S/CSC/20  
 
17 November 2014  
(14-6737)  Page: 1/2  
   
 
 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS 
TO THE COUNCIL FOR TRAD E IN SERVICES (2014) 
 
Since its Annual Report of 2013 to the Council for Trade in Services1, the Committee on Specific 
Commitments (CSC) held four formal meetings, respectively on 29 October 2013, 25 February 2014, 7 May 2014, and 18 September 2014.
2 During the period covered by this 
report, the Committee addressed two items: classification issues and scheduling issues.  
1  CLASSIFICATION ISSUES  1.1.  During the reporting period, the Committee examined classification issues relevant to 
education, health, tourism and recreational services. As in the previous two years, in order to 
facilitate exchange of view, discussions were carried out in informal mode, and an informal, non-
attributable summary of the discussion was circul ated to Members after each meeting under the 
Chairperson's responsibility. To stimulate discussi ons, for each sector under examination, the 
Secretariat prepared an informal Note providing an overview of relevant classification issues and 
suggesting specific questions for Members' consideration.
3  
1.2.  Thus, the Committee concluded the sectoral ex amination of classification issues, an exercise 
that had started in late 2011 and was focused on the challenges facing the GATS classification 
system (W/120 + CPC Provisional) as a result of dramatic technological and commercial developments over the past two decades. Upon  the request of the Committee, the Secretariat 
compiled the 40 relevant documents produced in the exercise and was circulated to Members on 
14 March 2014.
4  
1.3.  Building upon the sectoral discussion on classification issues, the Committee started to 
consider the issue of "new services" at the meeting on 18 September 2014. As a starting point, 
upon the request of the Committee, the Secretariat prepared an illustrative list of services 
identified in previous discussions as not being explicitly referred to in document W/120.5 The 
Secretariat Note also provides a brief background  on the issue of "new services" and suggests a 
number of general questions for consideration. Di vergent views were expressed at the meeting on 
a number of issues such as: whether there existed "new services", whether a definition of "new 
services" was needed, and the implications of "n ew services" for existing commitments. It was 
agreed that the Chairman of the Committee would hold consultations on how to proceed with 
further discussions on the issue of "new services".  
1.4.  At the meeting on 29 October 2013, the dele gation of Brazil made a presentation regarding 
SISCOSERV, an online system developed by Brazil's Ministry of Development, Industry and Trade 
(MDIC), which kept track of services transact ions between residents and non-residents. It 
consisted of a statistical database aimed to guide po licy making and evaluation of services trade as 
well as a services classification system.  
                                               
1 S/CSC/19, dated 29 October 2013. 
2 The reports of the formal  meetings are contained in documents S/CSC/M/68-71, and should be read in 
conjunction with this report. 
3 The relevant Secretariat Notes are contained in documents JOB/SERV/158-160. 
4 The compilation is contained in document JOB/SERV/180. 
5 The illustrative list is contained in document JOB/SERV/189. S/CSC/20 
 
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  2  SCHEDULING ISSUES 
2.1.  There was no substantive discussion under this item during the reporting period.   
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