WT/REG/25  
 
17 November 2015  
(15-6072)  Page: 1/4  
    
 
 REPORT (2015) OF THE  
COMMITTEE ON REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS  
TO THE GENERAL COUNCIL 
CHAIRMAN: MR FRANCISCO PIREZ GORDILLO (URUGUAY), 76TH-77TH SESSIONS 
CHAIRMAN: MR AMR RAMADAN (EGYPT), 78TH-79TH SESSIONS 
1  INTRODUCTION 
1.1.  At its first meeting in March 2015, the Committee on Regional Trade Agreements (CRTA) 
re-elected Mr Francisco Pirez Gordillo (Uruguay) as Chairman of the CRTA. At its second meeting in June 2015, the Committee elected, by acclamation, Mr Amr Ramadan (Egypt), to serve as the Chair of the CRTA for the remainder of the term. 
1.2.  During 2015, the Committee held four sessions (in March, June, September and November). 
The minutes of those meetings are listed in the Attachment. Four sessions are foreseen in 2016. 
2  OBSERVER STATUS 
2.1.  The Committee agreed to continue the granting 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.  
3  CONSIDERATION OF REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS 
3.1.  In the period 1 January to 15 October 2015, the CRTA received 12 notifications of RTAs, 6 in 
goods, notified under Article XXIV of GATT 1994, and 6 in services, notified under Article V of GATS.
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3.2.  During 2015, 10 factual presentations were distributed reflecting 19 notifications, counting 
goods and services separately, all of which were used as the basis for consideration of RTAs in the CRTA.
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3.3.  The Chairman held consultations with delegati ons in an effort to resolve the case of RTAs for 
which the factual consideration is delayed due to lack of comments from the Parties. The Chairman with the help of the Secretariat drew up and circul ated in advance of CRTA meetings a list of such 
RTAs.
3 
                                               
1 EFTA – Bosnia and Herzegovina (G); Japan – Aust ralia (G&S); Canada – Republic of Korea (G&S); 
Canada – Honduras (G&S); Chile – Viet Nam (G); Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – Singapore (S); ASEAN – India (S); Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) – Accession of the Kyrgyz Republic (G&S). 
2 European Union - Colombia and Peru (G&S); Singap ore – the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, 
Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu (G&S); United States – Bahrain (G&S); European Union – Republic of Moldova (G&S); European Union – Georgia (G&S); ASEAN – China (S); Switzerland – China (G&S); Hong Kong, China – 
Chile (G&S); United States – Colombia (G&S); Mexico – Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, 
Honduras and Nicaragua) (G&S). 
3 Documents WT/REG/W/92, WT/REG/W/94, WT/REG/W/96 and WT/REG/W/98 (to be issued). WT/REG/25 
 
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  4  EARLY ANNOUNCEMENTS 
4.1.  Paragraph 1 of the Transparency Mechanism (TM)4, provides for Members participating in 
new negotiations and parties to a newly signed RTA to provide information to the Secretariat, to be posted on the WTO website. In 2015, one early announcement for a newly signed RTA was 
received from Members.
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5  SUBSEQUENT NOTIFICATION AND REPORTING  5.1.  Paragraph 14 of the TM provides for change s affecting the implementation of an RTA, or the 
operation of an already implemented RTA to be no tified as soon as possible after such changes 
occur. Such communications are to be made av ailable on the WTO website. In the period 
1 January to 15 October 2015, notifications of changes for three RTAs have been received and posted on the RTA Database.
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5.2.  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. The Secretariat circul ated a list of RTAs subject to implementation 
reports as of 7 January 2015 (document WT/REG/W/90 and Corrigendum 1). Implementation 
reports were due for 123 RTAs, and the end of impl ementation (EOI) for 13 RTAs was in 2015. The 
EOI for a total of 98 RTAs is from 2016 onwards, while for three RTAs the EOI year was not 
available. One such report was submitted during 2015.
7  
6  DATABASE ON RTAS 6.1.  Paragraph 21 of the TM provides for the Secretariat to establish and maintain an updated 
electronic database on individual RTAs. The database was launched in January 2009 and is 
available on the WTO public website. The database provides information on all notified RTAs, 
including the status of the consideration process. 
7  PROCEDURES TO IMPROVE AND FACILITATE THE EXAMINATION PROCESS 
7.1.  No discussion was held on this item. 
8  SYSTEMIC IMPLICATIONS OF REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS AND INITIATIVES FOR 
THE MULTILATERAL TRADING SYSTEM AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEM 
8.1.  No discussion was held on this item. 
9  FINAL REMARKS 9.1.  In an effort to encourage the notification of  non-notified RTAs, the Chairman with the help of 
the Secretariat, continued to draw up and circulate in advance of CRTA meetings a list of 
non-notified RTAs which have been verified by their parties as being in force and appeared in 
factual presentations circulated between September 2009 and October 2015.
8 Members continue 
to discuss ways of facilitating the notification of such RTAs. 
9.2.  In an effort to unblock the backlog in the receipt of data necessary for the preparation and 
drafting of factual presentations for certain RTAs, the Chairman consulted with a number of delegations who expressed a willingness to provide the missing information as soon as possible. 
Members continue to discuss ways of increasing the transparency of such RTAs. 
                                               
4 The General Council Decision of 14 December 2006 establishing the Transparency Mechanism for 
Regional Trade Agreements (WT/L/671) is being implemen ted on a provisional basis. Members will review, and 
if necessary modify, this decision, in light of the experience gained from its provisional operation, and replace it 
by a permanent mechanism as part of  the overall results of the Doha Ro und, in accordance with paragraph 47 
of the Doha Declaration (paragraph 23 of the General Council's Decision). 
5 Eurasian Economic Unio n (EAEU) – Accession of the Kyrgyz Republic. 
6 EFTA – Egypt; China – Hong Kong, China; China – Macao, China. 
7 Ukraine – Azerbaijan (WT/REG245/R/I). 
8 Documents WT/REG/W/91, WT/REG/W/93, WT/REG/W/95 and WT/REG/W/97 (to be issued). WT/REG/25 
 
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  9.3.  Although considerable progress has been ma de in the preparation of factual presentations, 
the Committee continues to experience some 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. 
 
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 WT/REG/25 
 
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  ATTACHMENT 
MINUTES OF THE MEETINGS HELD IN 2015 
Seventy-sixth Session – 30 March 2015 
 
 WT/REG/M/76 
  WT/REG333/M/1 European Union - Colombia and Peru, goods and services 
 WT/REG350/M/1 Singapore - the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, 
Kinmen and Matsu, goods and services 
 WT/REG219/M/1 United States - Bahrain, goods and services 
Seventy-seventh Session – 22 June 2015 
 WT/REG/M/77 
  WT/REG352/M/1 European Union – Republic of Moldova, goods and services 
 WT/REG354/M/1 European Union - Georgia, goods and services  
 
Seventy-eight Session – 25 September 2015 
  WT/REG/M/78  
WT/REG279/M/1 ASEAN - China, services 
WT/REG351/M/1 Switzerland - China, goods and services 
WT/REG356/M/1 Hong Kong, China - Chile, goods and services  WT/REG314/M/1 United States - Colombia, goods and services 
 
Seventy-ninth Session – 16 November 2015 (to be issued) 
 
 WT/REG/M/79 
 
WT/REG/W/99 Draft Report (2015) of the CRTA to the General Council 
WT/REG349/M/1 Mexico – Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, 
Honduras and Nicaragua), goods and services 
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