JOB/GC/204/Rev.11  
JOB/CTG/14/Rev.11  
 
14 July 2022 
(22-5386) Page: 1/3 
General Council  
Council for Trade in Goods  Original: English  
 
PROCEDURES TO ENHANCE TRANSPARENCY AND IMPROVE COMPLIANCE WITH 
NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS UNDER WTO AGREEMENTS  
COMMUNICATION FROM ALBANIA; ARGENTINA; AUSTRALIA; BRAZIL; CANADA; CHILE; 
COLOMBIA; COSTA RICA; THE EUROPEAN UNION; ICELAND; ISRAEL; JAPAN; REPUBLIC OF 
KOREA; LIECHTENSTEIN; MEXICO; REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA; MONTENEGRO; NEW ZEALAND; 
NORTH MACEDONIA; NORWAY; PARAGUAY, PERU; THE PHILIPPINES; SINGAPORE; 
SWITZERLAND; THE S EPARATE CUSTOMS TERRITORY OF TAIWAN, PENGHU, KINMEN AND 
MATSU;  THAILAND; UNITED KINGDOM; THE UNITED STATES; AND URUGUAY  
Revision  
The following communication, dated 14 July 2022, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegations of  Albania;  Argentina; A ustralia; Brazil; Canada; Chile; Colombia; Costa Rica; the 
European Union; Iceland; Israel; Japan; Republic of Korea; Liechtenstein; Mexico;  Republic of  
Moldova; Montenegro; New Zealand; North Macedonia; Norway; Paraguay; Peru; the Philippines; 
Singapore; Switzerland; the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu; 
Thailand; United Kingdom; the United States; and Uruguay.  
 
_______________  
 
 
Draft General Council Decision  
 
Procedures to Enhance Transparency and Improve Compliance with Not ification 
Requirements under WTO Agreements  
 
Decision of X Date  
 
 
The General Council,  
 
Recognizing that transparency and notification requirements constitute fundamental elements of 
many WTO agreements and a properly functioning WTO system, and thus of Members' obligations;  
 
Acknowledging the chronic low level of compliance with existing notification re quirements under 
many WTO agreements;  
 
Recalling the difficulties that some Members are facing to comply fully with the notification 
requirements due to capacity limitations, and the necessity to give appropriate consideration to such 
difficulties and prov ide appropriate technical assistance and capacity building to those Members to 
address them;  
 
Recognizing  the widespread capacity constraints of developing and Least Developed Country (LDC)  
Members and the benefits of technical assistance and capacity bui lding;  
 
Desiring to strengthen and enhance transparency and improve the operation and effectiveness of 
notification requirements; and  
 
Recalling  the previous efforts of the Working Group on Notification Obligations and Procedures;  JOB/GC/204/Rev.11 • JOB/CTG/14/Rev.11  
 
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Decides as follows:  
 
Scope of Decision  
 
1. For the purpose of this decision "notification" shall mean the notification obligations in relation 
to each of the following WTO Agreements, Understandings, and Decisions:  
 
Agreement on Agriculture;  
Agreement on Implementation of Article  VI of the GATT 1994 (Anti -Dumping);  
Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures;  
Agreement on Safeguards;  
Understanding on the Interpretation of Article XVII of the GATT 1994 (State Trading); 
Agreement on Implementation of Article VII of the GATT 1994 (Customs Valuation); 
Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures;  
Agreement on Rules of Origin;  
Agreement on Pre shipment Inspection;  
Decision on Notification Procedures for Quantitative Restrictions (G/L/59/Rev.1);  
Agreement on Trade Related Investment Measures;  
Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures;  
Agreement on Technical Barriers to  Trade; and  
Agreement on Trade Facilitation, Section I.  
 
Reaffirming existing commitments  
 
2. The Members reaffirm existing notification obligations and recommit to submitting timely and 
complete notifications.  
 
Engagement in WTO bodies to facilitate complian ce 
 
3. The General Council instructs the Working Group on Notification Obligations and Procedures 
(Working Group), which is open to participation by all Members, to:  
 
(a) meet initially within six months of this decision to develop recommendations on improving 
Member compliance with notification obligations;  
(b) consult with relevant committees and other working groups and bodies to identify both 
systemic and specific improvements, as appropriate, such as introducing simplified 
notification formats, greater use of ele ctronic notification systems, updating reporting 
requirements, holding additional trainings and workshops at the committee level, and 
using new digital tools that can help Members improve compliance with notification 
obligations;  
(c) consult with the WTO Secre tariat as appropriate, including the WTO Institute for Training 
and Technical Cooperation (ITTC), to assess the contribution of WTO trade -related 
technical assistance , particularly for developing and LDC Members,  to improving 
notification compliance and su bmission of notifications to the Central Registry of 
Notifications;  
(d) work with the Secretariat to update the Technical Cooperation Handbook on Notification 
Requirements for each of the agreements and understandings listed in paragraph 1 and 
present it to th e Council for Trade in Goods;  
(e) review G/L/223 and recommend enhancements to the report relating to the factual 
presentation of information on Members' notification compliance;  
(f) consult with the Secretariat on ways to enhance  access to notification -related information 
and the WTO Notification Portal, including with regard to how it may be used to improve 
notification compliance;  JOB/GC/204/Rev.11 • JOB/CTG/14/Rev.11  
 
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  (g) work with the relevant committees and the Secretariat to create a dedicated page on the 
WTO website  with resources, guidance, training videos, and other materials as relevant 
to aid Members in completing notifications;  
(h) work with the Secretariat to establish automatic reminder emails to Members before a 
notification is due;  
(i) report to the Council for Trade in Goods (CTG) on its findings and recommendations within 
two years of the adoption of this decision; and  
(j) report to the CTG on its continuing work annually or as appropriate thereafter . 
Trade policy reviews  
 
4. The General Council instructs the Trade Po licy Review Body to ensure that within one year of 
this decision all trade policy reviews include a specific, standardized focus on the Member's 
compliance with its notification obligations. The Secretariat shall include within country reports 
specific inf ormation on notification compliance by the Member. For preparing notifications, Members 
are encouraged to make use, as appropriate, of the information on Members' trade policies and 
practices available under the Trade Policy Review  Mechanism.  
 
Technical as sistance and capacity building  
 
5. Any Member may request that the Secretariat assist it in identifying and completing a 
notification. The Secretariat is instructed to provide such assistance in full consultation with that 
Member.  
 
6. Any Member encountering dif ficulty in fulfilling its notification obligations is encouraged to 
make a written request to the Secretariat for the notification -related technical assistance or capacity 
building needed in order to submit the relevant notification, and to share this requ est with the 
Working Group and the relevant Committee in the interest of transparency.  
 
7. The Secretariat should take into account the specific needs identified in requests for assistance 
and support to provide more targeted training related to  notifications , especially as regards the 
needs of developing and LDC Members . 
 
8. A Member that does not  submit a notification within the applicable notification deadline is 
encouraged to submit an explanation for the delay to the relevant Committee within six months afte r 
the relevant notification deadline,  and any elements of a partial notification that a Member can 
produce in order to increase transparency. The information provided will also facilitate more -targeted 
delivery of notification -related technical assistance or capacity building . 
 
Review of progress and future work  
 
9. Three years after adoption of this decision and as appropriate thereafter, the General Council 
shall review the progress made by Members in improving compliance with notification obligations.  
 
10. The General Council may direct the Working Group to develop further recommendations.  
 
11. The General Council may consider expanding the efforts of the Working Group to other WTO 
Agreements, Understandings, and Decisions.  
 
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