RESTRICTED  
  
WT/ACC/AFG/30/Rev.2  
 
3 March 2014  
(14-1298)  Page: 1/6  
Working Party on the Accession of the Islamic Republic 
of Afghanistan  Original: English  
 
  ACCESSION OF AFGHANISTAN 
LEGISLATIVE ACTION PLAN 
Revision 
 The following submission, dated 3 March 2014, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.1 
  
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1 In accordance with long-standing WTO accession practice, all WTO-related legislation and 
implementing regulation must be enacted and/or ad opted prior to WTO membership, without prejudice to 
negotiated and agreed transition periods.  
  WT/ACC/AFG/30/Rev.2  
 
- 2 - PART I - PENDING BILL S/DRAFTS/REGULATIONS2 
Legislation/Regulation Competent 
Authority Expected date of adoption/enactment Status Expected date of 
implementation Translation 
submitted to 
Working Party Submission to 
Cabinet of 
Ministers Submission 
to National 
Assembly Enactment3 
Customs Valuation Agreement – Rules of Origin 
Amendments to the 2005 
Customs Law Afghan Customs 
Department (ACD) 2014 2014 2014 Draft at final 
stage at MOJ   Law has been in 
force since 2005.  Amendments will come into force upon their enactment WT/ACC/AFG/22 
Procedure on Customs 
Valuation (incl. interpretative notes and software and interest charge valuation) ACD N/A N/A Upon Enactment 
of Amendments to Customs Law Draft has been 
prepared Within 30 days of 
adoption by Ministry of Finance WT/ACC/AFG/20 
Procedure on Advance Ruling 
on Binding Decisions (covering advance origin rulings) ACD N/A N/A Upon Enactment 
of Amendments to Customs Law Draft has been 
prepared  Within 30 days of 
adoption by Ministry of Finance WT/ACC/AFG/20 
Technical Barriers to Trade  
Law on Standards and 
Technical Regulations Afghan National 
Standardization 
Agency (ANSA) 2014 2014 2014 Draft at final 
stage ANSA Upon enactment 
except for transition 
indicated in Draft 
WP Report WT/ACC/AFG/19 
Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  
Law on Plant Protection and 
Quarantine Ministry of 
Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock (MAIL) - Plant Quarantine 
Directorate 2013 2014 2014 Draft at the 
Council of Ministers (CM) Upon enactment 
except for transition indicated in Draft WP Report WT/ACC/AFG/19 
                                               
2 All Afghanistan's WTO-relevant laws have b een prepared, and approved at the Ministerial level.  These have been submitted to t he Ministry of Justice for review.  
Presently, the Ministry of Justice is reviewing these drafts and three of them have been submitted to the Council of Ministers.   It is anticipated that  this process will be 
completed during the next few months.  After the drafts have been reviewed by the Ministry of Justice, they shall be submitted to the Cabinet for final approval and 
subsequent enactment by Parliame nt.  Two draft laws (on Standards and Plant Vari ety Protection) are at final stages of approval  at Ministerial level.  Overall, Afghanistan 
is committed to WTO Accession best practice that all releva nt legislation shall be enacte d prior to WTO membership.  
 
3 Within this framework and target, specific priorities dates will be set within the Pa rliamentary calendar and the agenda of pri orities.  
  WT/ACC/AFG/30/Rev.2  
 
- 3 - Legislation/Regulation Competent 
Authority Expected date of adoption/enactment Status Expected date of 
implementation Translation 
submitted to 
Working Party Submission to 
Cabinet of 
Ministers Submission 
to National 
Assembly Enactment3 
Law on Animal Health and 
Veterinary MAIL - 
General Directorate of Animal Health 2014 2014 2014 Draft at MOJ 
  Upon enactment 
except for transition indicated in Draft WP Report WT/ACC/AFG/19 
Law on Food Safety Ministry of Public 
Health (MPH) 2014 2014 2014 Draft at MOJ Upon enactment 
except for transition indicated in Draft WP Report WT/ACC/AFG/19 
TRIPS  
Procedure Customs Control of 
IPR (IP Border Enforcement) ACD N/A N/A 2014 Draft has been 
prepared and submitted to Minister of Finance for signing 2014 WT/ACC/AFG/20 
Amendments to the Law on 
Supporting the Rights of 
Inventors and Discoverers of 
31 April 2009 (Patents Law) Ministry of 
Commerce and 
Industries (MoCI) 2014 2014 2014 Draft at final 
stage at MOJ Law has been in 
force since 2009. 
Amendments will 
come into force upon their enactment. WT/ACC/AFG/21 
WT/ACC/AFG/25 
(revised) 
 
Amendments to the Law on Trade Marks of 1 September 2009 MoCI 2013 2014 2014 Draft at final 
stage at Council of Ministers  Law has been in 
force since 2009. Amendments will come into force upon their enactment. WT/ACC/AFG/22 
WT/ACC/AFG/25 (revised)  
Amendments to the Law on Supporting the Right of Authors, Composers, Artists, and Researchers of 26 July 2008 (Copyrights Law) Ministry of 
Information and Culture (MoIC) 2014 2014 2014 Draft at final 
stage at MOJ   Law has been in 
force since 2008. Amendments will come into force upon their enactment. WT/ACC/AFG/21 
Law on Geographical 
Indications MoCI 2013 2014 2014 Draft at 
Council of Ministers   Law will come into 
force upon enactment except for transition indicated in Draft WP Report. WT/ACC/AFG/21  
  WT/ACC/AFG/30/Rev.2  
 
- 4 - Legislation/Regulation Competent 
Authority Expected date of adoption/enactment Status Expected date of 
implementation Translation 
submitted to 
Working Party Submission to 
Cabinet of 
Ministers Submission 
to National 
Assembly Enactment3 
Law on Industrial Designs MoCI 2014 2014 2014 Draft at MOJ Law will come into 
force upon enactment except for transition indicated in Draft 
WP Report. WT/ACC/AFG/21 
Draft amendments to the Civil 
Procedure Code (Chapter Three)  MoCI 2014 2014 2014 Draft at MOJ  
Law will come into force upon enactment. WT/ACC/AFG/7/Add.1 
Law on Trade Secrets 
(undisclosed information)  MoCI 2014 2014 2014 Draft at MOJ Law will come into 
force upon enactment except 
for transition 
indicated in Draft WP Report. WT/ACC/AFG/25 
 
Law on Topography of Integrated Circuits  MoCI 2014 2014 2014 Draft at MOJ Law will come into 
force upon enactment except for transition indicated in Draft WP Report. WT/ACC/AFG/25 
 
Law on Consumer Protection (provisions on Unfair Competition) MoCI 2014 2014 2014 Draft at MOJ Law will come into 
force upon enactment. WT/ACC/AFG/25 
 
Law on Plant Variety Protection  MAIL 2014 2014 2014 Draft being 
finalized at MAIL Law will come into 
force upon enactment except for transition indicated in Draft WP Report. WT/ACC/AFG/35 
Transparency  
Amendments to the Law on 
Publication and Enforcement of Legislation of 1998 MoCI/Ministry of 
Justice 2014 2014 2014 Draft at MOJ Law has been in 
force since 1998.  Amendments will come into force upon their enactment. WT/ACC/AFG/20  
  WT/ACC/AFG/30/Rev.2  
 
- 5 - Legislation/Regulation Competent 
Authority Expected date of adoption/enactment Status Expected date of 
implementation Translation 
submitted to 
Working Party Submission to 
Cabinet of 
Ministers Submission 
to National 
Assembly Enactment3 
Amendments to the Regulation 
on Drafting Procedure and Processing of Legal Acts MoCI/Ministry of 
Justice 2014 2014 2014 Draft at MOJ Regulation has been 
in force since 2012.  Amendments will come into force upon their 
enactment. WT/ACC/AFG/20 
Quantitative import restrictions, including prohibitions, quotas and licensing systems 
Law on Foreign Trade in Goods  MoCI 2014 2014 2014 Draft at MOJ Law will come into 
force upon enactment. WT/ACC/AFG/23  
WT/ACC/AFG/31 (revised) 
Regulations on Import and Export Licensing MoCI 2014 N/A 2014 Draft at MOJ 2013  WT/ACC/AFG/31 
Fees and Charges for Services Rendered 
Procedure on Customs Storage 
fees ACD N/A N/A 2014 Draft being 
finalized by ACD FY 2014 To be submitted as 
soon as finalized 
Regulation of production and importation of medicines and medical equipment of 24 February 2007 (concerning fees for activity licence for import of medicines and medical equipment) MPH 2014 N/A 2014 Draft being 
finalized by  MPH Procedure will come 
into force upon enactment. To be submitted to the 
WTO as soon as finalized 
Application of Internal Taxes to Imports 
Value Added Tax  Ministry of Finance 2013 May 2013 2014 Draft at 
Parliament Fiscal Year 2015 WT/ACC/AFG/33 
Income Tax Law (concerning 
3% fixed Tax) Ministry of Finance 2014 2014 2014 Draft is being 
finalized Upon Enactment To be submitted as 
soon as finalized 
Trade-Related Investment Measures 
Law on Minerals Ministry of Mines 
and Petroleum  June 2013 2014 Draft at 
Parliament Law will come into 
force upon enactment. WT/ACC/AFG/31 
Anti-dumping, countervailing duties, safeguard regimes  
Law on Safeguard Measures for 
Domestic Production MoCI 2014 2014  2014 Draft at MOJ Law will come into 
force upon enactment. WT/ACC/AFG/23 
WT/ACC/AFG/31 (revised)  
  WT/ACC/AFG/30/Rev.2  
 
- 6 - PART II – COMPLETED LEGISLATION/REGULATIONS 
Legislation/Regulation  Competent 
Authority  Date of adoption/enactment  Status  Date of 
implementation Translation 
submitted to 
Working Party 
Order on Optical Disks MoIC November 2013 Adopted September 2014 WT/ACC/AFG/26 
 
Trade License Procedure MoCI October 2013 Adopted October 2013 WT/ACC/AFG/33 
 
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