WT/REG/29  
 
30 November 201 8 
(18-7573) Page: 1/4 
    
 
REPORT ( 2018 ) OF THE  
COMMITTEE ON REGIONA L TRADE AGREEMENTS  
TO THE GENERAL COUNC IL 
CHAIRM EN: MR WALID DOUDECH  (TUNISIA ) AND  
MR JULIAN BRAITHWAIT E (UNITED KINGDOM)  
1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1.  At its  first meeting in April 2018, the Committee on Regional Trade Agreements (CRTA) 
elected, by acclamation, Ambassador Julian Braithwaite (United Kingdom), as Chairman of the 
CRTA.  
1.2.  During 2018, the Committee held four sessions (in April, June, September and N ovember). 
The minutes of those meetings are listed in the Attachment. Four sessions are foreseen in 2019, 
depending on the Committee's workload.  
2  OBSERVER STATUS  
2.1.  No decision was taken with respect to the requests for observer status listed in document 
WT/RE G/W/11/Add.4/Rev.2.   
3  EARLY ANNOUNCEMENTS  
3.1.  Paragraph 1 of the Transparency Mechanism (TM)1, 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. I n the period 16 October 2017 to 15 October 2018, a total of three 
early announcements for RTAs under negotiation were received from Members.2 
4  NOTIFICATIONS  
4.1.  In the period 16 October 2017 to 15 October 2018, the CRTA received six notifications of 
RTAs, 3 in goods, notified under Article XXIV of GATT 1994, and 3 in services, notified under 
Article  V of GATS.3 In addition the CRTA received notifications of the entry into force for specific 
parties to four RTAs already notified.4 
4.2.  In an effort to encourage the no tification of non -notified RTAs, the Chairmen 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 p resentations circulated between September 2009 and November 2018.5 Several 
non-notified RTAs were removed from the list after the relevant Parties provided the Secretariat 
                                                
1 The General Council Decision of 14 December establishing the Transparency Mechanism for Regional 
Trade Agreements (WT/L/671) is being implemented on a provisional basis. Members will review, and if 
necessary modify, this decision, in light of the experienc e gained from its provisional operation, and replace it 
by a permanent mechanism as part of the overall results of the Doha Round, in accordance with paragraph  47 
of the Doha Declaration (paragraph 23 of the General Council's Decision).  
2 EFTA – Ecuador; EFTA – MERCOSUR; and Republic of Moldova – China.  
3 Hong Kong, China – Macao, China (G&S); China – Georgia (G&S); and Turkey – Singapore (G&S) . 
4 ASEAN -Japan , entry into force  for Indonesia ; CIS, entry into force for Tajikistan ; EFTA-Georgia , entry 
into fo rce for Liechtenstein & Switzerland ; and EU-SADC , provisional application for all Parties . 
5 Documents WT/REG/W/ 128, WT/REG/W/ 130, WT/REG/W/ 133 and WT/REG/W/ 136. WT/REG/29  
 
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  with information confirming the agreements were no longer in force.  Members disagree  on the 
status of some RTAs on the lists and continue to discuss ways of facilitating the notification of 
RTAs.  
4.3.  At its 88th and 91st Sessions,  the United States presented its questions to Argentina, Brazil, 
Chile, Mexico, Paraguay and Uruguay on the notif ications contained in document WT/COMTD/N/53 
(WT/REG/W/126, WT/COMTD/W/232). Responses to these questions were circula ted in document 
WT/COMTD/W/238.  
4.4.  At its 88th, 89th, 90th and 91st Sessions, the EU raised the issue of its follow up questions to 
LAIA Member countries (WT/REG/W/124) submitted in October 2017 to which it had not received a 
response. LAIA countries indicated that they were coordinating on the response.  
5  CONSIDERATION OF REG IONAL TRADE AGREEMEN TS 
5.1.  In the period 16 October 2017 to 15 October 2018, 16 factual presentations were distributed 
reflecting 24 notifications, counting goods and services separately, fourteen of which were used as 
the basis for consideration of RTAs in the CRTA in 2018 .6 Factua l Presentations for Hong Kong, 
China – Macao, China (G&S) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Customs Union (G) were 
circulated to Members for review and will be considered at a subsequent meeting of the 
Committee.  Given differing views expressed in the  Committee over the last year, a t the 90th 
session the Chairman reported on the consideration of the GCC Agreement and RTAs notified under 
both Article XXIV of the GATT and the Enabling Clause in general. He said he had had a very 
constructive meeting with  the Chair of the CTD, and assured Members that he would maintain an 
ongoing conversation with him. He would also continue consultations with all interested parties and 
report back to the Committee on these consultations.  
5.2.  The Chairmen held consultations wi th delegations in an effort to resolve the case of RTAs for 
the factual consideration is delayed. The Chairmen with the help of the Secretariat drew up and 
circulated in advance of CRTA meetings a list of such RTAs.7  
5.3.  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 Chairmen consulted with a number of 
delegations who expressed a willingness to provide the missing information as soon as possible. 
Members conti nue to discuss ways of increasing the transparency of such RTAs.  
5.4.  Although considerable progress has been made 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.  
6   SUBSEQUENT NOTIFICAT ION AND REPORTING  
6.1.  Paragraph 14 of the TM provides for cha nges affecting the implementation of an RTA, or the 
operation of an already implemented RTA, to be notified as soon as possible after such changes 
occur. Such communications are to be made available on the WTO website. In the period 
16 October 2017 to 15  October 2018, one notification of changes for one RTA has been received 
and posted on the RTA Database.8 
6.2.  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 a s originally notified at the end of the 
RTA's implementation period. The Secretariat circulated a list of RTAs subject to implementation 
reports as of 13 March 2018 (document WT/REG/W/131). Implementation reports were due for 
                                                
6 European Union – Côte d'Ivoire (G); Japan – Mongolia (G&S); ASEAN – Republic of Korea (S); Turkey 
– Malaysia (G); European Union – Canada (G&S); Canada – Ukraine (G); Costa Rica – Colombia (G&S); 
European Union – Republic of San Marino (G); Accession of Seychelles to the Southern African Development 
Community (SADC) Trade Protocol (G); European Union – Cariforum States (G&S); European Union – Ghana 
(G); Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) (G&S); Treaty on accession of the Republic of Armenia to 
the EAEU (G&S); Treaty on accession of the Kyrgyz Republic to the EAEU (G&S).  
7 Documents WT/R EG/W/ 129, WT/REG/W/ 132, WT/REG/W/ 134 and WT/REG/W/ 137. 
8 China – Macao , China (WT/REG16 3/N/1/Add.10) . WT/REG/29  
 
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  134 RTAs, and the end of imple mentation (EOI) for seven RTAs was in 2018. The EOI for a total of 
108 RTAs is from 2019 onwards, while for two RTAs the EOI year is not available . No such reports 
were submitted in the period 16 October 2017 to 15 October 2018.  
7  DATABASE ON RTAS  
7.1.  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 at the Committee's meetings.  
7.2.  Following the 88th Session, the Secretariat made an informal presentation of the database's 
new functionalities.  
8  TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE  
8.1.  At the 91st Session of the Committee , the Secretariat gave an account of the RTA -related 
technical assistance activities it had undertaken in 2018 and those planned for 2019.  
9  PROCEDURES TO IMPROV E AND FACILITATE THE  EXAMINATION PROCESS  
9.1.   At its 89th Session the Committee adopted the proposed modifications made to the template 
for notifying changes to an existing RTA (WT/REG/W/125/Rev.1). The new template (issued as 
document WT/REG/28) was sent to the CTG, CTS and CTD for adoption.  
9.2.  At its 88th Session, the United States presented a communicatio n seeking to gauge the level 
of interest among Members on how to improve participation in the Transparency Mechanism 
process (WT/REG/W/127). A number of delegations supported the initiative.  
9.3.  On 15 October the Secretariat held an informal information sessio n for Members on the RTA 
Transparency Mechanism process.  
10  FOLLOW UP ON THE MIN ISTERIAL DECLARATION  FROM MC10  
10.1.   At the 89th Session the Chairman informed Members that despite interest expressed in 
previous meetings by a number of delegations on issues relatin g to MC10 he had received no 
concrete proposals. In the absence of such proposals, the item would be removed from the 
agenda, bearing in mind that issues relating to the systemic relationship between RTAs and the 
WTO as well as the proper functioning of th e Committee were being discussed under other agenda 
items.  
 
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 WT/REG/29  
 
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  ATTACHMENT  
MINUTES OF THE MEETI NGS HELD IN 2018 
Eighty -Eighth Session – 9-10 April 2018  
 
 WT/REG/M/ 88 
 
 WT/REG 258/M/1 European Union – Côte d'Ivoire, goods  
 WT/REG 373/M/1 Japan – Mongolia , goods  and services  
 WT/REG287/M/1  Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – Republic of 
Korea, services  
 WT/REG379/M/1  Turkey – Malaysia, goods  
 WT/REG378/M/1  Turkey – Republic of Moldova, goods9 
 
Eighty -Ninth  Session – 19-20 June 2018  
 WT/REG/M/ 89 
 
 WT/REG 389/M/1 European Union – Canada , goods and services  
 WT/REG 388/M/1 Canada – Ukraine , goods  
 WT/REG376/M/1  Costa Rica – Colombia, goods and services  
 WT/REG280/M/1  European Union – Republic of San Marino, goods [non -member]  
 
Ninetieth Session  – 18 September 2018  
 
 WT/REG/M/ 90 
 
WT/REG 368/M/1 Accession of Seychelles to the Southern African Development 
Community (SADC) Trade Protocol , goods  
WT/REG 255/M/1 European Union – Cariforum States , goods and  services  [non-
member]  
 
Ninety -First Session – 19 November 2018  (to be issued ) 
 WT/REG/M/ 91 
 
WT/REG/W/ 135 Draft Report ( 2018) of the CRTA to the General Council  
WT/REG 382/M/1 European Union – Ghana , goods  
WT/REG358/M/1  Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), goods and 
services [non -member]  
WT/REG363/M/1  Treaty on accession of the Republic of Armenia to the EAEU, 
goods and services [non -member]  
WT/REG366/M/1  Treaty on accession of the Kyrgyz Republic to the EAEU, goods 
and services [non -member]  
 
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9 The factual presentation was distributed in the period 16 October 2016 to 15 October 2017.