RESTRICTED  
  
GPA/M/60  
 
9 July 2015  
(15-3552)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Government Procurement    
 
 MINUTES OF THE FORMAL MEETING OF 27 APRIL 2015 
CHAIRMAN: MR JOHN NEWHAM (IRELAND) 
The Chairman said that, in preparation for the meeting, delegations had received an Airgram1 
setting out the proposed agenda, in addition to a related fax. As set out in the Airgram, and 
following the usual procedures, it was proposed that the meeting address the following items: 
 
1. Adoption of a Draft Decision to Extend the Period for Receipt of Montenegro's 
Instrument of Accession to the Agreement on Government Procurement; and 
2. Other business. 
No item of other business had been raised by delegations.  
The Committee adopted the agenda, as proposed by the Chairman. 
 
1  ADOPTION OF A DRAFT DECISION TO  EXTEND THE PERIOD FOR RECEIPT OF 
MONTENEGRO'S INSTRUMENT OF ACCESSION TO THE AGREEMENT ON GOVERNMENT 
PROCUREMENT 
1.1.  The Chairman said that the meeting had one purpose - namely to adopt a decision to extend 
the time-frame for submission by Montenegro of its instrument of accession to the Agreement. A 
draft decision to this effect had accordingly been circulated to all delegations by the Secretariat on 
22 April 2015.2  
1.2.  He recalled that on 29 October 2014, the Committee had adopted a decision inviting 
Montenegro to accede to the Agreement, on th e basis of the terms that had been negotiated.3 
Under the terms of that decision, Montenegro had been authorized to deposit its instrument of 
accession within a period of six months of th e date of the Committee's decision – i.e., by 
29 April 2015.  
1.3.  On 22 April 2015, he had circulated a fax in which he shared the information that, for reasons 
related to its Parliamentary review process, Montenegro would require an extension of the 
previously agreed period for receipt of its inst rument of accession. Subsequently, on 24 April 2015, 
a letter had been received from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro providing additional background in formation on the need for the extension, and 
affirming Montenegro's very keen interest in subm itting its instrument of accession on the agreed 
terms as soon as its Parliamentary process would so allow.  
1.4.  The required legislation had recently been reviewed and approved by the relevant 
Parliamentary Committees, without objection. However, for procedural reasons only, the second 
phase of the Parliamentary process - namely, the adoption of the necessary legislation by 
Parliament as a whole - was now unlikely to take place before the next Parliamentary session which was scheduled for May 2015. On this basis, and to allow time for completion of all related 
formalities, Montenegro had asked for an extension of two months in the period for the deposit of 
its instrument of accession.  
                                               
1 WTO/AIR/GPA/2, dated 22 April 2015. 
2 GPA/ACC/MNE/12, dated 22 April 2015. 
3 GPA/124, dated 3 November 2014. GPA/M/60 
 
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  1.5.  The draft decision that was before the Commi ttee accordingly sought to extend the period for 
the submission by Montenegro of its instrume nt of accession until 29 June 2015. All other 
elements of the Committee's original decision of 29 October 2014 would remain unchanged. Montenegro had given the assurance that this additional time-period would be sufficient to 
complete the process of its accession.   
1.6.  The Committee adopted the decision extending the period of time for Montenegro to deposit 
its instrument of accession to the Agreement to 29 June 2015.4  
1.7.  The representative of Montenegro thanked the Committee for its decision, and thanked the 
Chairman and the Secretariat for facilitating the process. She gave delegations her personal 
assurance of Montenegro's keen commitment to take up its responsibilities as a full-fledged Party to the Agreement, and foresaw no difficulties in Montenegro submitting its instrument within the 
revised time-frame that had been agreed. It was he lpful, in this regard, that Montenegro's Deputy 
Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Igor Lukši ć, was now personally apprised of the 
situation. Working together with the Deputy Prim e Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, she 
would follow the process in the capital to its conclusion. She would also use her best endeavours to 
ensure, to the extent possible, that Montenegro would provide its instrument of accession even 
prior to the revised deadline that the Committee had set, if possible by the time of the 
Committee's meetings at the beginning of June 2015. 
1.8.  The representative of the European Unio n welcomed the Committee's decision, and urged 
Montenegro to make every effort to ensure that  no further extensions would be necessary. He 
hoped, in this regard, that the instrument could be deposited by the time of the Committee's next 
meeting, in early June. His delegation took good note of the statement by Montenegro in this 
respect. The European Union looked forward in due course to the active participation of Montenegro in the work of the Committee as a full Party. 
1.9.  The representative of the United States than ked Montenegro for the timely update that it had 
provided. Like the European Union, the United States also welcomed the decision, and looked 
forward to the prompt deposit by Montenegro of its instrument of accession. The United States 
appreciated in this respect the assurance of the personal involvement of senior levels of 
government, together with Montenegro's expresse d desire to see the process completed prior to 
the new deadline.  
1.10.  The representative of Chinese Taipei joined other delegations in supporting the extension of 
the deadline. A similar situation had occurred during Chinese Taipei's own accession to the 
Agreement. Her delegation could accordingly sympathise with Montenegro in this respect. Chinese Taipei urged Montenegro to do its best to ensure the timely completion of its accession 
process.  
1.11.  The Committee took note of the statements made. 
2  OTHER BUSINESS 
2.1.  There were no items of Other Business on the agenda. 
__________  
 
                                               
4 See GPA/124/Add.1, dated 27 April 2015.