. /.  N°________________ WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SECRET/20/Add.3 
3 July 2006 
 
 (06-3228) 
 Original:   Spanish 
 
 
 
ARTICLE XXIV:6 NEGOTIATIONS 
 
Article XXVIII:3 - Notification by Colombia  
 
Addendum  
   The following communication, dated 30 June 2006,  is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Colombia. 
 
_______________ 
 In its communication of 19 January 2004 (document G/SECRET/20), the European 
Communities notified the World Trade Organization and its Members of its intention to withdraw the 
tariff commitments in Schedule XCII Czech Re public, Schedule CXLIV Republic of Estonia, 
Schedule CVII Republic of Cyprus, Schedule CXLIII Republic of Latvia, Schedule CL Republic of 
Lithuania, Schedule LXXI Republic of Hungary, Schedule CXVII Republic of Malta, Schedule LXV 
Republic of Poland, Schedule XCVI Republic of  Slovenia, Schedule XCIII Slovak Republic and 
Schedule CXL of the European Communities of 15.   It further announced that "[p]ending the 
completion of the Article XXIV and XXVIII GA TT 1994 procedures and the creation of a new 
schedule valid for the European Communities of 25, the commitments  in the European Communities 
Schedule CXL would be fully respected". 
  The European Communities stated in its notifi cation that the withdrawal of commitments in 
the above Schedules would be effective as of 1 Ma y 2004.  As a result of the new duties and other 
trade regulations, access for bananas imports fro m Colombia – under item 08030019 of European 
Communities Schedule CXL – to the Czech Republic , Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, the 
Slovak Republic and Slovenia has been impaired. 
  As a Member with a substantial interest, Co lombia initiated negotiations with the European 
Communities under Articles XXIV:6 and XXVIII of the GATT 1994 in order to obtain compensatory adjustment on account of the withdrawal of tariff concessions on item 08030019.  These negotiations 
have not led to any compensatory adjustment to date. 
  Colombia therefore wishes to notify WTO Members that it will exercise its rights under 
Article XXVIII:3 to withdraw subs tantially equivalent concessions on  products of interest to the 
European Communities as outlined in  the attached table.  Unl ess Colombia issues a further 
notification to Members, the modifications in ques tion will take effect 30 days following circulation 
of this notification among WTO Members.   We take note of document G/L/695/Add.3 of 28 June 2006, whereby the European 
Communities states that it believes it desirable to provi de for a further extension of six months of the 
period established by GATT Article XXVIII for withdr awal of substantially equivalent concessions, G/SECRET/20/Add.3 
Page 2  
 
  and that it will not assert that WTO Members who have submitted a claim pursuant to Article XXIV:6 
of the GATT 1994 are precluded from withdrawi ng substantially equiva lent concessions under 
Article XXVIII:3 of the GATT 1994 because this withdr awal occurs later than six months after the 
EC’s withdrawal of concessions, provided that th e claiming WTO Member withdraws concessions no 
later than 33 months after the EC's modificati on of concessions.  Should the relevant WTO body 
approve extension of the time-limit for the withdrawal of the concessions referred to in 
Article XXVIII:3 of the GATT 1994, Colombia will su spend the action based on this notification. 
  
Tariff Line DESCRIPTION 
2208300000 Whisky 
1509100000 Virgin olive oil 1509900000 Other olive oils and their fracti ons, whether or not refined, but not 
chemically modified 
6215100000 Ties, bow ties and cravats – Of  silk or silk waste, not knitted 
2204100000 Sparkling wine 
2208202900 Other spirits obtained by dis tilling grape wine:  cognac, brandy 
2208500000 Gin and geneva 2001901000 Olives prepared or preserved by vinegar or acetic acid 2201100000 Mineral waters and aerated waters , not containing added sugar or other 
sweetening matter or flavoured 
2005700000 Olives, prepared or preserved (other wise than by vinegar or acetic acid), not 
frozen 
1510000000 Other oils obtained solely from oliv es, and their fractions whether or not 
refined 
6215900000 Ties, bow ties and cravats, of other textile materials, not knitted 
2204210000 Wine in containers of a capacity of 2l or less 3303000000 Perfumes and toilet waters 
 
__________