WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
WT/REG/21 
21 November 2011  
 
(11-6027) 
  
  
 
 
REPORT (2011) OF THE  
COMMITTEE ON REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS  
TO THE GENERAL COUNCIL 
 
Chairman:  Mr. François Riegert (France) 
 
 
I. INTRODUCTION 
1. At its first meeting in March 2011, the Comm ittee on Regional Trade Agreements (CRTA) 
elected Mr. François Riegert (Fra nce) as Chairman of the CRTA. 
2. During 2011, the Committee held four sessions (i n March, June, September and November).  
The minutes of those meetings are listed in the Attachment.  Four sessions are foreseen in 2012. 
II. OBSERVER STATUS 
3. The Committee agreed to continue the granti ng of observer status in the CRTA to the 
Latin American Integration Association (LAIA), on an ad hoc  basis.  No decision was taken with 
respect to the requests for observer status listed in document WT/REG/W/11/Add.3. 
III. CONSIDERATION OF REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS 
4. In the period 1 January to 15 October 2011, th e CRTA received 19 notifications of RTAs, 
11 in goods, notified under Article XXIV of GATT 1994, and 8 in services, notified under Article V 
of GATS.1 
5. During 2011, 13 factual presentations were dist ributed reflecting 18 notifications, counting 
goods and services separately, all of which were used as the basis for consideration of RTAs in the 
CRTA.2   
6. Under paragraph 22(b) of the Transparency Mechanism (TM)3, in 2011, one factual abstract 
of an RTA for which the CRTA has concluded its  factual examination unde r Article XXIV of GATT 
1994 was prepared and sent to the Parties for co mments; comments are still awaited on two others.4 
                                                      
1 Hong Kong, China-New Zealand (G&S); EFTA-Albania (G); Turkey-Chile (G); Turkey-Jordan (G); 
EFTA-Peru (G); EU-Rep. of Korea (G&S); Guatem ala-TPKM (G&S); Peru-R ep. of Korea (G&S); 
India-Malaysia (S); EFTA-Colombia (G&S); India-Japan (G&S); Canada-Colombia (G&S). 
2 Japan-Switzerland (G&S);  Costa Rica-Panama (G&S);  China-Pakistan (S);  Japan-Viet Nam (G&S); 
Japan-Thailand (G&S);  European Union-Croatia (S);  European Union-Former Yugoslav Republic of 
Macedonia (S);  European Union-Serb ia (G);  European Unio n-Montenegro (G&S);  Turkey-Montenegro (G); 
European Union-Albania (S);  Turkey -Serbia (G);  Chile-China (S).   
3 The General Council Decision of 14 December establishing the Transparency Mechanism for 
Regional Trade Agreements (WT/L/671) is being impl emented on a provisional basis. Members will review, WT/REG/21 
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  IV. EARLY ANNOUNCEMENTS 
7. Paragraph 1 of the TM provides for Members par ticipating in new negotiations and parties to 
a newly signed RTA to provide information to the S ecretariat, to be posted on the WTO website.  In 
2011, a total of 9 early announcements were recei ved from Members, 5 for RTAs under negotiation 
and 4 for newly signed RTAs;
5  two of these early announcements were made for RTAs involving 
non-WTO Members.  
V. SUBSEQUENT NOTIFICATION AND REPORTING  
8. Paragraph 14 of the TM provides for changes affe cting the implementation of an RTA, or the 
operation of an already implemented RTA to be notif ied as soon as possible after such changes occur.  
Such communications are to be made available on the WTO website.  In the period 1 January to 
15 October 2011, notifications of changes for thr ee RTAs had been received and posted on the RTA 
Database.6 
9. Paragraph 15 of the TM provides for parties to  an RTA to submit a short written report on the 
realization of the liberalization commitments in the RTA as originally notified at the end of the RTA's 
implementation period.  No such re ports were submitted during 2011. 
VI. DATABASE ON RTAS 
10. Paragraph 21 of the TM provides for the Secr etariat to establish and maintain an updated 
electronic database on individual RTAs.  The databa se was launched in Janua ry 2009 and is available 
on the WTO public website.  The database provides information on all notified RTAs, including the 
status of the consideration process.  In 2011, so me Members stated in document WT/REG/W/60 that 
there were inconsistencies in the database with  respect to the consideration status of RTAs7 and 
requested they be amended.   
VII. PROCEDURES TO IMPROVE AND FACILITATE THE EXAMINATION PROCESS 
11. No discussion took place on this item. 
VIII. SYSTEMIC IMPLICATIONS OF REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS AND 
INITIATIVES FOR THE MULTILATERAL TRADING SYSTEM AND THE 
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEM 
12. At its 62nd and 63rd Sessions in September and November 2011, the Committee discussed 
proposals on RTAs for the 8th Ministerial Conference co-sponsored by several Members - documents 
WT/REG/W/61 and Add.1, dated 20 and 27 September 2011;  documen t WT/REG/W/63/Rev.1, dated 
25 October 2011, and document WT/R EG/W/65, dated 28 October 2011.  No consensus was reached 
on these proposals during these two Sessions. 
                                                                                                                                                                     
and if necessary modify, this decision, in light of the experience gained from its provisional operation, and 
replace it by a permanent mechanism as part of the ov erall results of the Doha Round, in accordance with 
paragraph 47 of the Doha Declaration (paragraph 23 of the General Council’s Decision). 
4 EU (25) Enlargement (G);  EFTA-FYROM (G) a nd EFTA-Morocco (G);  all of these are notified 
under Article XXIV of the GATT 1994.  
5 Under negotiation:  Canada-Ukraine; Switzerland-China; EFTA-Bosnia and Herzegovina; 
EFTA-Indonesia;  EFTA-Russia/Belarus/Kazakhstan.  Newly signed:  Costa Rica- Peru; Costa Rica-Singapore; 
Panama-Peru; The Cross-Straits Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA). 
6 EFTA-Chile;  EFTA-Turkey;  EFTA-Croatia. 
7 India-Rep. of Korea RTA and ASEAN-Rep. of Korea RTA.  WT/REG/21 
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  IX. FINAL REMARKS 
13. In an effort to encourage the notification of no n-notified RTAs, the Chairman with the help of 
the Secretariat, drew up a list of non-notified RTAs which are in the process of being verified by their parties as being in force and appeared in factual presentations circulated between September 2009 and 
March 2011.  This list and Members' feedback here on will be updated and circulated in advance of 
future CRTA meetings. 
14. In February 2011, following a request from the Chairman of the Negotiating Group on Rules, 
the Chairman of the CRTA provided a brief statement,  in his own capacity, of the CRTA's experience 
in implementing the Transparency M echanism (document JOB/RL/1/Rev.1). 
15. Although considerable progress has been made in the preparation of factual presentations, the 
Committee continues to experience so me difficulties in adhering to the timelines under the TM.  This 
is due to a number of factors:  delays in the receip t of statistical data from pa rties, data discrepancies 
in Members' submissions, and delays in the receipt of comments from parties.     WT/REG/21 
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  ATTACHMENT 
 
Minutes of the Meetings held in 2011 
  
Sixtieth Session –14-15 March 2011 
 
WT/REG/M/60 
 
WT/REG273/M/1 Japan - Switzerland, goods and services 
 WT/REG281/M/1 Peru - China, goods and services 
 WT/REG264/M/1 Costa Rica - Panama, goods and services   Sixty-first Session – 28 June 2011 
 
 WT/REG/M/61 
 
WT/REG237/M/2 China - Pakistan, services WT/REG275/M/1 Japan - Viet Nam, goods and services WT/REG235/M/1 Japan - Thailand, goods and services WT/REG142/M/3 European Union - Croatia, services 
WT/REG129/M/3 European Union - the Fo rmer Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, 
services 
WT/REG285/M/1 European Union - Serbia, goods [non-Member] WT/REG236/M/1 European Union - Montenegro, goods and services [non-Member] WT/REG282/M/1 Turkey - Montenegro, goods [non-Member] 
  
Sixty-second Session – 22-23 September 2011 
 
WT/REG/M/62 
 WT/REG226/M/2 European Union - Albania, services 
WT/REG288/M/1 Turkey - Serbia, goods [non-Member] 
  Sixty-third Session – 9, 15 and 18 November 2011 (to be issued) 
  WT/REG/M/63  
 
 WT/REG230/M/2 Chile - China, services  
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