. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/GC/W/621 
23 April 2010 
 (10-2111) 
General Council 
4-5 May 2010 Original:   English 
 
 
 
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TR ANSPARENCY MECHANISM FOR  
REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS ON A PERMANENT BASIS 
 
Communication from China, India and Pakistan  
 
  The following communication, dated 22 April 2010,  is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of India.  
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I. INTRODUCTION 
1. Ministers at Doha agreed
1 for "negotiations aimed at clarifying and improving disciplines and 
procedures under the existing WTO provisions appl ying to regional trade agreements.  The 
negotiations shall take into account the devel opmental aspects of regional trade agreements." 
2. In December 2006, the General Council adopted a Decision2 establishing a Transparency 
Mechanism for RTAs to be implemented on a prov isional basis in accordance with paragraph 47 of 
the Doha Ministerial Declaration.  According to Paragraph 23 of the Mechanism "Members will review, and if necessary modify, this Decision, in light of the experience gained from its provisional 
operation, and replace it by a permanent mechanism adopted as part of the overall results of the 
Round, in accordance with paragraph 47 of the Doha Declaration." 
3. During discussions on the Transparency M echanism at the General Council meeting 
(14-15 December, 2006), the Chair of the General Council stated
3 the understanding that "Members 
intended to conduct an initial review of the Mechan ism within one year of the adoption of the draft 
decision."  Reference to such a review has been made by the Chairman of Negotiating Group on Rules 
periodically in his reports to the Trade Negotia ting Committee and  the General Council since the 
adoption of the Decision and was last ment ioned in the General Council meeting of 
17 December 20094. 
4. The Transparency Mechanism for RTAs has now been in operation for over three years.  So 
far  the CRTA had considered 66 Agreements, coun ting goods and services notifications separately, 
while the CTD had considered 3 Agreements.  During the 7th Ministerial Conference held in Geneva 
in 30 November–2 December 2009, sever al delegations referred to the need to make the Transparency 
Mechanism permanent. 
                                                      
1 Paragraph 29 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration  WT/MIN(01)/DEC/1. 
2 WT/L/671, 18 December 2006. 
3 WT/GC/M/106 Paragraph 1 (Minutes of the GC meeting, 14-15 December 2006). 
4 WT/GC/M/124, Paragraph 147 (Minutes of the GC meeting, 17 December 2009).  WT/GC/W/621 
Page 2  
 
  II. PROPOSAL 
5. In light of the considerable experience gain ed from the operation of the Transparency 
Mechanism for over three years, and in accord ance with Paragraph 23 of the Transparency 
Mechanism referring to 'Reappraisal of the M echanism', the General Council may advise the 
Chairman of the Negotiating Group on Rules to commence immediate consultations. The 
consultations should be aimed at reviewing, and if necessary modifying, the Transparency 
Mechanism, in light of the experience gained from its provisional operation, and replacing it by a permanent mechanism adopted as part of the ove rall results of the Round, in accordance with 
paragraph 47 of the Doha Declaration. 
 
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