WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/MA/163 
18 October 2005 
 (05-4762) 
Committee on Market Access  
  
 
PERIODIC REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO THE 
COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN GOODS   
 
 
1. The Committee met on 3 October 2005 a nd examined the following issues: 
 
2. The Committee took note of the factual in formation provided by one Member who was 
requesting a waiver extension for the introduction of HS96 changes to its schedule.  The information is 
summarized in the Annex to this report.  The Co mmittee approved the reques t and the draft waiver 
decision and forwarded them to the Council for Trade in Goods (CTG) for appropriate action.  
3.  The Committee took note of the status of subm issions of HS96 documentation as set out in 
document G/MA/TAR/2/Rev.36.  4. The Committee took note of the report by the Secr etariat on the status of work concerning the 
introduction of HS2002 changes to schedules using the CTS Database.  On the HS2002 "collective waiver" (WT/L/598), the Committee agreed that  a draft decision extending this waiver until 
31 December 2006 should be prepared by the Secret ariat and circulated to Members for comments 
prior to being forwarded to the CTG for appropriate action.   5. The Committee took note of the report by the Chairman of his consultations on "Certain 
Uncertified Commitments" (JOB(05)/167), and agreed to the procedures outlined in that note for the 
purpose of completing the certification process of those commitments.  Also at that meeting, the 
Committee took note of a Secretariat document whic h provided detailed inform ation on the situation 
of schedules of WTO Members (G/MA/W/23/Rev.2).   6. With reference to the modalities and operati on of the Integrated Data Base (IDB), the 
Committee examined the status of IDB submissions on the basis of the document 
G/MA/IDB/2/Rev.22. The Committee took note of the S ecretariat report on the status of processing of 
IDB submissions, use of IDB information,  the status of software development and technical 
assistance.  7. The Committee took note of the S ecretariat report on the status of work regarding the CTS 
Database. 
 8. The Committee granted the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (G/MA/W/68) and the Agency for International Tr ade Information and Co-operation (AITCI/ACICI) 
(G/MA/W/69) access to the IDB and CTS database. 
 
9. The Committee completed the transitional revi ew under Paragraph 18 of the Protocol of 
Accession of the People's Republic of China.  Questions/comments were submitted by the 
European Communities (G/MA/W/70), Japan (G/MA/W/72) and the United States (G/MA/W/71).  The Committee's report to the CTG on the review will be circulated as document G/MA/164.  
 G/MA/163 
Page 2  
 
 10. The Committee agreed that its draft Annual Report (2005) to the CTG (G/MA/SPEC/31) 
would be updated by the Secretariat, and then ci rculated to Members for comments prior to being 
forwarded to the CTG.  11. The Committee elected Mr. Josip Pervan (Croatia) as its Vice-Chair for 2005.  
12. Under other business, the Committee took note that the next meeting of the Committee was 
scheduled for the Spring of next year. A precise date would be fixed nearer the time.   
  
  G/MA/163
 Page 3 
ANNEX  
 
FACTUAL INFORMATION RELATING TO A WAIVER REQUESTED FOR THE PURPOSE OF  
INTRODUCING HS 96 CHANGES TO A SCHEDULE OF CONCESSIONS 
 
Member Date of 
original 
waiver Date of submission of 
HS documentation N° of 
extensions 
and dates N° of Members 
with which 
Article XXVIII 
negotiations have 
been initiated N° of Members with 
which 
Article XXVIII 
negotiations have 
been concluded 
 Status of 
outstanding 
Article XXVIII 
negotiations Outlook for 
concluding the 
process Request for a waiver 
and draft decision 
1. Israel 13.12.1995 G/SECRET/HS96/26  
(08.10.1996)  
G/SECRET/HS96/26/
Add.1  (05.03.1999)  
G/SECRET/HS96/26/
Add.1/Corr.1  (06.07.2000) Sixteen 
18.07.1996 24.04.1997 
22.10.1997 
24.04.1998 14.10.1998 15.06.1999 
04.11.1999 
03.05.2000 08.12.2000 
08.05.2001 
13.05.2002 15.10.2002 
24.07.2003 
16.12.2003 17.05.2004 
20.10.2004 Four Three Israel answered the 
follow-up questions from the EC.  
The EC responded 
by reiterating its concerns. Israel and the EC are 
currently engaged in efforts to reach a 
positive solution. Requested one year. 
G/L/744 G/C/W/528 
 
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