RESTRICTED  
  
G/AG/R/86  
 
19 December 2017  
(17-7078) Page: 1/6 
Committee on Agriculture    
 
 
SUMMARY REPORT OF TH E MEETING HELD ON 17  OCTOBER 2017  
NOTE BY THE SECRETAR IAT1 
The Committee on Agriculture held its eighty -fifth (85th) regular meeting on 17 -18 October  2017 
under the Chairmanship of Mr Alf Vederhus  of Norway.  
 
The agenda of the meeting as set out in WTO/AIR/AG/23 was adopted with the following 
modifications:  
 
 Part 1 (Review Process):  
 Individual notifications:  
 Addition of question raised by the Russia n Federation  with respect  to 
European  Union's notification G/AG/N/EU/30 . 
1  THE REVIEW PROCE SS 
1.1  Matters relevant to the implementation of commitments under the reform 
programme: Article 18.6  
1.1.  The 16 implementation -related issues raised as well as the responses provided and follow -up 
exchanges are compiled in section 1 of document G/AG/ W/170. These relate to:  
a. Argentina's Reintegros programme (raised by the European Union);  
b. Canada's new programme on the dairy sector (raised by New Zealand);  
c. European Union's intervention stocks of skim milk powder (raised by Canada);  
d. India's quantitative restrictions ( raised by Australia);  
e. Indonesia's new regulation on milk (raised by the United States of America);  
f. Pakistan's sugar policies (raised by Brazil);  
g. Russian Federation's railway subsidy for exports (raised by the European Union);  
h. Brazil's Reintegra programme ( raised by the European Union);  
i. Brazil's domestic support programmes (raised by Ukraine);  
j. Canada's new milk ingredient class (raised by Australia, New Zealand, and the 
United  States of America);  
k. Canada's tariff -rate quota for cheese and domestic support (ra ised by New Zealand);  
                                                
1 This document has been prepared under the Secretariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the positions of Members or to their rights and obligations under the WTO.  G/AG/R/86  
 
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  l. Canada's wine sale policy (raised by New Zealand and the United States of America);  
m. India's pulses policies (raised by Canada);  
n. Philippine's rice waiver (raised by Australia);  
o. Thailand's import permits for feed wheat (raised by the European Union);  
p. US dairy policies (raised by Canada).  
1.2  Review of n otifications  
1.2.  The Chairperson informed Members that since the June  2017 meeting the Committee had 
received 64 notifications . These had been distributed electronically to all delegations.  
1.2.1   Notifications in respect of which questions have been raised in advance of the 
issuance of the convening airgram  
1.3.  Section 2 of document G/AG/W/ 170 reflects the questions raised, responses provided, and 
Members' follow -up comments in connection  with the notifica tions on which questions had been 
raised in  advance of the issuance of the convening airgram.2 
1.2.2   Deferred replies to questions raised under the review process  
1.4.  The Chairperson noted that a total of 101 responses in the context of the review process 
remained o utstanding. The Chairperson noted that 24 of these questions had been repeated at 
least once and strongly advised Members to submit their replies to the Secretariat in order to 
enhance the efficiency of the review process.  
1.5.  Gabon provided a response to a q uestion posed by the United States regarding 
notificatio n G/AG/N/GAB/7 (AGIMS ID 84077).  
1.2.3   Overdue notifications  
1.6.  The Committee took note of document G/AG/GEN/86/Rev.29 circulated on 6 October  2017, 
reflecting the current status of Members' compliance with no tification obligations.  
1.7.  Since the June meeting, a number of Members have submitted agriculture notifications 
covering multiple years. The Chairperson highlighted that Turkey had recently notified Table DS:1 
covering three implementation years (2002, 2003, and 2004) as well as Table DS:2 notification, 
an important first step in addressing their outstanding notifications.  The Chairperson also noted 
that India submitted a Table DS:1 notification covering three implementation years (2011, 2012, 
and 2013). The C hairperson commended Members' conscientious efforts in this regard, while 
noting that a significant proportion of domestic support and export subsidies notifications remain ed 
outstanding  
1.8.  Members had raised three  questions under this agenda item. The questi ons, corresponding 
answers and Members' follow -up comments can be found in section 3 of document G/AG/W/ 170. 
1.2.4   Notifications subject to review in respect of which no questions have been raised 
in advance of the issuance of the convening airgram  
1.9.  The Committee took note of the 46 notifications circulated before 6 October 2017, including 
notifications carried over from the June 2017 meeting but  in respect of which no questions had 
been raised by that date under the Committee's working procedures.3 
                                                
2 WTO/AIR/AG/2 3, Attachment Section B.  
3 WTO/AIR/AG/ 23, Attachment Section C. G/AG/R/86  
 
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  1.2.5   Notifications circulated or made available after the issuance of the convening 
airgram  
1.10.   The Committee took note of the two notifications issued after the issuance of the convening 
airgram:  
 Thailand:  Table DS:1 covering the years 2014, 2015 and 2016 (G/AG/N/T HA/85); and  
 Switzerland:  corrigendum to Table NF:1 for 2015 (G/AG/N/CHE/81/Corr.1).  
1.11.   These notifications would be reverted to for substantive review during the next regular 
meeting, in accordance with the Committee's working procedures.  
1.2.6   Points concerning no tifications raised at previous meetings which have been 
pursued bilaterally: information regarding outcome where the issue involved is one of 
general interest  
1.12.   There were no requests for the floor under this agenda item.  
1.2.7   Counter -notifications (Article 18.7 of the Agreement on Agriculture)  
1.13.   There were no requests for the floor under this agenda item.  
2  OTHER MATTERS WITHIN  THE PURVIEW OF THE C OMMITTEE  
2.1  Implementation -related Issues (G/AG/16, G/AG/16/Add.1 and G/AG/22)  
2.1.  There were no requests for the floor under th is agenda item.  
2.2  Implementation of Ministerial outcomes  
2.2.  The CoA is responsible for implementation of Ministerial outcomes in several areas:  
 Monitoring of information submitted under the Bali Decision on Public Stockholding for 
Food Security purposes;  
 Monitoring and review of Members' obligations established under the Bali Decision on 
TRQ administration;  and 
 Monitoring of the Nairobi Ministerial decision on export competition, including the annual 
dedicated discussion on export competition.  
2.3.  No information h ad been provided by Members to the CoA in the context of the monitoring 
foreseen under the Bali Decisions on Public Stockholding for Food Security purposes.  
2.2.1   Review of the Bali Decision on TRQ  
2.4.  The Chairperson reported on the informal meeting that took plac e on 17 November 2017 with 
the objective of beginning the review of the operation of the ‘Ministerial Decision on the 
Understanding on Tariff Rate Quota Administration Provisions of Agricultural Products’ as 
mandated by paragraph 13 of the Decision. T he Ch airperson noted that the objective of this review 
was to promote improvement in the utilization of tariff rate quotas and also to enable the General 
Council to make recommendations to the 12th Ministerial Confer ence on the status of paragraph  4 
of the real location mechanism as included in Annex A of the Decision. The Decision requires that 
the review shall begin no later than four years following the adoption of the Decision. A 
background document prepared by the Secretariat facilitated the discussions.4  
                                                
4 G/AG/W/169 . G/AG/R/86  
 
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  2.5.  The Chairperson noted that as per the timeline stipulated in the Bali Decision, the Committee 
had two years to complete the review in order to be able make recommendations to the 
12th Ministerial Conference through the General Council. The Chairperson advis ed Members to 
reflect on how the Committee could efficiently undertake the review of the operation of the 
Decision towards the desired objectives. The Chairperson also informed Members that in 
consultation with the Secretariat he would put together, for Me mbers’ consideration, a proposed 
timeline to organize the review discussions prior to the first meeting of the Committee in 2018.  
2.2.2   Developments in Export Competition, including the 2018 Dedicated Discussion  
2.6.  The Committee concluded its 2017 dedicated discus sion on export competition in June. 
Questions and responses provided during those discussions were circulated in document 
G/AG/W/166 on 24  July 2017. The revised export competition background document, 
G/AG/W/125/Rev.7 and its amendments were circulated on  27 September 2017.  
2.7.  The Chairperson announced that a fax would be circulated in November to initiate the 
2018 dedicated discussion on export competition which would  take place in June. As is normal 
practice, the fax would  contain the questionnaire and indi cate a deadline for submissions to the 
questionnaire.  
2.8.  As part of the monitoring of this Decision, Members also have the possibility to raise 
questions during other meetings under this agenda item. In this context, the European Union 
posed questions to New Zealand and the United States for this meeting. Section 4 of document 
G/AG/W/ 170 reflects  these questions and responses.5 
2.9.  The Nairobi Decision also contains provisions relating to its periodic review. Specifically, the 
Decision requires that a review of th e Decisions' disciplines be conducted every three years by the 
Committee (paragraph 5 of the Decision.)  In the June 2017 Committee meeting, a suggestion was 
made that the review of this Decision be included within the June 2018 Dedicated Discussion. The 
Chairperson proposed that the Committee discuss Members' views on how to proceed with the 
Review of the Nairobi Export Competition Decision in an informal meeting before the next meeting 
of the Committee.  
2.10.   Members also agreed in the Decision to review the provisions on international food aid 
within the Committee on Agriculture monitoring of the implementation of the Marrakesh Ministerial 
Decision of April 1994 on Measures Concerning the Possible Negative Effects of the Reform 
Programme on Least -developed an d net food -importing developing countries. The next annual 
monitoring exercise on the follow -up to the Marrakesh NFIDC decision will take place during the 
meeting of the Committee in February 2018. The review of the provisions on international food aid 
contained in the Nairobi Export Competition Decision will take place as a sub -item under this 
agenda item .  
2.11.   The European Union informed the Committee that it had submitted its revised EU 28 
schedule that included modifications to  its export subsidy entitlemen ts in line with the Nairobi 
Ministerial Decision on Export Competition.  
2.12.   Canada informed the Committee that it was currently engaged in internal procedures to 
modify its schedule of commitments to implement the 2015 Decision. Canada s tated that it 
expect ed to submit soon its draft revised schedule to the WTO.  
2.3  Agriculture -Information Management System (AG -IMS) Improvements  
2.13.   The Chairperson noted the valuable contribution made by the AG -IMS database to the work 
of the Committee. T his database contains information on all agriculture notifications, as well as all 
questions and responses provided by Members during the CoA Review process. The AG -IMS was 
first launched in 2013. Since that time, Members have been able to submit questions and  
responses directly to the system.  
                                                
5 WTO/AIR/AG/ 23, Attachment Section D. G/AG/R/86  
 
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  2.14.   The Chairperson  reported on the informal meeting in which the Committee reflected on 
ideas provided by Ukraine in their paper "Proposal for exploring potential AG -IMS improvements".6 
The Committee discussed two potential  improvements to the AG -IMS system which were proposed 
by Ukraine:  (1) additional categorization of questions with regards to the completeness of 
responses; (2) making links between original and subsequent follow -up questions.  
2.15.   With respect  to the first pr oposal on capturing the completeness of responses, a number of 
Members expressed concern regarding responding Members making subjective judgement on  the 
completeness of  responses. One Member questioned whether this practice would have unintended 
legal cons equences.  On the second proposal, tracking follow -up questions, Members had generally 
supportive responses. The Chair person  invited the Secretariat to look into the feasibility of making 
this type of modification to the AG -IMS system and to report back to the Committee in the 
February meeting.  
2.4  Observers to the Committee on Agriculture  
Renewal of Ad Hoc status to IICA  
2.16.   The Chair noted that there had been no change in Members' positions with regard to the 
ad hoc observer status of the IICA. The Committee agree d to invite IICA to participate in its formal 
meetings in 2018 as an ad hoc observer.  
Request for Ad Hoc status by International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)  
2.17.   The rules for granting observer status to international intergovernmental 
organizations  (IGOs) are contained in Annex 3 of General Council's Rules of Procedure (WT/L/161). 
The rules provide that such requests may be considered on case -by-case basis by each WTO body 
receiving such request. While considering those requests, factors such as nat ure of the work of the 
organization concerned and its relevance to the work of the concerned WTO body, nature of its 
membership, number  of WTO Members in the organization, would be taken into account.  
2.18.   The Committee on Agriculture had last updated its list of observers in 2010 when it 
approved IICA's request for ad hoc observer status (G/AG/W/29/Rev.7). This list included those 
international organizations that have observer status, those that have ad hoc observer status and 
those that had requested, but that  had not been granted observer status. The Chairperson noted 
that IFPRI's request7, which the Secretariat had circulated to Members, was the second request for 
an ad hoc observer status received by the Committee.  
2.19.   Given discussions in the informal meeting,  the Chairperson proposed that the Committee 
continue consultations on IFPRI's request for ad hoc observer status and consider the request at a 
later stage.  
2.5  Annual Report to the Council for Trade in Goods  
2.20.   The Chairperson informed Members that he would submit the annual report on the activities 
of the Committee for consideration by the Council for Trade in Goods at its meeting on 
10 November. The report would include the three meetings held in 2017.  
3  OTHER BUSINESS  
3.1  Workshop for LDCs on Agriculture at the  WTO  
3.1.  The Secretariat informed the Committee that the workshop on agriculture for Least 
Developed Countries (LDCs) began on Monday, October 16. The wo rkshop covered the rules of 
the AoA, the work of the CoA and the online tools available for the implementa tion of this 
Agreement. The workshop also had an SPS component. As part of the programme, participants 
were able to participate in the regular meeting of CoA in order for them to understand how the 
Committee on Agriculture meetings work. A total of 28 gove rnment officials from 23  Members 
                                                
6 G/AG/W/167 . 
7 G/AG/GEN/140/Rev. 1. G/AG/R/86  
 
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  were selected for funded participation. For the first time, at the request of the Members, the 
delivery of this workshop was bilingual (simultaneous interpretation in French and English).  
 
3.2  Update on -line notification system   
3.2.  The Secretariat updated the committee on the ongoing work for the creation of a new online 
notification system. The Secretariat encouraged Members to use the available test site of the 
system in order to become familiar with it and to be ready for when i t goes live. Members were 
invited to contact the Secretariat for login details and for questions regarding the test site.  
3.3  Date of n ext regular m eeting (G/AG/GEN/141)  
3.3.  The next (86th) meeting of this Committee was tentative ly scheduled for 
21-22 February  2018. On this basis the airgram convening the meeting will be issued on 
9 February 2018. The two agenda items normally covered during the November Committee 
meeting (the Annual Monitoring Exercise on the Follow -up to the Marrakesh NFIDC decision and 
the Annua l Consultation under Article 18.5 of the AoA) will be included in the agenda of the 
February 2018 meeting.  
 
 
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