. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  S/WPDR/9 
20 November 2006 
 (06-5585) 
  
 
 
 
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE WORKING PARTY ON DOMESTIC REGULATION  
TO THE COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN SERVICES (2006) 
 
 
1. Since the Annual Report of 20051, the Working Party on Domestic Regulation (WPDR) held 
five formal meetings and several informal meetings2.  Both formal and informal papers were 
submitted to the Working Party.  Some Members also submitted proposals in the form of room 
documents. 
2. In October and November 2005, the Working Part y held several meetings to prepare a draft 
ministerial text and an illustrative list of possible el ements for consideration by Ministers at the Sixth 
Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong, China.  On 15 November 2005, the Chairman of the Working 
Party submitted a progress report (JOB(05)/280) to the Chairman of the Special Session of the 
Council for Trade in Services including a recommended text on domestic regulation (JOB(05)/279) 
and an illustrative list of possible elements for Ar ticle VI:4 disciplines (attached to JOB(05)/280). 
DEVELOPMENT OF REGULATORY DISCIPLINES UNDER GATS ARTICLE VI:4 
3. In the period covered by this report, the Wo rking Party received several submissions by 
Members on the development of regulatory disci plines under GATS Article VI:4.  Many new and 
revised submissions were formulated in the form of  text proposals for possible Article VI:4 regulatory 
disciplines.  After the Sixth Ministerial Conference, Members strived to fulfil the ministerial mandate to develop Article VI:4 disciplines on domestic re gulation before the end of the current round of 
negotiations and to develop text for adoption for this purpose. 
4. The Working Party held several rounds of info rmal discussions to address on an individual as 
well as a thematic basis
3 all the proposals submitted by Members.4  The Working Party examined the 
following new and revised submissions relating to the development of Article VI:4 disciplines: 
Communication from the Separate Customs Territo ry of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, 
Definitions of Qualification Requirements , Qualification Procedures, Licensing 
Requirements, Licensing Proce dures and Technical Standards , S/WPDR/W/37, 
6 October 2005; 
Communication from Switzerland and Mexico, Proposal for Disciplines on Technical 
Standards in Services , S/WPDR/W/32/Rev.1, 27 October 2005; 
                                                      
1 S/WPDR/8, 23 September 2005. 
2 Reports of these meetings are contained in documents S/WPDR/M/31 – 35.  They should be read in 
conjunction with this report. 
3 The thematic discussions were based on a fr amework proposed by the Chairman in document 
JOB(05)/169. 
4 See summaries of informal meetings held on 6 and 7 September 2005 (JOB(05)/221); on 20 and 
23 September 2005 (JOB(05)/223);  on 7 October 2005 (JOB(05)/308);  on 17 January 2006 (JOB(06)/16);  on 
6 February 2006 (JOB(06)/32);  on 9 March 2006 (JOB(06)/65);  on 27 March (JOB(06)/124);  on 2 May 2006 
(JOB(06)/157);  on 1 and 2 June 2006 (JOB(06)/226);  and on 19 and 20 June 2006 (JOB(06)/235). S/WPDR/9 
Page 2 
 
 
  Communication from Brazil, Colombia, Domini can Republic, Indonesia, Peru and the 
Philippines, Elements for Draft Disciplines on Domestic Regulation , JOB(06)/34, 
24 February 2006 and JOB(06) /34/Add.1, 15 June 2006; 
Communication from Brazil, Indonesia and the Philippines, JOB(06)/133, 2 May 2006 and 
JOB(06)/133/Add.1, 15 June 2006; 
 
Communication From the African Group on Domestic Regulation, Room Document, 
2 May 2006;  
Communication from Chile, India, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru and Thailand, Proposed 
Disciplines on Qualification Requirements and Procedures , JOB(06)/160, 30 May 2006; 
 
Communication From the ACP Group, Pro Development Principles for GATS Article VI:4 
Negotiations , JOB(06)/136/Rev.1, 19 June 2006; 
 
Communication from China and Pakistan, Proposed disciplines on Domestic Regulation 
under Article VI:4 of the GATS , JOB(06)/158, 29 May 2006; 
 
Communication from Australia; Chile; Colombia ; Hong Kong, China; Korea; New Zealand 
and The Separate Customs Territory of  Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen And Matsu, Article VI:4 
Disciplines – Proposal for Draft Text , JOB(06)/193, 19 June 2006; 
 
Communication from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Fiji, Grenada, Guatem ala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mauritius, Mongolia, 
Nicaragua, Paraguay,  St. Kitts and Nevis, St . Vincent and the Grenad ines and Trinidad and 
Tobago, Trade-Related Concerns of Small, Vuln erable Economies in the Working Party on 
Domestic Regulation , JOB(06)/66/Rev.2, 10 July 2006; 
 Communication from the United States, Outline of US Position on a Draft Consolidated Text 
in the WPDR , JOB(06)/223, 11 July 2006. 
 5. The Working Party also examined an informal paper by the Secretariat on Domestic 
Regulatory Provisions in Economic Integration Agreements, which contained an overview of 
regulatory provisions contained in economic integra tion agreements notified under Article V of the 
GATS to date.  This informal note had been circ ulated to Members as document JOB(05)/175, dated 
14 September 2005. 
6. At the formal meeting held on 19 and 20 June 2006, the Working Party asked the Chairman to 
prepare a first consolidated text of possible Artic le VI:4 disciplines, based on the proposals submitted 
by Members.  The Chairman prepared this text, which was circulated to Members on 12 July 2006 as 
document JOB(06)/225.  Members provided some pr eliminary comments on the draft text by the 
Chairman at the informal meeting held on 13 July 2006.  No further discussions on the development 
of regulatory disciplines under Article VI:4 nor on any other issues covered under the mandate of the 
Working Party were taken up since the suspension of  the Doha Round of negotiations, decided by the 
General Council on 27 and 28 July 2006. 
__________