RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/RO/M/48 
3 November 2006 
 (06-5302) 
Committee on Rules of Origin  
  
 
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF 19 OCTOBER 2006 
 
Chairman:  Ms. Vera Thorstensen
 
 
I. REPORT OF THE WORK OF THE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE ON RULES 
OF ORIGIN...................................................................................................................... .........1  
II. TRANSITIONAL REVIEW UNDER PARAGRAPH 18 OF THE PROTOCOL 
OF ACCESSION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA (WT/L/432, WT/ACC/CHN/49)................................................................................................................. ...2
 
III. ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE IMPLEMENTATION AND OPERATION OF 
THE AGREEMENT ON RULES OF  ORIGIN (G/RO/W/106)...........................................3  
IV. ANNUAL REPORT (2006) TO THE COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN GOODS 
(G/RO/W/107) ................................................................................................................... ........3  
V. ELECTION OF OFFICERS....................................................................................................3  
VI. OTHER BUSINESS................................................................................................................. .3 
A. DATES AND AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING ............................................................................3  
 
 
I. REPORT OF THE WORK OF THE TEC HNICAL COMMITTEE ON RULES OF 
ORIGIN 
1.1 The representative of the WCO , stated that the Technical Committee on Rules of Origin 
(TCRO) held its 24th Session on 31 January 2006 at WCO Headquarters in Brussels, chaired by 
Mrs. L. Ghrairi (Morocco).  1.2 As part of its permanent responsibilities, th e TCRO adopted its Seventh Periodic Report and 
its Seventh Annual Review on tec hnical aspects of the implementation of the WTO Agreement for the 
period from 1 January to 31 December 2005.  The A nnual Review related to the technical aspects of 
the implementation and operation of the Agreement.  It was very brief since the Agreement was not 
yet operational in practice and the TCRO had not ye t been contacted with any specific problem or 
question.  The Periodic Report also related to th e technical aspects and operation of the Agreement, 
but additionally contained information about the S ecretariat’s activities and the TCRO’s work.  Both 
these documents could be found on the WCO Me mbers’ Web site under the heading “Technical 
Committee on Rules of Origin – 24
th Session”. 
 1.3 The WTO representative reported on the WT O work, and especially the Committee on Rules 
of Origin (CRO) meeting of 23 September 2005.  To this end, a certain degree of optimism could therefore be noted with regard to the possibility of completing the work to harmonize non-preferential 
rules of origin in the relatively near future.  In  this respect, the WCO was ready to continue the 
technical work, such as the technical rectifications to  the rules to take account of amendments made to 
the Harmonized System.  As set out in the Agre ement, the WCO and the TCRO could, at the 
appropriate time, undertake the technical wo rk likely to be requested by the CRO.  G/RO/M/48 
Page 2  
 
  1.4 During the TCRO meeting, a number of presen tations were made to the delegations in 
attendance :  - A WCO official gave a detailed presentati on on the e-learning programme for distance 
training.  This programme had already been developed for several areas of Customs activity 
such as Customs controls, Customs valuation,  the ATA carnet, the Harmonized System, 
Integrity and Counterfeiting.  The WCO was developing an e-learning programme on preferential rules of origin used in the context of trade within Europe.  
 - A representative of the Inter-American Deve lopment Bank presented a data base developed 
by that institution called “Origin Regimes of the Americas” as a means of facilitating the 
elaboration, implementation and a pplication of preferential rules of origin in the Americas.  
The data base allowed for the development of a methodology for the preparation of 
negotiations on rules of origin, supported governments in the verification of rules of origin and offered further capacity building and co-ope ration options.  The data base gathered rules 
of origin from all the preferential trade agreemen ts in the Western Hemisphere and, by means 
of special software, made it possible to comp are the preferential origin regimes of the 
different free trade arrangements contained in that data base. 
 The question was raised of whether it was useful a nd sensible to envisage extending this data base to 
all the rules of origin used throughout the world. 
 
- Representatives of the International Chamber of Commerce presented a project to harmonize 
the issuing of non-preferential certificates of origin and the development of a Manual on Certificates of Origin.  This Manual is currently being issued.  
 
 
Technical assistance activities
 
 1.5 Between February 2005 and February 2 006, the Secretariat undertook four technical 
assistance activities relating to the harmonization of non-preferential rules of origin and the main 
characteristics of the preferential rules.  A regiona l seminar (funded by Japan) was held in Brazil.  A 
national seminar was held in India.  
 Other information
 
 1.6 The World Customs Organization now has 169 Members, with Honduras recently joining the 
Organization. 
 1.7 The CRO took note
 of the report and expressed appreciation for the TCRO's continued 
valuable work.  
II. TRANSITIONAL REVIEW UNDER PARAGRAPH 18 OF THE PROTOCOL OF 
ACCESSION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA (WT/L/432, 
WT/ACC/CHN/49) 
2.1   The Chairperson
 noted that in accordance with paragraph 18 of the Protocol of Accession of 
the People's Republic of China, the CRO was to report to the Council for Trade in Goods on the 
outcome of the Review which would then report to the General Council.   
 
2.2 The CRO took note  of the statement made and agreed  that the Secretariat prepare a short 
factual report under the Chairman's responsibility to  be sent to the Council for Trade in Goods. 
  G/RO/M/48 
 Page 3 
 
 
  III. ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE IMPLEMENTATION AND OPERATION OF THE 
AGREEMENT ON RULES OF  ORIGIN (G/RO/W/106) 
3.1 The Chairperson  noted that the Secretariat had circulated, in document G/RO/W/106, the 
draft Review of the Implementation and Operation of the Agreement. 
 
3.2 Although Article 6.1 required that the CRO shall review annually the implementation and 
operation of Parts II and III of the Agreement, th e CRO's main concern had been the work under 
Part IV of the Agreement, namely the Harmoni zation Work Programme.  After forwarding 94 core 
policy issues to the General Council for discussion a nd decision at that level, the CRO was mandated 
by the General Council to complete the remaining technical work only after resolution of those 
94 issues by the General Council.  This was the reason why the CRO had held only one meeting per 
year since 2002.    3.3 The Committee adopted
 the Annual Review of the Impl ementation and Operation of the 
Agreement on Rules of Origin (G/RO/63). 
 
IV. ANNUAL REPORT (2006) TO THE COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN GOODS 
(G/RO/W/107) 
4.1 The Chairperson  noted that the Secretariat had circulated a draft of the CRO's report to the 
Council for Trade in Goods, as required by Article 6.1 of the Agreement (G/RO/W/106), and that this 
would be revised in light of the discussion at this meeting of the CRO.   
 
4.2 The CRO adopted  its annual report to the CTG (G/L/790). 
 
V. ELECTION OF OFFICERS 
5.1 The CRO re-elected  Ms. Vera Thorstensen (Brazil) as Chairperson and Mr. Yoshitomo 
Kondo (Japan) as Vice-Chairman of the CRO for 2006. 
 
VI. OTHER BUSINESS 
A. DATES AND AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING  
6.1 The Chairperson  suggested that the dates and agenda  for the next meeting be set in 
consultation with delegations and also in li ght of developments in the General Council. 
 
__________