RESTRICTED  
  
JOB/ACC/COM/2  
2 December  2016 
(16-6631) Page: 1/3 
Working Party on the Accession  
of the Union of the Comoros  Original:  French  
 
  ACCESSION OF THE UNION OF THE COMOROS  
EVOLVING ROADMAP FOR CONCLUDING  
COMOROS' WTO ACCESSION  
The following  submission , dated  2 December  2016, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation  of the Union of the Comoros . 
 
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 JOB/ACC/COM/2  
- 2 - 
  EVOLVING ROAD MAP FOR CONCLUDING COMOROS' WTO ACCESSION  
Time  Action By  Action  Completed 
(Y/N ) 
2016  
August   Comoros  Re-confirmation of WTO M embership commitment .  
August / 
September  Comoros  
 Submission of inputs : 
 replies to Members' questions ; 
 Legislative Action Plan ( LAP); 
 supporting documents (checklists, 
questionnaires, action plans ); 
 legislation and consultation documents, as 
applicable .  Y 
September / 
October  Comoros , 
Secretariat , 
WP Chairperson  Submission and circulation of updated market access 
offers . Y 
Circulation of comprehensive set of inputs . 
14 October  Comoros , 
WP Chairperson  Courtesy meeting between WP Chairperson and 
Delegation of Comoros.  Y 
20 October  WP Chairperson , 
Secretariat  Pre-meeting of WP Chairperson and Secretariat to 
take stock of accessio n of Comoros and review " way 
forward" . Y 
20 October  Comoros , 
WP Chairperson , 
Secretariat  Meeting of WP Chairperson, Comoros and Secretariat 
to take stock of accession of Comoros and agree on a 
"way forward" . Y 
31 October  WP Chairperson , 
Members , 
Secretar iat WP Chairperson briefing for Informal Group on 
Accessions (IGA) to : (i) confirm high -level political 
commitment from C omoros to complete accession 
by MC11 ; and (ii) put forward working agenda/next 
steps to achieve  this target within the next 
12 months.  Y 
1 December  Comoros , 
Secretariat  Meeting between Vice Pre sident and WTO 
Director -General,  on margins of December GC and  1st 
WP meeting . Y 
2 December  Comoros , 
Members , 
WP Chairperson , 
Secretariat  1st Meeting of the Working Party to advance 
fact-finding s tage and move on to negotiating phase .  Y 
Early December  Comoros , 
Members  On margins of 1st WP meeting, initial bilatera l contacts 
with interested WTO M embers .  
23 December  Members  Submission of questions by WTO M embers .  
2017  
[January ] Comoros  Submiss ion of inputs : 
 replies to Members' questions ; 
 revised Legislative Action Plan (LAP) ; 
 updates /inputs on supporting documents 
(checklists, questionnaires, action plans ); 
 legislation  and consultation documents, 
as applicable .  
[Early 
February ] Comoros , 
Secre tariat  Secretariat to circulate updated inputs .  
First visit to Comoros of WP Chairperson and 
Officer -in-Charge . 
 
A technical session  will be held  concurrently to 
prepare, in coordination with Comoros,  the first 
version of the Draft Working Party Report  (DWPR) . 
[End February ] WP Chairperson , 
Members , 
Secretariat  WP Chairperson briefing for Informal Group on 
Accessions (IGA) to : (i) inform WTO M embers of 
imminent circulation of DWPR ; (ii) report to Members 
the circulation of updated inputs ; and (iii)  review 'next 
steps' , including the timing of the next (2nd) 
WP meeting.   
Early March  Secretariat  Secretariat to circulate DWPR.   
Early April Comoros , 
Members , 
WP Chairperson , 
Secretariat  2nd meeting of the Working Party to advance 
negotiating phase and pro duce close -to-final DWPR.  
  JOB/ACC/COM/2  
- 3 - 
  Early April Comoros , 
Members  On margins of 2nd WP meeting, b ilateral negotiations 
with WTO M embers with a view to concluding, signing 
and depositing first batch of bilateral MA agreements .  
Early May Members  Submission of ques tions (expedited two -week 
time-line).  
End May Comoros  Submission of inputs : 
 specific commitment texts (as agreed with 
Members, where applicable ); 
 transition periods, as negotiated and agreed 
with Members, as and where applicable ; 
 replies to Members' ques tions; 
 revised (close -to-final) LAP ; 
 legislation and consultation documents, as 
applicable .  
First two weeks 
of June Comoros  Working sessions in Geneva or  Moroni .  
If required , additional cycle of bilateral MA 
negotiations for the conclusion of remaini ng 
negotiations and deposit of signed agreements . 
Stock -taking meeting with WP Chairperson and 
Secretariat team . 
Secretariat working sessions with Negotiating Team on 
any of the submitted documents, if and as needed . 
By end of June  Secretariat  Secretariat to circulate updated set of inputs and 
updated/close -to-final DWPR.   
End June / 
early July WP Chairperson , 
Secretariat , 
Comoros  Second visit to Comoros of WP Chairperson, 
Officer -in-Charge and  WP Secretary.   
July Secretariat , 
Comoros  - Consoli dation of  
  bilateral agreement on goods ; 
  bilateral agreement on services . PENDING 
conclusion 
of all 
bilaterals  - Circulation of draft Goods and Services Schedules to 
Signatory Members . 
End July Comoros , 
Members , 
Secretariat  3rd meeting of the Working  Party to finalize the 
technical work of the multilateral track of negotiation 
and to agree on a final/close -to-final version of the 
WPR.  
End July WP Chairperson , 
Members , 
Secretariat  WP Chairperson briefing for Informal Group on 
Accessions (IGA) to : (i) take stock of the accession of 
Comoros ; (ii) identify outstanding work ; and 
(iii) review calendar for completion for the second half 
of 2017.   
End August  Members , 
Comoros  
 Submission of request s for technical corrections 
(if any) by Signatory Members  and Acceding 
Government prior to Technical Verification Meetings .  
Mid-September  Comoros , 
Members , 
Secretariat  Secretariat -chaired Technical Verification Meetings 
(TVMs) with Signatory Members  only-review of 
adjustment(s) and finalization of draft Goods and 
Services Schedules .  
End September  Secretariat  Circulation of draft Accession Package : 
 draft Working Party report ; 
 draft Goods Schedule (re -circulation to all WP 
Members ); 
 draft Services Schedule (re -circulation to all 
WP Members ).  
End October  Comoros , 
Members , 
Secretariat  4th (and Final) Meeting of the Working Party (to adopt, 
ad referendum , draft Accession Package ).  
[[11- 
14 December ]] Comoros , 
Members , 
Secretariat  11th WTO Ministerial Conference to consider for formal 
adoption Comoros' Accession Pac kage. 
  
2018  
[…] Comoros  Complete process of any outstanding  legislative 
enactment before WTO  Membership , as per Comoros' 
final Legislative Action Plan (LAP) .  
[…]  Comoros  Ratification by Parliament/ full Membership effective 30 
days after ratification notified .  
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