S/CSC/21  
 
14 October 2015  
(15-5387)  Page: 1/2  
   
 
 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS  
TO THE COUNCIL FOR TRAD E IN SERVICES (2015) 
Since its Annual Report of 2014 to the Council for Trade in Services1, the Committee on Specific 
Commitments (CSC) held two formal meetings, respectively on 18 March and 2 June 2015.2 During 
the period covered by this report, the Committee addressed two standing items - classification 
issues and scheduling issues – and considered possible future work.  
1  CLASSIFICATION ISSUES  
1.1.  During the reporting period, the Committee continued to consider the issue of "new services" 
based on an informal Note the Secretariat had prepared upon the request of the Committee, which contains an illustrative list of services identified in previous discussions as not being explicitly 
referred to in document W/120.
3 The Secretariat Note also provides a brief background on the 
issue of "new services" and suggests a number of  general questions for consideration. Members 
expressed divergent views with respect to a numbe r of issues such as: whether "new services" 
existed, whether a definition of "new services" wa s needed, and the implications of "new services" 
for existing commitments under the GATS. In this  context, there were further discussions on the 
nature of cloud computing services with different views expressed as well. In addition, a number of 
Members reiterated that the discussion on the issue of "new services" should not affect the scope 
of the existing commitments under the GATS.  
1.2.  At the meeting on 18 March 2015, the de legation of China suggested that the Committee 
invite experts from the United Nations Statistical Department to give a presentation on the gap 
between the CPC Provisional and the CPC Version 2 for the purpose of information sharing. After 
the Chairperson's consultations, it was agreed at the meeting on 2 June 2015 that the proposed presentation would be delivered to the Committee at its meeting in October 2015 either through a 
video conference by the UN experts or directly by the WTO Secretariat.  
2  SCHEDULING ISSUES 2.1.  There was some expression of interest in having discussions on issues related to the 
scheduling of specific commitments. A number of  Members suggested that the Committee revisit 
economic needs tests (ENTs).  
2.2.  The Chairperson would continue to hold consultations on how the Committee could build on 
previous work and look into recently emerged  scheduling issues.  
                                               
1 S/CSC/20, dated 17 November 2014. 
2 The reports of the form al meetings are contained in document s S/CSC/M/72, S/CSC/M/73, and should 
be read in conjunction with this report. 
3 The illustrative list is contained in document JOB/SERV/189. S/CSC/21 
 
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  3  OTHER ISSUES 
3.1.  The Chairperson also held consultations on any possible technical work the Committee might 
undertake with respect to the conclusion of the services negotiations. To facilitate Members' consideration, the Secretariat circulated a list of documents the Committee had produced in the 
past with respect to the submission of offers, the methods to incorporate new commitments into 
the GATS, the relationship between old and new co mmitments as well as the verification process 
at the end of the negotiations. The list of  documents is contained in JOB/SERV/212. 
 
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