WT/TPR/403  
 
13 September  2017 
(17-4776) Page: 1/2 
Trade Policy Review Body    
 
 TRADE POLICY REVIEW MECHANISM  
COMMUN ICATION FROM THE CHA IRPERSON OF  
THE TRADE POLICY REV IEW BODY  
ICELAND  
Arrangements for Review Meeting  
1. In pursuance of Article  IV, paragraph  4 and Annex  3 of the WTO Agreement, a meeting of 
the Trade Policy Review Body is scheduled for 4 and 6 October 2017  to conduct the fifth review of 
the trade policies and practices of Iceland  (WTO/AIR/TPR /57). 
2. This communication sets out arrangements concerning the review meeting. In this 
connection, attention is also drawn to the proce dures for the conduct of reviews contained in the 
rules of procedure of the Trade Policy Review Body (WT/TPR/6/Rev.4).   
1  QUESTIONS IN WRITING IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING AND MAIN POINTS  
3. Members wishing to submit written questions to the Member under review sh ould do so at 
least two weeks before the review meeting to allow replies to be prepared in time for the first 
session of the meeting. For the forthcoming review, such questions should therefore be with the 
Trade  Policies Review Division of the Secretariat (tprd@wto.org ) by 5.30 p.m., Wednesday, 
20 September  2017, at the latest.  
4. In line with the rules of procedure of the TPRB (WT/TPR/6/Rev.4 , paragraph 17), Members 
are reminded that they should group their written question s into the following three categories so 
as to facilitate responses: those related to the Secretariat report (with a reference to relevant 
paragraph numbers); those concerning the Government report (with a reference to relevant 
paragraph numbers); and othe r questions.  
5. The Secretariat shall identify the main points contained in the questions submitted at least 
two weeks before a review meeting, post them on the Members' Website one week before the 
meeting, and distribute a revised list of main points during the first session of a review when 
questions received after the two -week deadline give rise to significantly new issues. The main 
points may be found on the Members' Website under "Forthcoming Meetings: Documents for 
Meetings".  
2  ANSWERS IN WRITING B Y THE ME MBER UNDER REVIEW  
6. Answers by the Member under review should be distributed in writing; advance questions 
submitted by the two -week deadline before the start of the TPRB review should be answered 
in writing by the Member under review by the start of the mee ting. Questions posed subsequently 
should be answered, to the extent possible, before the start of the second session of the meeting. 
Questions left unanswered at the end of the second session should be answered in writing no later 
than one month after the  meeting with some latitude in the Chair's discretion for Members 
reviewing a very large number of questions . WT/TPR/403  
 
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  7. In the course of the discussions at the review meeting, the Member under review may 
indicate that it intends to provide supplementary information,  in writing, on specific points raised. 
Upon receipt, the Secretariat will circulate a document containing this information to all Members.  
3  DISCUSSANT  
8. In consultation with the Member under review, the Chairperson of the Trade Policy Review 
Body may choose a discussant who, in her/his personal capacity, will introduce the discussions in 
the Body. H.E. Mr. Alvaro Cedeño Molinari (Costa Rica) will act as discussant for the review of 
Iceland . 
4  STRUCTURE OF THE MEE TING  
9. Trade policy reviews cover four broad headin gs: 
a. appreciation of the full range of the Member's trade policies and practices;  
b. relevant background: wider economic and developmental needs, including the external 
environment;  
c. impact of the Member's trade policies and practices on the functioning of the multilateral 
trading system; and  
d. general comments by way of assessment and evaluation.  
10. Meetings take place in two sessions. The first session is devoted to the opening statements 
by the Member under review and the discussant, and remarks and questions from  the floor. 
The discussion in the second session, when the Member under review will reply to questions, 
is based on main themes identified after the opening meeting by the Chairperson, the discussant 
and the Secretariat in consultation with the Member.  
11. As indicated in the rules of procedure for TPRB meetings (WT/TPR/6/Rev.4, paragraph 21), 
the speakers list will follow the order in which questions are rec eived by the Secretariat and in the 
event of more than one batch, the final batch will determine the ord er of speakers.  Delegations not 
submitting written questions will continue to speak second, in the order in which their flags are 
raised.  On the day before each review meeting, the Secretariat will post on the WTO Members' 
website a provisional list of spe akers for the first session of that meeting, for Members' advance 
information.  
5  DOCUMENTATION AND PR ESS ARRANGEMENTS  
12. Reports by the Member under review and the Secretariat are contained in the following 
documents:  
 WT/TPR/G/ 361 Report by Iceland  
 WT/TPR/S/ 361 Iceland : Report by the Secretariat  
13. The press embargo for this review will end at 2.00 p.m.  Geneva time on 4 October 2017. 
6  RECORD OF THE MEETIN G 
14. The record of the meeting will be circulated as a draft to Members for comments on their 
own statements and placed on the WTO website.  
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