. /.  RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/IT/W/29 
22 October 2008 
 (08-5112) 
 
  
DRAFT
 
 
REPORT (2008) OF THE COMMITTEE OF  PARTICIPANTS ON  THE EXPANSION 
OF TRADE IN INFORMAT ION TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS 
 
 
1. The Committee of Participants on the Expans ion of Trade in Information Technology 
Products, hereinafter referred to as "the Committee" , was established pursuant to the provisions of the 
Ministerial Declaration on Trade in Information Technology Products (WT/MIN(96)/16), hereinafter 
referred to as "the Ministerial Declaration", and the provisions for the Implementation of the 
Ministerial Declaration on Trade in Information T echnology Products (G/L/160), in order to carry out 
the provisions of paragraphs 3, 5, 6 and 7 of the Annex to the Declaration. 
2. The Committee has held one formal  meeting in 2008: i.e. on [30 October]. The minutes of the 
meeting are contained in document [G/IT/M/50].  [M r. Khalid I. Emara (Egypt) was elected Chairman 
of the Committee for 2008]. 
3. The total number of participants to the Minist erial Declaration is seventy-one. Since the last 
report, the schedule of the Ukraine was circulated and approved by the Committee. [At the meeting of 
30 October 2008, the Committee agreed that the IT A schedule of Peru be deemed to be approved 
unless any participant would notify in writing to the Secretariat within three weeks from the 
circulation of Peruvian ITA schedule. It is anticipated that Peru will soon become the 72nd participant 
to the Ministerial Declaration once its schedule is approved.] The Committee's rules of procedure 
provide for observer status in the Committee for WTO Members which are not participants to the 
Ministerial Declaration and Governments that are observers to the Council for Trade in Goods.  
Requests for observer status by international inte rgovernmental organizations are considered on a 
case-by-case basis.  The International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Organization for Economic 
Cooperation and Developmen t (OECD) have been granted observer status; and the World Customs 
Organization (WCO) has been granted observer status to meetings where the issues of HS classification and HS amendments are included in the agenda. 
4. [The Committee continued its deliberations on the Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs) Work 
Programme. With regard to its work on the EMC/EM I Pilot Project, further to the approval of the 
"Guidelines for EMC/EMI Conformity Assessment Procedures" (G/IT/25) on an ad referendum  basis, 
the Committee received survey responses from tho se participants who had not provided their 
information with a view to up-dating  the Secretariat's note of the "Draft List of the Types  of Conformity Assessment Procedures for EMC/EMI Used by ITA Participants" (G/IT/W/17/Rev.4). In considering ways to advance and expend its wo rk on NTMs other than EMC/EMI, the Committee 
also heard reports and updates by participants on th eir contributions to the work on NTMs, including 
those in other bodies of the WTO, e.g., in the NGMA.]   
5. [The Committee further continued its work on cl assification divergences.  In this respect, the 
Committee continued to use the last report from th e customs experts (G/IT/14/Rev.1/Add.1) and the 
compilation document, as revised by the Secretariat (G/IT/W/6/Rev.3), as the basis for its discussions.  
At the meeting of 30 October 2008, the Committe e focused its discussions  on the List V items G/IT/W/29 
Page 2  
 
  (G/IT/W15, G/IT/W/20 and JOB(07)/91/Rev.1 + Corr.1); Communications received from the World 
Customs Organization (WCO) concerning List  III (G/IT/26/Add.2); and other Lists of 
G/IT/W/6/Rev.3.] 
6. [At the meeting of 30 October 2008, the Committee discussed the proposal by the European 
Communities concerning the review of Informati on Technology Agreement (ITA) (G/IT/W/28).]   
7. The Committee has consistently reviewed the status of implementation, a summary of which 
is provided in document G/IT/1 and its revisions.  The document noted that most participants had 
submitted the formal documentation for rectificat ion and modification of their WTO schedules in 
order to incorporate the commitments arising from the Ministerial Declaration and most had been certified by the Director-General. [Three] particip ants were still awaiting th e completion of domestic 
procedural requirements or had not yet submitted the necessary documentation.   
8. The Chairman regularly informed the Committe e under "other business" that participants 
continued to consult among themselve s on review of product coverage.  He encouraged delegations to 
continue their efforts.     
 This document will be updated to take into account the discussions at the meeting to be 
held on 30 October 2008. 
 
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