RESTRICTED  
  
S/CSC/M/69  
 
5 March 2014  
(14-1332) Page: 1/2  
 
Committee on Specific Commitments    
 
REPORT OF THE MEETING HELD ON 25 FEBRUARY 2014 
NOTE BY THE SECRETARIAT1 
The Committee on Specific Commitments (CSC) held a meeting on 25 February 2014, chaired by 
Ms Monica Nagelgaard from Norway. The agenda for the meeting, contained in WTO/AIR/4245, was adopted as modified. 
 
1    ITEM A - CLASSIFICATION ISSUES 
1.1.  The Chairperson recalled that in order to ha ve a complete exercise of review, the Committee 
had begun to look, at the last meeting, at the remaining sectors to be addressed, namely: 
educational, health, tourism, recreational and cultural services. Following previous practice, the Secretariat had presented three informal Notes (JOB/SERV/158-160) to facilitate discussion. Each 
Note consisted of an overview of classification issues arising in the relevant sector and specific 
questions for consideration. As indicated in each Note, the questions were suggestive only, and Members were encouraged to raise any issues or po ints of interest to them. The non-attributable 
summaries of the informal discussions at the last meeting had been circulated under her 
responsibility. Since some delegations had indicated that they would make comments at this 
meeting, the Committee would continue to consider these sectors.   
1.2.  There were no comments on these sectors. 
1.3.  The Chairperson noted that the Committee had completed the exercise started in late 2011 
whereby it had examined, sector by sector, the ch allenges the GATS classification system (W/120 
+ CPC Provisional) was facing due to dramatic technological and business developments over the 
past two decades.  As agreed, the Secretariat would then prepare and circulate a factual and user-
friendly compilation of all documents produced for the exercise, including the Secretariat Notes and the summaries of informal discussions. 
1.4.  Referring to the Annotated Agenda (JOB/SERV/176), the Chairperson asked delegations 
whether, building upon this exercise, there were any classification issues that would warrant 
further reflection, for the benefit of future negotiations, such as services involving the use of Internet or other new technologies; services with multiple uses, or bundled or compound services; 
or the definition of "new services".   
1.5.  No delegation intervened on the Chairperson's suggestion.  1.6.  The Chairperson suggested that she hold consultations on future work under this item and 
that the Committee revert to this item at its next meeting.   1.7.  It was so agreed.  
2    ITEM B - SCHEDULING ISSUES 2.1.  The Chairperson recalled that it had been suggested last year that Members could share 
scheduling experiences in services, in particular those gained outside the WTO. Such an exercise 
would be beneficial to future negotiations and help ensure the uniformity and clarity of 
                                               
1 This document has been prepared under the Secret ariat's own responsibility and without prejudice to 
the positions of Members and to their rights and obligations under the WTO. S/CSC/M/69 
 
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  commitments. As agreed, she had held consultations with some delegations on this idea. At this 
meeting, she wanted to hear more views in this regard as well as on any other scheduling issues. 
2.2.  No delegation intervened under this it em. The Chairperson suggested that the Committee 
revert to this item at its next meeting.  
2.3.  It was so agreed.  
3    ITEM C - OTHER BUSINESS 
3.1.  The Chairperson made a statement on th e appointment of the new Chairperson of the 
Committee.  According to the rules of procedure for meetings of the Council for Trade in Services 
(document S/L/15), the election of the Chairperso n was to take place at the first meeting of the 
year and take effect at the end of the meeting. Since the consultations on the appointments of chairpersons to councils and committees in the WTO were still under way, the handover of the 
Chairmanship of this Committee would take place at the beginning of the next meeting. 
3.2.  In view of the absence of interventions at this meeting, the Chairperson said that she would 
soon hold consultations on how to move forward the work of the Committee, and also seek 
Members' views on the need for the Committee to meet during the next services cluster which was 
tentatively scheduled for the week of 5 May. 
3.3.  The Chairperson then adjourned the meeting.  
 
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