WT/REG/24
11 November 2014
(14-6593)  Page: 1/4
  
  
  REPORT (2014) OF THE  
COMMITTEE ON REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS  
TO THE GENERAL COUNCIL 
CHAIRMAN: MR FRANCISCO PIREZ GORDILLO (URUGUAY) 
1  INTRODUCTION 
1.1.  At its first meeting in April 2014, the Committee on Regional Trade Agreements (CRTA) 
elected Mr Francisco Pirez Gordillo (Uruguay) as Chairman of the CRTA. 
1.2.  During 2014, 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 2015. 
2  OBSERVER STATUS 
2.1.  The Committee agreed to continue the granting of observer status in the CRTA to the 
Latin American Integration Association (LAIA), on an ad hoc  basis. No decision was taken with 
respect to the requests for observer status listed in document WT/REG/W/11/Add.3.  
3  CONSIDERATION OF REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS 
3.1.  In the period 1 January to 15 October 2014, the CRTA received 16 notifications of RTAs, 8 in 
goods, notified under Article XXIV of GATT 1994, and 8 in services, notified under Article V 
of GATS.1 
3.2.  During 2014, 23 factual presentations were distributed reflecting 42 notifications, counting 
goods and services separately, all of which were used as the basis for consideration of RTAs in the CRTA.
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3.3.  The Chairman held consultations with delegati ons in an effort to resolve the case of RTAs for 
which the factual consideration is delayed due to lack of comments from the Parties. The Chairman with the help of the Secretariat drew up and circul ated in advance of CRTA meetings a list of such 
RTAs.
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1 Mexico - Central America (G&S); Singapore - th e Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, 
Kinmen and Matsu (G&S); Switzerland - China (G&S); European Union - Republic of Moldova (G&S); European Union - Ukraine (G&S); European Union - Georgia (G&S); Iceland - China (G&S); Hong Kong, China - Chile (G&S). 
2 Chile - Malaysia (G); Canada - Jordan (G); Canada - Panama (G&S); Republic of Korea - Turkey (G); 
Panama - Central America (Honduras, Nicaragua and Gu atemala (G&S) (six notifications); European Union 
(28) Enlargement (G&S); European Union - Bosnia and Herzegovina (G); Costa Rica - Singapore (G&S); Costa Rica - Peru (G&S); Peru - Mexico (G&S); Colombia - El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras (G&S); Ukraine - Montenegro (G&S); United States - Oman (G&S); East African Community Common Market (S); Turkey - Mauritius (G); Australia - Malaysia (G&S); ASEAN - Australia and New Zealand (G&S); Mexico
 - Uruguay (G); Chile - Nicaragua (G&S); European Union - Serbia (S); China - Singapore (G&S); 
United States - Republic of Korea (G&S); New Zealan d - the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, 
Kinmen and Matsu (G&S). 
3 Documents WT/REG/W/81, WT/REG/W/84, WT/REG/W/86 and WT/REG/W/88. WT/REG/24 
 
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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 2014, a total of five early announcements were received from 
Members, three for RTAs under negotiation and two for newly signed RTAs.
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5  SUBSEQUENT NOTIFICATION AND REPORTING  5.1.  Paragraph 14 of the TM provides for change s affecting the implementation of an RTA, or the 
operation of an already implemented RTA to be no tified as soon as possible after such changes 
occur. Such communications are to be made av ailable on the WTO website. In the period 
1 January to 15 October 2014, notifications of changes for two RTAs have been received and posted on the RTA Database.
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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 circul ated a list of RTAs subject to implementation 
reports as of 14 April 2014 (document WT/REG/W/82). Implementation reports were already due 
for 114 RTAs, and for 10 RTAs implementation ende d in 2014. One end of implementation report 
of the EU-Chile FTA was circulated on 6 November 2014.
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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 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. 
7  PROCEDURES TO IMPROVE AND FACILITATE THE EXAMINATION PROCESS 7.1.  No discussion was held on this item. 
8  SYSTEMIC IMPLICATIONS OF REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS AND INITIATIVES FOR 
THE MULTILATERAL TRADING SYSTEM AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEM 
8.1.  No discussion was held on this item. 
9  FINAL REMARKS 
9.1.  During the 72
nd Session, the Chairman informed Members about the recently launched 
e-training course on RTAs and the WTO which had been developed by the RTA Section in collaboration with the Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation. 
9.2.  In an effort to encourage the notification of  non-notified RTAs, the Chairman 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 presentations circulated be tween September 2009 and September 2014.
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4 The General Council Decision of 14 December esta blishing 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 experience gained from its provisional operation, and replace it by a permanent mechanism as part of  the overall results of the Doha Ro und, in accordance with paragraph 47 
of the Doha Declaration (paragraph 23 of the General Council's Decision). 
5 Under negotiation: Russian Federation/Belarus /Kazakhstan - Viet Nam; European Union - SADC; 
European Union - West Africa.  Newly signed: EFTA - Central America; EFTA - Bosnia and Herzegovina. 
6 Canada - Chile; Mexico - Uruguay. 
7 Document WT/REG164/R/I. 
8 Documents WT/REG/W/80/Rev.1, WT/REG/W/83, WT/REG/W/85 and WT/REG/W/87. WT/REG/24 
 
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  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. 
9.4.  Although considerable progress has been ma de 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. WT/REG/24 
 
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  ATTACHMENT 
 
MINUTES OF THE MEETINGS HELD IN 2014 
Seventy-second Session – 8 April 2014 
 
 WT/REG/M/72  
 WT/REG330/M/1 Chile - Malaysia, goods  
 WT/REG335/M/1 Canada - Jordan, goods   WT/REG334/M/1 Canada - Panama, goods and services  WT/REG339/M/1 Republic of Korea - Turkey, goods  
 WT/REG278/M/1 Panama - Central America (Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala),  
 WT/REG331/M/1 goods and services  WT/REG336/M/1 
 WT/REG337/M/1 European Union (28) enlargement, goods and services 
 WT/REG242/M/1 European Union - Bosnia and Herzegovina, goods [Non-Member] Seventy-third Session – 23 June 2014 
 
 WT/REG/M/73   WT/REG347/M/1 Costa Rica - Singapore, goods and services 
 WT/REG342/M/1 Costa Rica - Peru, goods and services  
 WT/REG308/M/1 Peru - Mexico, goods and services  WT/REG316/M/1 Colombia-El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, goods and services 
 WT/REG338/M/1 Ukraine - Montenegro, goods and services 
 WT/REG259/M/1 United States - Oman, goods and services  WT/REG346/M/1 East African Community Common Market, services 
 WT/REG341/M/1 Turkey - Mauritius, goods 
Seventy-fourth Session – 23 September 2014 
 
 WT/REG/M/74 
 
WT/REG340/M/1 Australia - Malaysia, goods and services 
WT/REG284/M/1 ASEAN - Australia and New Zealand, goods and services 
WT/REG345/M/1 Mexico - Uruguay, goods  
WT/REG344/M/1 Chile - Nicaragua, goods and services WT/REG285/M/2 European Union - Serbia, services [Non-Member] 
Seventy-fifth Session – 10-11 November 2014 (to be issued) 
 
 WT/REG/M/75 
 
WT/REG/W/89 Draft Report (2014) of the CRTA to the General Council 
WT/REG262/M/1 China - Singapore, goods and services WT/REG311/M/1 United States - Republic of Korea, goods and services 
WT/REG348/M/1 New Zealand - the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, 
Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, goods and services  
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