GPA/141  
 
29 November 2016  
(16-6564) Page: 1/15 
   
 
REPORT (2016)  OF THE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT PROCUREME NT 
1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1.  This report covers the period  since the Committee's previous  annual report1, namely  mid-
November 2015  through mid-November 2016 . It is issued  pursuant to Article  XXI:3 of the 
Agreement a s amended by the Protocol Amending the Agreement on Government Procurement, 
done at Geneva on 30  March  2012 (the "revised Agreement"  or "revised GPA" ) and 
Article  XXIV:7(a) of the 1994 Agreement on Government Procurement ("the 199 4 Agreement" or 
"the GPA 1 994").2 This reflects  the entry into force of the revised  Agreement on 6  April 2014 and 
the fact that one Party continues to be bound only by the 1994 Agreement.3 
1.2.  The Committee has had an active and productive year. Since the date of circulation of its las t 
Annual Report ( 16 November 2015 ), it has held four formal meetings in Geneva: on 
17 February  2016, on 22  June 2016, on 1 9 October 2016 and on 28  November 2016 .4 The 
meetings were chaired by  Mr John Newham (Ireland).5 The Committee has also held a series of 
informal meetings, also chaired by Mr Newham, focusing on the entry into  force of the revised 
Agreement;  accessions to the Agreement; the Committee's agreed Work Programmes; and other 
matters, in the weeks beginning 15 February  2016, 20  June 201 6 and 17 October 2016 , 
respectively.  
1.3.  Among other highlights, the Committee is pleased to note that the Republic of Moldova  and 
Ukraine completed all relevant formalities and became Parties to the Agreement during the review 
period .6 Significant progress occurred w ith respect to  work on  accession  to the Agreement by 
several other WTO Members.7 The Russian Federation applied for accession to the Agreement, and 
Kazakhstan became an observer to the Committee , in both cases reflecting commitments made in 
the course of t he two Members' respective WTO accession pro cesses. In addition, on 
22 June 2016, the Committee adopted , as foreseen,  an important new Decision on Arbitration 
Procedures pursuant to Article XIX:8(a) of the revised GPA .8 The P rocedures provide a tool for th e 
resolution of  disputes arising in the context of modifications or rectifications to coverage pursuant 
to Article XIX of the revised GPA.  Significant work was done with respect to the Committee's 
agreed Work Programmes , notably those dealing with: (i) acc ess to government procurement 
activities by small and medium sized enterprises;  (ii) the collection and reporting of statistical 
data; (iii) the promotion of sustainability in Parties' procurement processes; and (iv) exclusions 
and restrictions in Parties'  annexes .9 
1.4.  The following 47 WTO Members are now covered by the Agreement  (the revised and/or the 
1994 version) : Armenia; Canada; the European Union, with its 28 member States  (normally 
                                                
1 GPA/134, dated 16 November 2015. 
2 The 1994 Agreement and the revised Agreement are hereafter referred to together as the "Agreement 
on Government Procurement" or "GPA"  or "Agreement" . 
3 See, for relevant details, Part 2 below.  
4 GPA/M/64, dated 11 May 2016; GPA/M/ 65, dated 15 September 2016; GPA/M/66, dated 
14 November  2016;  and GPA/M/6 7, to be issued . 
5 At its meeting of 17 February 2016, the Committee re -elected Mr Newham  as Chairman for 2016  
(GPA/M/ 64, dated 11 May 2016 , paragraph  1.2.). 
6 Ukrain e deposited its instrument of accession on 18 April 2016 and therefore became a Party to the 
Agreement on 18 May 2016. The Republic of Moldova deposited its instrument of accession on 14 June 2016 
and therefore became a Party to the Agreement on 14  July 20 16. 
7 See, for relevant details, Part 3 below.  
8 GPA/139, dated 23 June 2016.  
9 See, for relevant details, Part 4 below.  GPA/141  
 
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  counted as a single Party) ; Hong Kong, China; Iceland; Israel; Japan; the Republic of Korea 
("Korea") ; Liechtenstein; the Republic of Moldova; Montenegro; the Kingdom of the Netherlands 
with respect to Aruba; New Zealand; Norway; Singapore; Switzerland; the Separate Customs 
Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu ("Chin ese Taipei"); Ukraine and the United  States.  
1.5.  Twenty -nine WTO Members have observer status in the Committee on Government 
Procurement: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Cameroon, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa 
Rica, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz  Republi c, Malaysia, Mongolia , 
Oman, Pakistan, Panama, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, 
Thailand, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, and Viet Nam. The observership  of 
Kazakhstan was approved, on its request, during the reporting period, and was warmly welcomed 
by the Committee.10 Four intergovernmental organizations, namely the International Monetary 
Fund (IMF), the International Trade Centre (ITC), the Organization for Economic Co -operation and 
Development (OECD) and the Unit ed Nations Conference on Trade a nd Development (UNCTAD), 
also have observer status.  
1.6.  The Committee considers the GPA to be an increasingly important tool of trade and 
development in the twenty -first century, con tributing not only to market access for Parties' goods, 
services and suppliers but also to the transparency of Parties' procurement systems and to good 
governan ce. It is pleased  with the continuing progress made on accessions to the Agreement 
during the ye ar under review  and in previous years (in effect, the number of Members covered by 
the Agreement has more than doubled since 1996) .11 It encourages interest in the Agreement on 
the part of WTO Members not currently Parties or observers to it , and invites th em to consider the 
potential advantages of association, whether as Parties or as observers.12 
1.7.  The remaining sections of this Report deal with the work done by the Committee during the 
year, with particular reference to: (i) the entry into force of the revis ed Agreement; (ii) accessions 
to the Agreement; (iii) the Committee's Agreed Work Programmes ; and (iv)  the implementation of 
the Agreement.  
2  ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE REVISED AGREEMEN T, RELATED WORK ON ARBITRATION 
PROCEDURES AND THE " E-GPA PROJECT"  
2.1  Entry into  force of the revised Agreement  
2.1.  As recounted in the Committee's two previous Annual Reports, the revised Agreement 
entered into force on 6 April 2014, 30 days after the submission of formal acceptances of the 
"Protocol Amending the Agreement on Government Procurement" by two thirds of the Agreement's 
Parties. T wo additional Parties submitted their respective instruments of acceptance later in 2014. 
In 2015, Armenia submitted its instrument of acceptance on 7 May 201513 and the Agreement 
entered into force fo r two newly acceded Parties, i.e. for Montenegro on 15 July 201514 and for 
New Zealand on 12 August 2015.15 
2.2.  With respect to  the period under review, Korea submitted its instrument of acceptance on 
15 December 2015 and the revised Agreement entered in force f or Korea  on 14 January 2016.16 
The Agreement also entered into force for two more newly acceded Parties 30 days after the 
submission of their respective instruments of accession to the Agreement, i.e. for Ukraine on 
18 May 201617 and for the Republic of Moldova on 14 July 2016.18  
2.3.  As a result of these additional acceptances and accessions, the revised Agreement is now in 
force for all Parties except Switzerland. The latter  has provided regular updates to the Committee 
                                                
10 GPA/M/66, dated 14 November 2016 , paragraphs 5. et seq.  
11 In 1996, when the GPA 1994 came into force, it covered only 2 2 WTO members . 
12 Observership to the Agreement is open to all WTO Members.  
13 The revised Agreement entered into force for Armenia on 6 June 2015, see WT/Let/1039, dated 
11 May 2015.  
14 WT/Let/1046, dated 2 July 2015.  
15 WT/Let/1049, dated 20 July 2015.  
16 WT/Let/1110, dat ed 16 December 2015.  
17 WT/Let/1150, dated 27 April 2016.  
18 WT/Let/1169, dated 29 June 2016.  GPA/1 41 
 
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  on related developments and has assured th e Committee  that it will provide its acceptance as soon 
as possible.19  
2.2  Adoption of the Committee's decision on arbitration procedures and work on other 
draft decisions pursuant to Article XIX:8 of the revised GPA  
2.4.  In a significant development, on 22  June 2016, Parties adopted the Committee's Decision  on 
Arbitration Procedures  pursuant to Article XIX:8(a) of the revised GPA .20 The Decision fulfils  a 
specific requirement of the revised Agreement  and has brought to a conclusion  negotiations that 
had taken place over an extended period . The new P rocedures provide a tool for the resolution of  
disputes arising in the context of modifications or rectifications to coverage pursuant to Article XIX 
of the revised GPA. This is an important step in the implementation of t he revised Agreement and 
is potentially also of systemic interest  to the Organization.  
2.5.  With regard to the  Committee's related  draft decision on indicative criteria , further work on 
this issue in a plurilateral format has been  deferred for the time being . Work on the Committee's 
mandate to develop for adoption a separate draft decision on criteria for compensatory adjustment 
may be taken up at a later stage.  
2.3  The "e -GPA project " to provide enhanced access to information concerning the 
Agreement , in a user -friendly format  
2.6.  During the reporting period , the Secretariat , with guidance from the Committee,  carried 
forward  the further development of the "e-GPA system ". As noted in last year's A nnual Report, the 
system is intended to provide enhanced access to Parties'  market access schedules and other 
information that Parties provide  pursuant to the Agreement, in a modern and user -friendly format. 
It synergizes importantly with particular elements of the revised GPA text that are aimed at 
promot ing the use of electroni c tools in Parties' procurement systems.  
2.7.   At the Committee's informal session on 17 February, the Secretariat  provided an initial 
demonstration of the main new features in version 2.0 of the e-GPA system . Subsequently, on 
7 April 2016, it provided a test e dition of e -GPA 2.0 to delegations for trial. On 22 July 2016, 
following the trial period  and incorporating further improvements based on comments from 
Parties , the fully working edition of e-GPA 2.0  was made publicly  accessible via the WTO's 
website .21  
2.8.  Version  2.0 of the system adds the following  features to the portal22: an expanded browse 
function, reflecting the seamless integration of the coverage of four new Parties23; a new search 
engine  offering advanced search functions ; further enhancements to the thresholds module; 
integration of a module  to facilitate access via the portal to information published in Parties' 
jurisdictions, such as national legislation, and procurement and award notices; and further 
developmen t of the module which maintains the e -GPA portal up to date with the legal schedules.  
It significantly improves the visibility of the market access opportunities available under the 
revised Agreement, and enhances the accessibility of related  information . 
2.9.  The Committee  hopes that the enhanced portal will facilitate the evaluation by other WTO 
Members not parties to the Agreement of the market access opportunities that the Agreement 
offers, and thus also facilitate accession to the Agreement.  It looks forwar d to further 
improvements to the system  in the coming year, including the development of tools to support 
future coverage and accession negotiations, and to facilitate the circulation of Parties' statistical 
reports and other notifications under the Agreem ent, in cooperation with delegations .  
                                                
19 As the delegation of Switzerland has made clear, the delay in submission of its instrument of 
acceptance is not due to any substantive reservations regarding the content of the revised Agreement; rather, 
it reflects a need for completion of on -going internal legislative procedures to harmonize Swiss  procurement 
legislation at the federal and cantonal levels.  
20 GPA/139, dated 23 June 2016.  
21 See " WTO improves visib ility of government procurement information ", 
https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news16_e/gpro_22jul16_e.htm . The e -GPA portal is accessible via the 
WTO website at the following  link: https://e -gpa.wto.org .  
22 As foreshadowed in the 2015 Annual Report, GPA/134, dated 16 November 2015, paragraph 2.4.  
23 The four new Parties are, respectively, the Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand and  
Ukraine.  GPA/141  
 
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  3  ACCESSIONS  TO THE AGREEMENT  
3.1.  The Committee attaches great importance to its work on currently pending and future 
accessions to the Agreement, which it expects to further enhance both the extent of the market 
access com mitments under, and the systemic relevance of, the Agreement, over time. Significant 
progress was made on this aspect of the Committee's work during the review period. Relevant 
milestones included: (i)  formal completion of the accessions of Ukraine and the Republic of 
Moldova; (ii) the resumption of work and good progress achieved on the accession of the Kyrgyz 
Republic; (ii i) further  constructive discussions and progress on the accessions of Australia and th e 
Republic of Tajikistan; (iv)  continuing  constru ctive dialogue  on China's accession; and (v) the 
formal initiation of work on the accession of the Russian Federation, on application by th at 
delegation.  The following provides additional details regarding these particular accessions . 
3.1  Completion of the Acc essions of Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova  
3.1.1   Ukraine  
3.2.  Ukraine submitted its application for GPA accession on 8  February 2011.24 Following multiple 
discussions in informal session and the review of relevant documentation, the Committee adopted, 
at its forma l meeting on 11 November 2015, a decision on the terms of Ukraine's accession to the 
Agreement  and the negotiation was thus concluded .25 The decision invited  Ukraine to deposit its 
instrument of accession within six months of the date of the adopt ion of the  decision, i.e. by 
11 May 2015.  
3.3.  On 18 April 2016, Ukraine deposited with the Director -General of the WTO its instrument of 
accession.26 Subsequently, the Agreement entered into force for Ukraine on 18 May 2016.  
3.1.2   Republic of Moldova  
3.4.  The Republic of Moldova initially applied for accession to the Agreement in 2002.27 Following 
a period in which work was in abeyance, work on  this accession was revitalised with the circulation 
of the Republic of Moldova's second revised replies to the Checklist of Issues and revi sed coverage 
offer on 13  September  2012.28 Following various discussions in informal session and the review of 
relevant documentation, on 16  September  2015, the Committee adopted a decision on the terms 
of the Republic of Moldova's accession to the Agreemen t and the negotiation was thus concluded .29 
According to the decision, the Republic of Moldova was invited  to submit its instrument of 
accession within six months after the date of the adoption of the decision, i.e. by 16 March 2016.  
3.5.  In February 2016, for reasons related to a change of government in the Republic of Moldova 
and the resulting need for additional time for completion of its Parliamentary review process, the 
Republic of Moldova requested an extension of the previously -agreed period for receipt  of its 
instrument of accession .30 On 17 February 2016, the Committee adopted a decision to extend the 
time-frame for two months, i.e. until 16 June 2016. The forma l decision was circulated on 
19 February 2016.31 Subsequently, o n 14 June 2016, the Republic of Moldova deposited its 
instrument of accession with the Director -General  and the Agreement entered into force for the 
Republic of Moldova on 14  July 2016.32 
3.6.  The Committee, again, warmly welcomes Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova as Parties to 
the Agreement . 
                                                
24 GPA/ACC/UKR/1  and GPA/107 , both dated 9  February 2011.  
25 GPA/133, dated 16 November 2015 . 
26 WT/Let/1 150, dated 27 April 2016.  
27 GPA/63, dated 8 January 2002 . 
28 GPA/ACC/MDA/5 and GPA/ACC/MDA/6, dated 13 September 2012.  
29 GPA/131, dated 21  Septem ber 2015 . 
30 GPA/ACC/MDA/28,  dated 5  February 2016.  
31 GPA/131/Add.1, dated 19 February 2016.  
32 WT/Let/1 169, dated 29 June 2016.  GPA/1 41 
 
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  3.2  Resumption of work and progress achieved on the accession of the Kyrgyz Republic  
3.7.  The accession of the Kyrgyz Republic was initiated in 1999.33 Following a period of minimal 
activity, work on this  accession was resumed in January 2016 with the circulation of the Kyrgyz 
Republic's Law on Public Procurement and a revised and updated coverage offer.34 In the course of 
the Committee's meeting held on 17 February 2016, Parties warmly welcomed the Kyrgyz 
Republic's resumption of work on its accession process and p rovided preliminary comments on the 
revised initial coverage offer. Exchanges between Parties and the Kyrgyz Republic on this offer also 
took place  intersessionally.  
3.8.  The Kyrgyz Republic's second revised offer was circulated on 26 May 2016 and was the 
subje ct of discussion at the Committee's meeting held on 22 June 2016.35 In the course of that 
discussion, Parties, while appreciating the important improvements incorporated in the second 
revised offer, asked for  some further improvements in order to make the o ffer agreeable . Written 
comments on the second revised offer were circulated by several Parties and replies to these 
comments were circulated by the Kyrgyz Republic subsequently.  
3.9.  On 4 October 2016, a proposed final  offer (subject to Parties' agreement) was circulated by 
the Kyrgyz Republic.36 The offer  was discussed at the Committe e's meeting held on 
19 October  2016. In the course of  that discussion, several Parties suggested that, overall, the 
content of the offer was close to being satisfactory taking into  account clarification s that the 
delegation ha d provided in writing and in bilateral meetings. Some also indicated that a limited 
number of further clarifications or modifications might still  be needed.  
3.10.   In regard to its relevant legislation, comments on t he Kyrgyz Republic's Law on Public 
Procurement were circulated by the United States on 20 June 2016  and by the European Union on 
28 July 2016 .37 A draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Public Procurement was circulated by 
the Kyrgyz Republic on 6 October 20 16.38 At the Committee's meetings held on 22 June 2016 and 
19 October 2016, some  Parties mentioned  a possible need for clarification  of certain aspects of the 
legislation before the Kyrgyz Republic's accession could be finalized . 
3.11.   The Committee appreciates s trong engagement of the Kyrgyz Republic , supports its swift 
accession , if possible,  to the GPA and hopes to conclude  work, in principle, on this accession in the 
first half of 2017.  
3.3  Continuing  constructive discussions and progress on the accessions of Aust ralia and 
Tajikistan  
3.3.1    Australia's Accession to the Agreement  
3.12.   Australia applied for accession to the GPA on 2 June 2015.39 Its initial market access offer 
and replies to the Checklist of Issues were circu lated on 8 September 2015 and 
24 September  2015, respe ctively.40 At the Committee's meeting on 16 September 2015, Australia 
introduced its offer and provided background on its public procurement system. It expressed the 
hope of a swift conclusion to work on its accession , for the benefit of the multilateral tr ading 
system and in order to contri bute to its G20 growth targets.  
3.13.   In the course of the Committee's meeting on 17 February 2016, Parties, while reiterating 
their support for a speedy conclusion of this accession in line with Australia's hopes,  also flagged  
concerns regarding aspects of the offer . They asked  Australia to submit a revised offer including  
improvements in particular areas. Some  Parties also indicated that they might seek clarification  
regarding  aspects of Australia's relevant legislation .  
                                                
33 GPA/SPEC/4, dated 19 May 1999.  
34 GPA/ACC/KGZ/2, dated 7 January 2016; and GPA/ACC/KGZ/3, dated 19 January 2016.  
35 GPA/ACC/KGZ/6 , dated 26 May 2016.  
36 GPA/ACC/KGZ/12, dated 4 October 2016.  
37 GPA/ACC/KGZ/9, dated 20 June 2016; and GPA/ACC/KGZ/10, dated 28 July 2016.  
38 GPA/ACC/KGZ/13, dated 6 October 2016.  
39 GPA/129, dated 2 June 2015.  
40 GPA/ACC/AUS/1, 8 September 2015; and GPA/ACC/A US/2, 24 September 2015.  GPA/141  
 
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  3.14.   On 3 0 September 2016, Australia circulated a revised mark et access offer to the 
Committee.41 The offer was discussed  during the Committee's meeting held on 19 October 2016. 
In the course of the discussion, Parties warmly welcomed the active engagement of the Au stralian 
delegation and the improvements contained in the offer, particularly in regard to services 
coverage. Some Parties also voiced outstanding concerns with respect to  particular aspects of the 
offer which, they suggested, would need to be addressed. The Committee appreciate s Australia's 
ambition with respect to the rapid completion of its accession and hopes for a conclusion of work, 
in principle,  on this accession, as early as possible in  2017.  
3.3.2   The Republic of Tajikistan's Accession to the Agreement  
3.15.   Tajikistan applied  for accession to the GPA on 10  Februar y 2015, to honour its commitment 
to initiate GPA accession negotiations, made in the course of its acces sion to the WTO on 
2 March  2013.42 Its initial coverage offer was circulated on 16 February 2015.43 The initial offer 
was the subject of discussions at the Committee's meet ings held on 3 June 2015 and 
16 September  2015. In the course of those discussions, Parties enthusiastically welcomed the offer 
as a basis for discussion and requested that Tajikista n provide clarification on some elements of 
the offer . Exchanges on the offer also took place  between GPA Parties and Tajikistan 
intersessionally.  
3.16.   Tajikistan's first revised market access offer was circulated on 10 February 2016 and 
preliminarily discusse d at the Committee's meeting on 17 February 2016.44 Parties recognized the 
improvements contained in the revised offer while indicating  that outstanding issues remained to 
be addressed. Subsequently, further written  exchanges on the offer took place  between  Tajikist an 
and GPA Parties. Tajikistan's second revised offer was circulated on 20 June 2016 and was 
preliminarily discussed at the Committee's meeting held on 22 June 2016.45 In the course of the 
discussion, Parties, while recognizing the second revised o ffer as a good one in most respects, 
expressed concerns about some elements . Various exchanges on the second revised offer were 
also conducted in writing.  
3.17.   Tajikistan's third revised offer was circulated on 18 October 2016, just prior to  the 
Committee's me eting on 19 October 2016.46 Parties warmly welcomed the third revised offer, as 
well as Tajikistan's answers to questions and comments from Parties , while making clear that more 
time would be needed to assess the documents . Some Parties expressed continuing  concerns 
regard ing a particular  proposed transitional measure . With regard to its relevant legislation and 
government procurement system, Tajikistan's draft Law on Public Procurement was circulated on 
15 September 2015 and its replies to the Checklist of Issues on 12 November 2015.47 Written 
exchanges on the legislation and Tajikistan's  government procurement system have also taken 
place during the reporting period. Overall, the  Committee appreciates Tajikistan's continuous 
engagement in its accession proce ss and hopes that this accession process can also be concluded , 
in principle, as early as possible  in 2017.  
3.4  China's Accession to the Agreement  
3.18.   China applied for accession to the GPA on 28  December 2007 and its initial offer was 
circulated to Parties on 7  January 2008.48 Since then, five further offers have been circulated by 
China, and discussions dedicated to China's accession have taken place on multiple occasions.49 
                                                
41 GPA/ACC/AUS/17, dated 30 September 2016 ; and GPA/ACC/AUS/17 /Corr.1, dated 14  October  2016. 
42 GPA/127, dated 12  February 2015  
43 GPA/ACC/TJK/1, dated 16 February 2015 . 
44 GPA/ACC/TJK/9, dated 10 February 2016.  
45 GPA/ACC/TJK/23, date d 20 June 2016.  
46 GPA/ACC/TJK/ 30, dated 18  October  2016.  
47 GPA/ACC/TJK/7, dated 15 September 2015, and GPA/ACC/TJK/8, dated 12 November 2015.  
48 GPA/93, dated 14  January  2008; and GPA/ACC/CHN/1, dated 7  January  2008.  
49 See Report (2008) of the Committee on Government Procurement to the General Council (GPA/95, 
dated 9  December 2008, paragraph 13); Report (2009) of the Committee on Government Procurement to the 
General Council (G PA/103, dated 12  November 2009, paragraphs 15 -17); Report (20 10) of the Committee  on 
Government Procurement to the General Council (GPA/10 6, dated  9 December  2010, paragraphs 21 -25); 
Report (2011) of the Committee on Government Procurement to the General Council (GPA/1 10, dated  
16 November 2011, paragraphs 10 -13); Report (2012) of the Committee on Government Procurement to the 
General Council (GPA/116, dated 6  December 2012, paragraphs 16 -19); and Report (2013) of the Committee GPA/1 41 
 
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  The Parties to the Agreement have repeatedly stressed the great importance that they attach  to 
China's accession to the Agreement, while also affirming that negotiations can only be concluded 
on the basis that the coverage offer of China is commensurate with that provided by other Parties 
to the Agreement and that China's relevant legislation and procurement system are  brought in line 
with the GPA 's requirements.  
3.19.   With regard to developments during the reporting period,  discussions based on China's fifth 
revised coverage offer  took place during  the Committee's meetings held on 17  February 2016, 
22 June 2016 and 19 October 2016. In the course of these discussions, China, while emphasizing 
the challenges it faces  to further improve its offer, also  reported on its continuing  efforts to 
coordinate with domestic stakeholders and to consult bilaterally w ith relevant GPA Parties , with a 
view to possible eventual improvements . In the course of the Committee's meeting held on 
22 June 2016 , it foreshadowed  that additional entities c ould be included in its next offer , without 
specifying the timing of submissio n. In the course of  these discussions, Parties, while 
acknowledging the significant improvements contained in the fifth revised  offer as compared to the 
previous one, have reiterated that significant gaps remain  between the offer and their expectations 
and requested that  China circulate a further revised offer as soon as possible. Specific written 
comments have also been circulated by delegations50, and updates provided regarding bilateral 
contacts .  
3.20.   As noted also in its 2015 Annual Report, the Committee rem ains of the view that China's 
GPA accession, on the appropriate terms, is a matter of great significance for the Agreement, for 
the WTO, and for the world economy; and a very important signal for other emerging economies. 
It hopes that a further revised of fer will be circulated by China as soon as possible in 2017 and 
that further progress on this accession  will follow . 
3.5  The Initiation of Work on the Russian Federation's Accession to the Agreement  
3.21.   The Russian Federation applied for accessi on to the GPA on 22  August 201651, honouring  its 
commitment to initiate GPA accession negotiations, made in the course of its accession to the WTO 
in 2012 .52 In the course of  the Committee's meeting held on 19 October, the delegation of the 
Russian Federation confirmed its int ention to circulate its initial market access offer by the end of 
2016. 
3.6  Other Pending Accessions  
3.22.   During the reporting period, the Committee also kept under review the status of other 
pending GPA accessions and accession commitments. Apart from the above -mentioned seven 
accessions, four other WTO Members have formally initiated work on their respective accessions to 
the Agre ement: Albania, Georgia, Jordan  and Oman. A further six WTO Members have provisions 
regarding accession to the Agreement in their respec tive Protocols of Accession to the WTO: 
Afghanistan53, Kazakhstan54, Mongolia55, Saudi  Arabia56, Seychelles57 and the former Yugoslav 
                                                                                                                                                  
on Government Procurement to the General Council (GPA/121, dated 24  October 2013, paragraphs 3.9. -
3.13.); Repo rt (2014 ) of the Committee on Government Procurement to the General Council (GPA/12 6, dated 
26 November 2014 , paragraphs 3.14.-3.18.); and Report (2015) of the Committee on Government 
Procurement to the General Council (GPA/134, dated 16 November 2015, par agraphs 3.28. -3.32.) . 
50 Japan - GPA/ACC/CHN/47, dated 7 December 2015; and the European Union - GPA/ACC/CHN/4 8, 
dated 26 May  2016; and  GPA/ACC/CHN/48 /Corr.1, dated 14 June 2016.  
51 GPA/140, dated 22 August 2016.  
52 WT/ACC/RUS/70, dated 17  November 2011, para graph 1143: " The representative of the Russian 
Federation confirmed the intention of the Russian Federation to join the WTO Agreement on Government 
Procurement and to notify the Committee on Government Procurement to this effect at the time of accession of  
the Russian Federation to the WTO and to ensure that from the date of accession, its government agencies 
would award contracts in a transparent manner according to published laws, regulations and guidelines. He 
also confirmed that the Russian Federation w ould request observership in the WTO Agreement on Government 
Procurement at the time of its accession to the WTO and would initiate negotiations for membership in the 
WTO Agreement on Government Procurement by tabling an Appendix 1 offer within four years of accession. He 
confirmed that, if the results of the negotiations were satisfactory to the interests of the Russian Federation 
and the other Members of the Agreement, the Russian Federation would accede to that Agreement. The 
Working Party took note of t hese commitments. " 
53 WT/ACC/AFG/36, dated 13 November 2015, paragraph 199: "The representative of Afghanistan 
confirmed Afghanistan's willingness to accede to the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement. 
Afghanistan would become an observer to the Agreemen t upon accession, and submit an application for GPA/141  
 
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  Republic of Macedonia.58 In the course of the Committee's meeting held on 22 June 2016 , the 
former Yugoslav Republic of Macedoni a said that it intended to initiate negotiations regarding its 
accession to the Agreement  by submitting an initial market access offer and replies to the 
Checklist of Issues in the first half of 2017.  
3.23.   The Committee notes that some (not all) of the commitm ents mentioned have been 
outstanding for a considerable period, and hopes to see an acceleration of work toward their 
fulfilment in 2017. Technical assistance to support such work is available, where appropriate, from 
the WTO Secretariat, individual GPA Pa rties, regional donors and other sources. Relevant Members 
are invited and encouraged to seek such assistance.  
3.7  Secretariat technical assistance and other activities relevant to GPA accessions  
3.24.   Pursuant to a standing request by the Committee59, the Secretari at, in the course of the 
Committee's meetings held in  February,  June and  October 2016, provided brief reports on its 
ongoing technical assistance activities relevant to GPA accessions. These consisted of four regional 
workshops, seven national seminars, an d a number of Geneva -based and other related activities.  
3.25.   The GPA regional workshops were organised , respectively , for the benefit of: (i)  Caribbean 
countries, held in Barbados, in May -June 2016, in cooperation  with CARICOM Secretariat; 
(ii) English -speaki ng African countries, held in Windhoek, Namibia, in September 2016, with the 
participation of the African Development Bank; (iii) Arab and Middle East (AMEC) countries, held in 
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in October 2016, in cooperation with the Europ ean Bank for 
Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF); and (iv) Central and 
Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus (CEECAC) countries, held in Vienna, Austria, in 
November 2016, in cooperation with EBRD and the Joint Vi enna Institute (JVI).  
3.26.   The GPA national seminars were organised , respectively , for and at the request of: 
Tajikistan, held in December 2015; Ukraine, held in February 2016; Montenegro, held in May 
2016; Georgia, also held in May 2016; the Russian Federation , held in June 2016; China, held in 
August 2016; and Kazakhstan, held in November 2016. Where appropriate , the activities were 
                                                                                                                                                  
membership with a coverage offer after accession to the WTO. He indicated that Afghanistan would consider 
initiation of negotiations on joining the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement within one year from  the 
date of accession to the WTO. The Working Party took note of these commitments."  
54 WT/ACC/KAZ/93, dated 23 June 2015, paragraph 949: " The representative of Kazakhstan confirmed 
the inte ntion of Kazakhstan to join the WTO Agreement on Government Procur ement and to notify the WTO 
Committee on Government  Procurement to this effect at the time of accession of Kazakhstan to the WTO and 
to ensure that  from the date of accession, its Government agencies would award contracts in a transparent  
manner according to published laws, regulations and guidelines. She also confirmed that  Kazakhstan would 
request the status of an "observer" in the WTO Agreement on Government  Procurement at the time of its 
accession to the WTO and would initiate negotiations for  membershi p in the WTO Agreement on Government 
Procurement by tabling an Appendix 1 offer  within four years after accession. She confirmed that, if the results 
of the negotiations were  satisfactory to the interests of Kazakhstan and the other Membe rs of the Agreemen t, 
Kazakhstan would accede to that Agreement. The Working Party took note of these commitments. " 
55 WT/ACC/MNG/9, dated 27  June 1996, para graph  59: "The representative of Mongolia confirmed that 
his Government would seek observer status in the Committee for  the Agreement on Government Procurement 
at the time of its accession with a view to initiating negotiations for membership thereafter. The Working Party 
took note of this commitment."  
56 WT/ACC/SAU/61, dated 1  November 2005, paragraph 231: "The representat ive of Saudi Arabia 
confirmed that, upon accession to the WTO, Saudi Arabia would initiate negotiations for membership in the 
Agreement on Government Procurement by tabling an entity offer. He also confirmed that, if the results of the 
negotiations were sa tisfactory to the interests of Saudi Arabia and the other parties to the Agreement, Saudi 
Arabia would complete negotiations for membership in the Agreement within a year of accession. The Working 
Party took note of these commitments."  
57 WT/ACC/ SYC/64 , dat ed 5 November 2014, paragraph  322: "The representative of Seychelles  
confirmed that, within one year from the date of accession, Seychelles would initiate negotiations  to accede to 
the WTO Agreem ent on Government Procurement. The Working Party took note of  this commitment ." 
58 WT/ACC/807/27, dated 26 September  2002, paragraph  177: "The representative of FYROM confirmed 
that, upon accession to the WTO, the Government of FYROM would initiate neg otiations for membership in the 
Agreement on Government Procuremen t by tabling an entity offer. He also confirmed that, if the results of the 
negotiations were satisfactory to the interests of FYROM and the other members of the Agreement, FYROM 
would complete negotiations for membership in the Agreement within two years of accession. The Working 
Party took note of these commitments."  
59 GPA/106, dated 9  December 2010, paragraph 30.  GPA/1 41 
 
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  organised in cooperation with – or with the participation of experts from – other agencies or, in 
some cases, GPA Parties. These included: the Commercial Law Development Programme (CLDP) of 
the US Department of Commerce (in the Ukraine and Georgia activities); EBRD (in all of the above 
activities except for China and the Russian Federation); and the EU and USAID (in the Georgia 
activity).  
3.27.   In addition, t he Secretariat participated as  a cooperating partner in three separate Capacity -
Building Workshops organised in Geneva by EBRD under the latter's GPA Technical Cooperation 
Facility60, for the benefit of GPA acceding Members and observe rs from the EBRD's area of 
operations. These activities were organised during the Committee's meeting weeks in February, 
June and October 2016, in order to assist  officials participating , on behalf of their governments,  in 
GPA accession negotiations and/or to provide practical expos ure to the Committee meetings. 
Beyond the foregoing activities, Secretariat experts also participated, by invitation, in a number of 
relevant activities organised by national authorities or other international organisations.61 These 
activities similarly provide  opportunities for the Secretariat to inform participants of the potential 
benefits of GPA participation in addition to related challenges and  developments of interest, while 
simultaneously opening avenues for possible future  cooperation.  
3.28.   The Committee notes the importance of the Secretariat's technical assistance activities in 
promoting a better understanding of the GPA among WTO Members that are not yet Parties to the 
Agreement, and in facilitating accessions to and post -accession implementation of the Agreement. 
It appreciates the role that EBRD has played in supporting work on GPA accession by countries 
within its area of operations . It encourages the Secretariat to intensify its work in this area 
pursuant to the mandate endorsed  by Ministers  in 2011 and 201362, while deepening its existing 
partnerships and exploring avenues for further cooperation with other agencies where  possible  and 
appropriate . 
4  THE COMMITTEE'S AGREED WORK PROGRAMMES  
4.1.  Significant work was done by the Comm ittee during the review period in relation to its agreed  
Work Programmes .63 The Work Programmes are intended, broadly, to: (i) promote transparency 
with respect to Parties' implementation of the Agreement; (ii) facilitate , where relevant, 
improvements in  the administration of the Agreement; and (iii) contribute, where appropriate, to 
preparations for the future negotiations that are called  for in Article XXII:7 of the revised GPA. 
Activity focused, during the year,  on the Work Programmes  dealing with: (i) ac cess to government 
procurement  activities by small and medium -sized enterprises  (SMEs) ; (ii) the collection and 
reporting of statistical data; (iii) the promotion of sustainability in Parties' procurement processes; 
and (iv) exclusion s and restrictions in Parties' A nnexes .  
4.2.  Further to the above :  
 In regard to the Work Programme on SMEs , Paragraph 3.2 of the relevant Decision64 
provides  that the Committee shall survey the Parties, through the use of a Questionnaire 
seeking information  regarding the measures a nd policies used to assist, promote, 
encourage, or facilitate participation by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in 
government procurement.  The terms of the Questionnaire were agreed in 2015. 
                                                
60 A facility set up by EBRD to provided support for capacity building for countries in its area of 
operation contemplating, preparing for or ac ceding to the Agreement – see GPA/126 and GPA/126/Corr.1, 
dated 26 November 2014, para. 3.31.  
61 These included: (i)  a CEECAC e -Procurement Forum on Enhancing Public Spending, in Vienna, Austria 
in December 2015, organised by the World Bank and EBRD; (ii) a n International Workshop on Public 
Procurement, together with the Korea Public Procurement Expo 2016, in Seoul, Korea in March 2016, organised 
by Korea Public Procurement Service (KPPS) in cooperation with the International Trade Centre (ITC); (iii) a 
Training Course on Government Procurement Negotiations in Bangkok, Thailand in May 2016, organised by the 
United Nations Economic and Social Council for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP); (iv) two national seminars 
organised by EBRD and held, respectively, for Uk raine in June 2016 and the Republic of Moldova in September 
2016; and (v) a regional e -Government Procurement Conference in Seoul, Korea, organised by the Asian 
Development Bank within the framework of the Asia -Pacific e -Procurement Network (APEN).  
62 GPA/1 12, dated 16  December 2011, paragraph 8; GPA/122, dated 3  December 2013, paragraph 5.  
63 See Annexes C, D, E, F and G of Appendix 2 of the Committee's Decision of 30  March 2012 on the 
Outcomes of the Negotiations  (GPA/113, dated 2 April 2012 ). 
64 See GPA/113 , Annex C  of Appendix 2, 439 -441.  GPA/141  
 
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  Altogether, replies to the SME Question naire have now  been received from 16  Parties  
(Armenia; Canada; t he European Union; Hong Kong, China; Israel; Japan; Korea; 
Liechtenstein; Montenegro; New Zealand; Norway; Singapore; Switzerland; Chinese 
Taipei; Ukraine  and t he United States) . An initial compilation of 13 inputs received 
pursuant to this Work P rogramme was circulated by the Secretariat on 
10 February  2016, and an updated compilation with the additional submissions was 
circulated on 3 October 2016.   
 Carrying forward the work on this Work Programme , in the cou rse of the Committee's 
meetings  on 17 February 2016, Parties agreed to carry out an initial exchange of follow -
up questions and answers . Subsequently, written questions were circulated by three 
Parties (Canada, the Europe an Union and the United States)  and written answers 
provided  by 11 Parties (Armenia; Canada; the European Union; Hong Kong, China; 
Japan; Montenegro; New Zealand ; Singapore; Switzerland; Chinese Taipei and the 
United States). At the request of the Committee, a compilation of the questions a nd 
answers  received, together with a short paper identifying possible SME -related issues for 
discussion by Parties in an informal, small group format , were circulated by the 
Secretariat in October 2016.  
 As regards the Work Programme on Sustainability in i nternational procurement , 
Paragraph 2 of the relevant Decision65 mandates  the Committee to examine topics that 
include: (i) the objectives of sustainable procurement; (ii) the ways in which the concept 
of sustainable procurement is integrated into national and sub national procurement 
policies; and (iii) how sustainable procurement can be practised in a manner consistent 
with the principle of "best value for money", and with the Parties' international trade 
obligations.  Inputs describing relevant policies, o bjectives and legislation have been 
provided by Canada, the European Union, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, Ukraine and 
the United States.  Related proposal s to advance the discussions have  been circulated at 
various points by Canada, most recently on 15 November  2016, and a supportive note 
provided by New Zealand. A compilation of all submissions received was circulated by 
the Secretar iat on 12  October 2016.  
 Regarding the Work Programme on Collection and Reporting of Statistical Data, 
relevant inputs  have been received from 11 Parties  (Canada;  the European Union; 
Hong Kong,  China; Japan; Liechtenstein; New Zealand; Norway; Singapore; 
Switzerland; Chinese Taipei  and t he United States) . Ten of these submissions were 
reflected in a compilation of inputs that w as circulated by the Secretariat on 
16 February  2016.  
 Concerning the Work Programme on Exclusions and Restrictions in P arties' 
Annexes , 14 Parties have provided lists of country -specific and other exclusions or 
restrictions in their Annexes ( Armenia; Cana da; the European Union; Hong Kong, China; 
Israel; Japan; Korea; Liechtenstein;  New Zealand;  Norway;  Singapore;  Switzerland;  
Chinese Taipei and the United States). A compilation reflecting 11 of the inputs was 
circulated by th e Secretariat on 6 January 2016 . An updated version of this compilation 
covering three additional inputs that have been received subsequent to circulation of the 
initial version will be circulated shortly.  
4.3.  The Committee considers that the work described above has been useful in enhancin g 
transparency and as a contribution to preparations for the further review of the Agreement which 
is called for in Article XXII:7 of the revised Agreement . It looks forwa rd to further engagement, 
where appropriate, on these Work Programmes in 2017 . Other Work Programmes foreseen at the 
conclusion of the GPA renegotiation in 2012, for example on Safety Standards, Public -Private 
Partnerships, Common Nomenclature for Goods and Services, and Standardized Notices66, will be 
taken up as and when the Committee con siders this to be useful and timely.  
4.4.  Concerning the review called for in paragraph 6 of the Decision establishing th e Work 
Programme  on Exclusions and Restrictions in Parties' Annexes , the Committee considers that the 
exchange of information already conduc ted pursuant to this Work Programme has been 
                                                
65 See GPA/113, Annex E of Appendix 2, page 444.   
66 See GPA/113, Annex G, and GPA/113, Annex B, respectively.  GPA/1 41 
 
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  useful.  Parties that have not yet provided their relevant inputs to the Work Programme, including 
recently acceded Parties, are cordially requested to do so. Parties desiring additional information 
concerning an y Parti es' exclusions and restrictions may so request under the terms of paragraph 4 
of the same Decision, or pursuant to their general rights as Parties to the Agreement . 
5  IMPLEMENTATION OF TH E AGREEMENT AND NOTI FICATIONS  
5.1.  This part of the report considers issues related to the implementation of the GPA and related 
notifications , including  with respect to : (i) the thresholds  applicable under the Agreement ; (ii) the 
notification and review of national implementing legislation; ( iii) statistical reporting; 
(iv) consultations and dispute settlement; and (v) modifications to t he Agreement's Appendices.  
5.1  Thresholds  
5.2.  In accordance with the Decision on Modalities for Notifying Threshold Figures in National 
Currencies67, since the last A nnual Report, Armenia; Canada; th e European Union; 
Hong Kong,  China; Israel; Japan;  Korea; Singapore; Switzerland;  Chinese Taipei and the United 
States  have provided information on their respective threshold figures expressed in national 
currencies for 201 6-2017.68 Chinese Taipei and Icela nd have provided the relevant information for 
the period 2017 -2018.69 
5.2  Notification and review of national implementing legislation  
5.3.  Pursuant to Article  XXIV:5(b) of the 1994 Agreement  and Article XXII:5 of the r evised 
Agreement , notifications were received f rom Canada70, Japan71 and Ukraine .72 
5.4.  On 2 June 2016, the  Republic of Armenia circulated to the Committee, informally,  its draft 
revised Law on Procurement, inviting  comments from GPA Parties. Comments were received from 
the European Union and the United State s. Subsequentl y, Armenia replied to the questi ons and 
comments received.  
5.5.  In the course of the Committee's informal sessions held on 19 October, Armenia provided 
additional  information relating to  the review and expected adoption of the draft legislation that it 
had circulated . The delegation responded to a question raised by a delegation, confirming that a 
price preference under the legislation for suppliers from the Eurasian Economic Union would be 
applied only below the GPA thresholds. On behalf of the Co mmittee, the Chairman  express ed his 
appreciation to Armenia for the transparency and consultative spirit that it has shown in this 
matter.  
5.3  Statistical  reporting  
5.6.  Article  XIX:5 of the 1994 Agreement and Article XVI:4 of the revised GPA require Parties to 
collect and provide, on an annual basis, statistics on their procurements covered by the 
Agreement. During the period under review, Armenia provided its reports for 2014 and 201573; 
Canada provided its report for 201374; the European Union provided its report f or 201275; 
                                                
67 GPA/1, dated 5  March  1996, Annex  3. 
68 Hong Kong, China - GPA/W/336, dated 9 December 2015; Armenia – GPA/W/336 /Add.1, dated 
10 December 2015; the United States - GPA/W/336/Add.2, dated 6 January 2016; Switzerland - 
GPA/W/336/Add.3, dated 6 January 2016; Singapore - GPA/W/336/Add.4, dated 19 January 2016; Canada - 
GPA/W/336/Add.5, dated 19 January 2016; Korea - GPA/W/336/Add.6, dated 29 January 2016; Japan - 
GPA/W/336/Add.7, dated 4 February 2016; Israel - GPA/W/336/Add.8, dated 15 February 2016; and the 
European Union - GPA/W/336/Add.9, dated 1 March 2016 . 
69 Chinese Taipei – GPA/W/336/Add.10, dated 15 November 2016 ; and Iceland – GPA/W/336/Add.11,  
dated 21 November 2016 . 
70 GPA/136, dated 31 March 2016.  
71 GPA/37/Add.13 , dated 14 July 2016.  
72 GPA/138, dated  21 June 2016.  
73 GPA/130/Add.5, dated 18 May 2016 - Statistics for 2014  reported under Article XVI:4 of the revis ed 
Agreement; and GPA/137, dated 18 May 2016 - Statistics for 2015  reported under Article XVI:4 of the revised 
Agreement.  
74 GPA/123/Add.6, dated 12 February 2016 - Statistics for 201 3 reported under Article XIX:5 of the 
1994 Agreement . GPA/141  
 
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  Hong Kong, China provided its report for 201576; Japan provided its report for 201 477; 
Liechtenstein provided its report for 201 578; Singapore provi ded its reports for 2011, 2012, 2013 
and 201479; Switzerland  provided its report for 201580; Chinese Ta ipei provided its report for 
201581; and the United States provided its report s for 2009 and  2010.82 
5.4  Consultations and dispute settlement  
5.7.  No matters were raised during the reporting period under Article  XXII of the 1994 Agreement 
or Article XX of the revised  Agreement (Consultations and Dispute Settlement).  
5.5  Notifications relating to the Appendices to the Agreement83 
5.5.1   Modifications to Appendix I that have been certified since the Committee's 
meeting of 11 November 2015 
5.8.  During the reporting period, the following proposed modifications have been certified:  
5.5.1.1   Modifications to Appendix I under the revised GPA  
a. Modifications by  the European Union : 
 GPA/13384, effective as of 1 8 May 201685, given that this was the date of accession 
of Ukraine  to the revised Agreement.  
 GPA/1 3186, effective as of 1 4 July 201 687, given that this was the date of accession 
of the Republic of Moldova  to the revised Agreement.  
b. Modifications by Hong Kong, China:  
 GPA/MOD/HKG/888, effective as of 12 March 201689, given that no objections were 
made within 4 5 days (the period for objections specified in the revised Agreement).  
                                                                                                                                                  
75 GPA/119/Add.6, dat ed 6 June 2016 - Statistics for 201 2 reported under Article XIX:5 of the 1994 
Agreement . 
76 GPA/137/Add.3 , dated 26 August 2016 - Statistics for 2015  reported under Article XVI:4 of the 
revised Agreement.  
77 GPA/1 30/Add. 6, dated 13 October 2016 - Statistics for 201 4 reported under Article XVI:4 of the 
revised Agreement.  
78 GPA/137/Add.4, dated 8 November 2016 - Statistics for 2015  reported under Article XVI:4 of the 
revised Agreement.  
79 GPA/114/Add.7, dated 1 February 2016 - Statistics for 201 1 reported under Article XIX:5 of the 1994 
Agreement ; GPA/119/Add.5, dated 1 February 2016 - Statistics for 201 2 reported under Article XIX:5 of the 
1994 Agreement ; GPA/123/Add.5, dated 1  February  2016 - Statistics for 201 3 reported under Article XIX:5 of 
the 1994 Agreemen t; GPA/130/Add.4, dated 1 February 2016 - Statistics for 201 4 reported under Article XVI:4 
of the revised Agreement.  
80 GPA/1 37/Add.2 , dated 9 August 2016 - Statistics for 201 5 reported under Article XIX:5 of the 1994 
Agreement; and GPA/1 30/Add.1 /Corr.1, da ted 27 September 2016 – Corrigendum to the Statistics for 2014  
reported under Article XIX:5 of the 1994 Agreement.  
81 GPA/137/Add.1, dated 27 May 2016 - Statistics for 2015  reported under Article XVI:4 of the revised 
Agreement.  
82 GPA/104/Add.8, dated 7 Dece mber 2015 – Statistics for 2009 reported under Article XIX:5 of the 
1994 Agreement; GPA/108/Add.9 , dated 13 September 2016  - Statistics for 201 0 reported under Article XIX:5 
of the 1994 Agreement.  
83 See also GPA/W/326, dated 19  March 2014 - Committee on Go vernment Procurement - Approval and 
issuance of updated loose -leaf schedules to the revised Agreement - Note from the Secretariat; and 
GPA/W/327, dated 11  April 2014 - Committee on Government Procurement - Certification of updated loose -leaf 
schedules to t he revised Agreement - Appendices II -IV - Note from the Secretariat . 
84 Decision of 11 November 2015 of the Committee on Government Procurement regarding Ukraine's 
accession to the GPA, including the European Union terms of Ukraine's accession, dated 16  November  2015.  
85 WT/Let/1184, dated 4 August 2016.  
86 Decision of 16 September 2015 of the Committee on Government Procurement regarding the Republic 
of Moldova's accession to the GPA, including the European Union terms of the Republic of Moldova's accession, 
dated 21 September 2015.  
87 WT/Let/1184, dated 4 August 2016.  GPA/1 41 
 
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  c. Modifications by  Japan : 
 GPA/MOD/JPN/78 90, effective as of 23  January  201691, given that no objection s were 
made within 45 days (the period for objections specified in the revised Agreeme nt). 
 GPA/MOD/ JPN/8092, effective as of 13 August 201693, given that no objections were 
made within 45 days (the period for objections specified in the revised Agreement).  
 GPA/MOD/JPN/8294, effective as of 6 November 201695, given that no Party invoked 
the arbi tration procedures adopted by the Committee on 22 June 201696 within the 
time-period for invoking the procedures pursuant to Article XIX :7 of the revised GPA 
(120 days ) and that Japan ha ve notified the Committee of its intention to implement 
the proposed mo difications on 2 November 2016.97  
d. Modifications by the Republic of Korea : 
 GPA/MOD/KOR/1998, effective as of 8 May 201699, given that no objections were 
made within 45 days (the period for objections specified in the revised Agreement).  
e. Modifications by Monte negro : 
 GPA/MOD/MNE/1100, effective as of 13 December 2015101, given that no objections 
were made within 45 days (the period for objections specified in the revised 
Agreement).  
f. Modifications by New Zealand : 
 GPA/MOD/ NZL/2102, effective as of 2 5 September 201 6103, given that no objections 
were made within 45 days (the period for objections specified in the revised 
Agreement).  
                                                                                                                                                  
88 Proposed modifications to Appendix I of Hong Kong, China pursuant to Article XI X:1 of the revised 
GPA, dated 27 January 2016.  
89 WT/Let/1137, dated 17 March 2016.  
90 Proposed modifications to App endix I of Japan pursuant to Article XIX:1 of the revised GPA , dated 
9 December 2015.  This notification replaced and withdrew Japan's proposed modifications circulated in 
GPA/MOD/JPN/76, dated 27 May 2015.  
91 WT/Let/1131, dated 29 January 2016.  
92 Proposed m odification s to Appendix I of Japan  pursuant to Article XI X:1 of the revised GPA , dated 
29 June 2016. 
93 WT/Let/ 1191, dated 31 August 2016. 
94 Proposed modification s to Appendix I of Japan  pursuant to Article XI X:1 of the revised GPA , dated 
29 June 2016. Pursuant to Article XIX:2 of the revised GPA , objections to the proposed modification s were 
received from the European Union (GPA/MOD/JPN/88 , dated  28 July 2016) and the United States 
(GPA/MOD/JPN/91 , dated  8 August 2016).  
95 WT/Let/ 1210, dated 22 November 201 6. Pursuant to Article XIX:7(a)(i) of the revised GPA , where no 
Party has invoked the Committee's arbitration procedures (GPA/139 , dated 23 June 2016) within the time -
period of 120 days of circulation of the notification of the proposed modification s (i.e. 29 June 2016), 
notwithstanding Article XIX :5(c) of the revised GPA , the proposed modification s shall become effective where 
130 days from the date of circulation of the notification of the proposed modification s have elapsed, and the 
modifying Party has i nformed the Committee in writing of its intention to implement the modification s. 
96 GPA/139 , dated  23 June 2016 . 
97 GPA/MOD/JPN/95 , dated  2 November 2016 . 
98 Proposed modification s to Appendix I of Korea  pursuant to Article XI X:1 of the revised GPA  
(modifica tions to create Korea's  loose-leaf schedules under  the revised Agreement), dated 24  March  2016. 
99 WT/Let/1162, dated 24 May 2016.  
100 Proposed modifications to Appendix I of Montenegro pursuant to Article XI X:1 of the revised GPA  
(modifications to create Montenegro's  loose-leaf schedules under  the revised Agreement), dated 
29 October  2015. 
101 WT/Let/1120, dated 13 January 2016 . 
102 Proposed modifications to Appendix I of New Zealand  pursuant to Article XI X:1 of the revised GPA , 
dated 11 August  2016. 
103 WT/Let/120 0, dated 14 October  2016. GPA/141  
 
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  5.5.1.2   Modifications to Appendix I under the 1994 GPA  
a. Modifications by Hong Kong, China : 
 GPA/MOD/HKG/7104, effective as of 26 February 2016105, given that no objections 
were made within 30 days. 
b. Modifications by Japan : 
 GPA/MOD/JPN/79106, effective as of 28 July 2016107, given that no objections were 
made within 30 days. 
 GPA/MOD/JPN/81108, effective as of 29 July 2016109, given that no objections were 
made within 30 days. 
5.5.2   Proposed modifications to Appendix I that remain outstanding  
5.9.  As to outstanding proposed modifications, the following developments  have taken place 
during the reporting period:  
5.5.2.1   Modifications to Appendix I under the revised GPA  
a. Modifications by New Zea land: 
 In November 2016 , New Zealand submitted proposed modifications to its Appendix I 
pursuant to Article XIX :1 of the revised Agreement.110 The end of the objection 
period will be on  11 December 2016 . 
b. Modifi cations by Singapore : 
 In November 2016 , Singapore  submitted proposed modifications to its Appendix I 
pursuant to Article XIX :1 of the revised Agreement.111 The end of the objection 
period will be on  17 December 2016 .  
5.5.2.2   Modifications to Appendix I under the 1994 GPA  
a. Notifications by Singapore : 
 In November 20 16, Singapore submitted proposed modifications to its  Appendix I 
pursuant to XXIV:6(a) of the 1994 Agreement.112 The end of the objection period will 
be on  2 December 2016 . 
There were no other developments during the reporting period regarding outstanding pr oposed 
modifications to Appendix I under the 1994 Agreement.113 
                                                
104 Proposed modifications to Appendix I of Hong Kong, China under pursuant to XXIV:6 (a) of the 1994 
GPA, dated 27 January 2016.  
105 WT/Let/1135, dated 17 March 2016.  
106 Proposed modifications to Appendix I of Japan under pursuant to XXIV:6 (a) of the 1994 GPA, dated 
28 June 2016.  
107 WT/Let/1189, dated 22 August 2016.  
108 Proposed modifications to Appendix I of Japan under pursuant to XXIV:6 (a) of the 1994 GPA, dated 
29 June 2016.  
109 WT/Let/1190, dated 22 August 2016.  
110 GPA/MOD/ NZL/3 , dated 27 October 2016 - Proposed modifications to Appendix I of New Zealand 
pursuant to Article XI X:1 of the revised GPA.  
111 GPA/MOD/ SGP/5 , dated 2 November 2016 - Proposed modifications to Appendix I of Singapore 
pursuant to Article XI X:1 of the revised GPA.  
112 GPA/MOD/ SGP/4 , dated 2 November 2016 - Proposed modifications to Appendix I of Singapore 
pursuant to Article XXIV:6(a) of the 1994 GPA . GPA/1 41 
 
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  5.5.3   Notifications of Appendices II to IV of the Agreement  
During the reporting period , Canada114, Israel115, Ukraine116 and the United States117 notified 
modifications to their Appendices II to IV.  
 
_______ ___ 
                                                                                                                                                  
113 A list of o utstanding proposed modifications to Appendix I under the 1994 Agreement from 2015 and 
previous years is pro vided  in GPA/134, dated 16 November 2015, paragraph 5.9.  
114 GPA/MOD/ CAN/14, dated 1 September  2016. Effective as of 29 August 2016 (Let document to be 
issued).  
115 GPA/MOD/ISR/14, dated 10 March 2016. Effective as of 29 February 2016, WT/Let/1140, dated 
29 March 2016.  
116 GPA/MOD/UKR/1, dated 16 June 2016. Effective as of 16 June 2016, WT/Let/1174, dated 
5 July 2016.  
117 GPA/MOD/US A/16, dated 11 March 2016. Effective as of 2 Ma rch 2016, WT/Let/1141, dated 
29 March 2016.