS 
14. In an effort to encourage the notification of no n-notified RTAs, the Chairman with the help of 
the Secretariat, continued to draw up and circulat e in advance of CRTA meetings a list of non-notified 
RTAs which have been verified by their parties as be ing in force and appeared in factual presentations 
circulated between September 2009 and October 2012.   
15. Although considerable progress has been made in the preparation of factual presentations, the 
Committee continues to experience so me difficulties in adhering to its work programme.  This is due 
to a number of factors:  delays in the receipt of statistical data from parties, data discrepancies in Members' submissions, and delays in the receipt of comments from parties.     WT/REG/W/71 
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  ATTACHMENT 
 
Minutes of the Meetings held in 2012 
  
Sixty-fourth Session –20 March 2012 
 
 WT/REG/M/64   WT/REG293/M/1 Turkey - Chile, goods 
 WT/REG291/M/1 Hong Kong, China - New Zealand, goods and services 
 WT/REG289/M/1 Colombia - Mexico, goods and services   Sixty-fifth Session – 19 June 2012 
 
 WT/REG/M/65 
 
WT/REG296/M/1 European Union - Republic of Korea, goods and services   
Sixty-sixth Session – 18-19 September 2012 
 
WT/REG/M/66 
WT/REG/M/66/Corr.1 (in English only)  
WT/REG298/M/1 Peru - Republic of Korea, goods and services WT/REG301/M/1 Canada - Colombia, goods and services 
WT/REG292/M/1 EFTA States - Albania, goods 
WT/REG290/M/1 EFTA States - Serbia, goods [non-Member] 
  Sixty-seventh Session – 20-21 November 2012 (to be issued) 
  WT/REG/M/67 
 
 WT/REG/W/71  Draft Report (2012) of the CRTA to the General Council   WT/REG177/M/1 European Union - Egypt, goods  WT/REG113/M/1 European Union - South Africa, goods 
 WT/REG294/M/1 Turkey - Jordan, goods 
 WT/REG304/M/1 Peru - Chile, goods and services   WT/REG306/M/1 New Zealand - Malaysia, goods and services  
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