WT/REG/W/110  
 
18 October  2016 
(16-5635) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Regional Trade Agreements    
  
  DRAFT REPORT ( 2016 ) OF THE  
COMMITTEE ON REGIONA L TRADE AGREEMENTS  
TO THE GENERAL COUNC IL 
CHAIRMAN:  MR DANIEL BLOCKERT  (SWEDEN ) 
1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1.  At its first meeting in April 2016 , the Committee on Regional Trade Agreements  (CRTA) 
elected, by acclamation, Amb assador Daniel Blockert  (Sweden ), as Chairman of the CRTA . 
1.2.  During 2016, the Committee held four sessions (in April, June, September and  November ). 
The minutes of those meetings are listed in the Attachment . Four sessions are foreseen in 2017. 
2  OBSERVER STAT US 
2.1.  At its 80th Session, the Committee approved a request for observer status received from the 
Inter-Governmental Body on Shipping (ISCOS). At its 81st Session the Committee agreed not to 
invite the Latin American Integration Association (LAIA)  as an obser ver to CRTA  meetings , in the 
absence of a  demonstrat ion from the LAIA  of a continuing interest  in the Committee.  No decision 
was taken with respect to the requests for observer status listed in document 
WT/REG/W/11/Add.3 .  
3  CONSIDERATION OF REG IONAL TRADE A GREEMENTS  
3.1.  In the period 1 January to 1 5 October 2016, the CRTA received 14 notifications of RTAs, 7 in 
goods , notified under Article XXIV of GATT 1994,  and 7 in services , notified under Article  V 
of GATS .1 
3.2.  During 2016, 16 factual presentations were distrib uted reflecting 27 notifications, counting 
goods and services separately, all of which were used as the basis for consideration of RTAs in the 
CRTA.2 
3.3.  The Chairman held consultations with delegations in an effort to resolve the case of RTAs for 
which the fa ctual consideration is delayed due to lack of comments from the Parties . The Chairman  
with the help of the Secretaria t drew up and circulated in advance of CRTA meetings a list of such 
RTAs.3  
                                                
1 Southern African Development Community (SADC) - Accession of Seychelles (G); European Union - 
Bosnia and Herzegovina  (S); Australia - China (G&S); China - Republic of Korea (G&S); Republic of Korea - 
Viet Nam (G&S); Japan - Mongolia (G&S); Mexico - Panama (G&S) ; Republic of Korea - Colombia (G&S) . 
2 Canada - Republic of Korea (G&S); Japan - Australia (G&S); EFTA - Colom bia (G&S); EFTA - Bosnia 
and Herzegovina (G); Republic of Korea - Australia (G&S); Canada - Honduras (G&S); Russian Federation - 
Serbia (G);  Dominican Republic and Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and 
Nicaragua)(G&S); Dominican  Republic, Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and 
Nicaragua) and the United States (G&S);  United States - Panama (G&S); Chile - Viet Nam (G); Republic of 
Korea - New Zealand (G&S);  European Union - Bosnia and Herzegovina (S); Ice land - China (G&S); Australia - 
China (G&S); India - Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) (S).  
3 Documents WT/REG/W/ 102, WT/REG/W/ 106, WT/REG/W/ 108 and WT/REG/W/ 112 (to be issued ). WT/REG/W/110  
 
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  4  EARLY ANNOUNCEMENTS  
4.1.  Paragraph 1 of the Transparency Mechanism ( TM)4, 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. In 2016, a total of four early announcement s were received from 
Members, two for RTAs  under negotiation and two for newly signed RTA s.5 
5  SUBSEQUENT NOTIFICAT ION AND REPORTING   
5.1.  Paragraph 14 of the TM provides for changes affecting the implementation of an RTA, or the 
operation of an already implemented RTA to be notified as soon as poss ible after such changes 
occur. Such communications are to be made available on the WTO website. In the period 
1 January to 15 October 2016, notifications of changes for two RTAs have been received and 
posted on the RTA Database.6 
5.2.  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 as originally notified at the end of the 
RTA's implementation period. The Secretariat circulated a list of RTAs subject to implementatio n 
reports as of 11 March 2016  (document WT/REG/W/ 101 and Corrigendum 1 ). Implementation 
reports were due for 129 RTAs, a nd the end of implementation (EOI) for 11 RTAs wa s in 2016. The 
EOI for a total of 106 RTAs is from 2016 onwards, while for one RTA the EOI year is not available . 
Five such report s were submitted during 2016.7  
6  DATABASE ON RTAS  
6.1.  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 Januar y 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  PROCEDURES TO IMPROV E AND FACILITATE THE  EXAMINATION PROCESS  
7.1.  No discus sion was held on this item.  
8  SYSTEMIC IMPLICATION S OF REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS AND INITI ATIVES FOR 
THE MULTILATERAL TRA DING SYSTEM AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN  THEM  
8.1.   At its 80th, 81st, 82nd [and 83rd] Sessions the Committee discussed paragraph 28 of the 
Nairobi Ministerial Declaration that directed the future work of Members towards two main areas: 
the systemic implications of RTAs for the multilateral trading system and its relationship with WTO 
rules; and the transformation of the RTA Transparency Mechani sm from a provisional to a 
permanent  mechanism .8 Some Members expressed support for engaging in a discussion  on the 
systemic implications . Parameters for such a discussion remain to be set.  The Chairman is 
continuing his consultations with Members on the s econd issue.  
9  FINAL REMARKS  
9.1.  In an effort  to encourage the notification of non -notified RTAs, the Chairman  with the help of 
the Secretaria t, 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 
                                                
4 The General Council Decision of 14 December establishing the Tr ansparency Mechanism for Regional 
Trade Agreements (WT/L/671) is being implemented on a provision al basis. Members will review, and if 
necessary modify, this decision, in light of the experience gained from its provisional operation, and replace it 
by a pe rmanent 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).  
5 Under Negotiation: European Union - Philippines; European Union - Tunisia; Newly  signed: EFTA - 
Central America - Accession of Guatemala; Canada - Ukraine . 
6 China – Hong Kong, China; China – Macao, China . 
7 Ukraine – Tajikistan (WT/REG251 /R/I); Ukraine - Kazakhstan (WT/REG247/R/I); Armenia - Ukraine 
(WT/REG171/R/I); Ukraine - Montene gro (WT/REG338/R/I); European Union - Jordan (WT/REG141/R/I) . 
8 An informal session of the CRTA dedicated to this discussion was held on 18 October.  WT/REG/W/110  
 
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  factual presentations circulated between September 2009 and October  2016.9 Members continue 
to discuss ways of facilitating the notification of such RTAs.   
9.2.  At its 80th Session the Committee discussed a  submission by the United States containing a 
list of non -notified RTAs and delayed Factual Presentations of notified RTAs (document 
WT/REG/W/103 ). At its 81st Session the Committee discussed a communication from Uruguay on 
behalf of LAIA countries (document W T/REG/W/105) regarding the notification of agreements 
among LAIA countries. Questions submitted by the European Union on LAIA agreements w ere 
circulated in document WT/REG/W/109.  
9.3.  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 Chairman consulted with a number of 
delegations who expressed a willingness to provide the missing information as soon as possible . 
Members continue to discuss ways of increasing the t ransparency of such RTAs.  
9.4.  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.  
_______________  
 
 
                                                
9 Documents WT/REG/W/ 100/Rev.1 , WT/REG/W/ 104, WT/REG/W/ 107 and WT/REG/W/ 111 (to be 
issued) . WT/REG/W/110  
 
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  ATTACHMENT  
MINUTES OF THE MEETI NGS HELD IN 2016 
Eightieth  Session – 5-6 April 2016  
 
 WT/REG/M/ 80 
 
 WT/REG362/M/1 Canada - Republic of Korea , goods and services  
 WT/REG361/M/1 Japan - Australia , goods  and services  
 WT/REG357/M/1 EFTA - Central America (Costa Rica and Panama) , goods and 
services10 
 WT/REG299/M/1  EFTA - Colombia, goods and services  
 WT/REG 360/M/1  EFTA - Bosnia and Herzegovina, goods [Non-Member]  
Eighty -First Session – 27 June 2016  
 WT/REG/M/ 81 
 
 WT/REG359/M/1 Republic of Korea - Australia , goods and services  
 WT/REG364/M/1 Canada - Honduras , goods and services  
 WT/REG326/M/1  Russian Federa tion - Serbia, goods [Non -Member]  
 
Eighty -Second  Session  – 27 September 2016  
 
 WT/REG/M/ 82 
 
WT/REG305 /M/1 Dominican Republic and Central America (Costa Rica, 
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua) , goods  and 
services  
WT/REG211 /M/1 Dominican Republ ic, Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, 
Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua) and the United States , 
goods  and services  
WT/REG324/M/1 United States - Panama , goods  and services   
WT/REG365/M/1 Chile - Viet Nam , goods  
WT/REG367/M/1  Republic of Korea - New Zealand, goods and services  
WT/REG242/M/ 2 European Union - Bosnia and Herzegovina, services 
[Non-Member]  
 
Eighty -Third Session – 7 November 2016  (to be issued ) 
 WT/REG/M/ 83 
 
WT/REG/W/ 110 Draft Report ( 2016) of the CRTA to the General Council  
WT/REG355/M/1 Iceland - China , goods and services  
WT/REG369/M/1  Australia - China, goods and services  
WT/REG372/M/1  India - ASEAN, services  
__________  
                                                
10 The factual p resentation was distributed in 2015.