TN/RL/28  
 
29 November 2017  
(17-6542) Page: 1/1 
Negotiating Group on Rules    
 
 NEGOTIATING GROUP ON  RULES  
REPORT BY THE CHAIRM AN, H.E. MR WAYNE M cCOOK  TO  
THE TRADE NEGOTIATIO NS COMMITTEE  
28 November 2017  
1. Since my last report to the TNC in October the Negotiating Group on Rules has continued its 
activities on three distinct pillar s of its work – fisheries subsidies , trade remedies , and 
horizontal subsidies .  
 
2. The work on fisheries subsidies  has been particularly active. At the Group's open -ended 
meeting clusters in mid - and late -October dedicated to this pillar, discussions were  based on the 
"vertical" text produced by the proponents of the seven original proposals. That document 
compiled, and to varying degrees consolidated, language from those proposals, in all of the areas 
addressed (preamble, scope, definitions, prohibitions,  standstill, special and differential treatment, 
transparency  and notification, transitional provisions, and institutional arrangements).   
 
3. Intensified discussions based on that document at the Group's mid -November fisheries 
subsidies meeting cluster l ed to the creation and validation of two streamlined working texts, on 
proposed prohibitions relating to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and to overfished 
stocks. These working texts, which have been circulated to Members in document TN/RL/W/2 74, 
are the result of a collective effort by delegations, and represent an effort to present with some 
degree of clarity the numerous issues, approaches, and views before the Group in these areas. 
Their purpose is to facilitate further work by the Group, a nd they can be expected to continue to 
evolve. They are of course entirely without prejudice to the position of any delegation.  
 
4. This week, the Group is continuing to meet on fisheries subsidies. Yesterday, the Group took 
up the issues of transparency a nd special and differential treatment, as well as additional proposed 
prohibitions relating to capacity -enhancing subsidies, overcapacity, and overfishing, on the basis of 
template texts provided by various delegations . Through this process, the Group has created 
streamlined working texts on transparency and s pecial and differential treatment , and is finalizing 
texts on the additional prohibitions. I expect that Members will consider the validation of these 
texts this afternoon and would then circulate them  in a revision to document TN/RL/W/274. We 
will then return to the validated  texts relating to IUU , overfished stocks, and transparency to see if 
further consolidation and convergence can be achieved.   
 
5. In addition to focused work on these two texts, d uring the course of our work tomorrow , I 
anticipate that Members will wish to take stock of the progress made by then in all areas, and also 
may wish to exchange views on how best to advance our fisheries subsidies work for MC 11 and 
beyond.  I expect that i n those reflections Members will look both at the future work question and 
any partial outcome which some Members and groups have signalled they wish to continue to 
consider.  
 
6. On trade remedies (anti-dumping and countervailing measures) and on horizonta l 
subsidies , the Group has also continued its work, with one meeting on each topic since my last 
report. In each of these areas, the Group has continued to discuss proposals put forward by a 
delegation. While the discussion in both pillars has been general ly constructive, no concrete 
outcomes have so far been proposed for MC11. In each area, interest has been expressed  in 
continued work after Buenos Aires.  
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