. /.  RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  S/WPDR/M/38 
18 June 2008 
 (08-2870) 
Working Party on Domestic Regulation  
  
 
REPORT OF THE MEETING HELD ON 16 JUNE 2008 
 
Note by the Secretariat
1 
  
1. The Working Party on Domestic Regulation (WPDR)  held its 38th meeting on 16 June 2008.  
The meeting was chaired by Mr. Peter Govindasamy of Singapore.  The agenda for the meeting was 
contained in Airgram WTO/ AIR/3200, dated 4 June 2008. 
2. No points were raised under "Other Business". 
A. DEVELOPMENT OF REGULATORY DISCIPLINES UNDER GATS ARTICLE VI:4 
– REPORT FROM THE CHAIRPERSON ON INFORMAL MEETINGS 
3. The Chairman
 made a report on the informal consu ltations he was conducting on the revised 
draft text of regulatory disciplines pursuant to Article VI:4 of the GATS he had circulated on 23 January 2008. 
4. A first reading of the revised draft text took place at an open-ended informal meeting on 25-
26 February 2008, where delegations  provided both structural comments on the overall draft, as well 
as detailed comments on individual paragraphs.  With a view to further focusing the discussions, the 
Chair subsequently circulated an informal Note in March 2008, which addressed eight issues that had 
emerged from the discussions and, in his view, merited treatment on a priority basis.  A first in-depth 
discussion of the eight issues took place on 13 and 14 May 2008.  The atmosphere of the meeting was constructive, as many delegations engaged with each other and were willing to entertain suggestions 
that did not fully correspond with their first pref erences.  The Chair believed that this spirit of 
openness and compromise was necessary to bring the negotiations to a fruitful conclusion. 
5. Recognizing that more work was needed on all issues, delegations appeared to share, by and 
large, the same objectives with regard to issues su ch as: scope of application of the disciplines; the 
notion of national policy objectives, and various tr ansparency obligations.  The Chair noted some 
movement towards convergence on these issues.  With regard to several other issues, more 
discussions were needed, in particular concerning the placement and precise use of the concept of 
"disguised restrictions on trade in services",  the definition of "technical standards", and the draft 
discipline on "administrative fees".   
6. The Chair announced that the next round of info rmal consultations would take place on 8, 10 
and 11 July 2008.  He suggested, that on 8 July, some of the additional issues that Members had 
raised at earlier meetings be taken up.  Several de legations had informed the Chairman of topics that 
they would wish to discuss, and he would circulat e a compilation of these suggestions in due course.  
For the meeting on 10 July, the Ch air suggested that the Working part y revisit the eight issues set out 
in his informal Note.  To ensure progress in the negotiations, he encouraged delegations discuss the 
                                                     
 
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/WPDR/M/38 
Page 2  
 
  issues in various formats with a view to finding so lutions, and to think creatively about language that 
could move the negotiations forward.  
7. In closing, he noted that the negotiations  on domestic regulation disciplines were not 
proceeding in a vacuum, and that the pace of work need ed to relate to the pace of work in other areas 
of the DDA.  He reminded delegations, that, at the same time, the Working Party was confronted with 
numerous unresolved issues with regard to the te xt of the disciplines; furthermore, work on 
institutional questions, e.g. on how to integrate the disciplines – together with the Accountancy 
Disciplines – into an overall outcome, had not even begun.  Against this backdrop, it was important to 
choose the right pace for moving ahead.  As in the p ast, he had maintained that it was suitable neither 
to sprint, nor to walk, but to maintain a steady "jogging" pace. 
B. OTHER BUSINESS 
8. No items were raised under this agenda item 
C. APPOINTMENT OF CHAIRPERSON 
9. The Working Party re-elected Mr. Peter Govindasamy
 (Singapore) by acclamation. 
 
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