./. RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/MA/M/38/Add.1 
12 April 2005 
 (05-1502 ) 
Committee on Market Access  
  
MINUTES OF THE RESUMED MEETI NG HELD ON 30 MARCH 2005  
 
Chairman: Dr. Magdi Farahat (Egypt
) 
 
Addendum  
  
 
Subjects discussed:                      Page  
 
1. HS2002 documentation........................................................................................................... ..1 
(i) Consolidated Tariff Schedules Database - HS2002 transposition..............................................1  
 
 
1.  HS2002 documentation  
 
(i)  Consolidated Tariff Schedul es Database - HS2002 transposition  
 1.1 The Chairman
 recalled that the Committee had suspe nded its meeting of 22 September 2004 
on the agenda item: HS2002 transposition – Co nsolidated Tariff Schedules Database – HS2002 
transposition".  On that item, in addition to suspe nding it, the Committee had agreed on the following:   
First, that he would hold consultations with a gr oup of donor Members to see where financing for this 
HS2002 transposition project might be available;  sec ond, that the Secretariat would hold a workshop 
on the technical issues related to this transposition exercise for Geneva-based delegations;  third, that 
the Secretariat would start the process to include the workshop for capital-based representatives in the 
Technical Assistance 2005 (TA 2005) Plan;  fourth, that  the Secretariat would prepare a first draft of 
simplified procedures based  on the flow char t for further discussion in this Committee.   
 1.2 For the sake of transparency he  wished to report the following on the subject at this resumed 
meeting. On the first point, he had held c onsultations with a group of donor Members on 
14 October 2004.  Mr. Rolian, Director of the Institu te for Training and Technical Assistance was also 
present at that time.  The outcome of the consultations  was successful in that funding for this project 
was found.  More specifically, funding was available to  transpose the schedules of developing country 
Members in the CTS database into the HS2002 nomencl ature.  In the case of developed countries, it 
was noted  that they would prepare their own schedules.  On the second point, the Secretariat 
conducted a workshop for Geneva-base d delegations on 1 November 200 4.  This workshop was very 
useful in that it highlighted the fact that the tran sposition exercise was very technical, and might best 
be undertaken by the Secretariat.  On the third point, i.e. a workshop for capital-based delegations, 
through a letter from him the matter was put befo re the Committee on Trade and Development (CTD) 
on 28 September 2004.  While many Members could a ppreciate the importance of such a workshop, it 
was the view of the CTD that in light of the situ ation of scarce resources, it was important to ensure 
that any proposed activity was the most cost-effectiv e way of attaining the objective.  In this case, 
because of the heavy cost of such  a workshop in Geneva, almost half a million Swiss francs, it was 
not considered to be the optimum way of addressi ng the technical issues related to the transposition 
exercise.  It was felt, for example, that it coul d be addressed in connection with other activities 
especially on NAMA-related issues foreseen in the TA 2005 Plan.  The idea would be to add extra 
time to each of those regional activities for the purpo ses of the transposition exercise.  On the fourth G/MA/M/38/Add.1 
Page 2  
 
and final point on the procedures for the introducti on of HS2002 changes to these schedules,  the 
Committee had discussed draft procedures at its info rmal meetings on 1 November, 30 November and 
10 December 2004.  As a result of these discussi ons, the Committee was able to agree to the 
procedures contained in document G/MA/W/65/Rev. 2 which were subsequently adopted by the 
General Council on 15 February 2005 and re-issued as WT/L/605.  
 
1.3 The Committee took note
 of the Chairman's report.  
 
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