WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/AG/W/73/Rev.2/Add.1 
28 March 2011 
 (11-1526) 
Committee on Agriculture  
  
 
IMPROVEMENT OF TIMELINESS AND COMPLETENESS OF NOTIFICATIONS:  
MEMBERS' SUGGESTIONS OF "BEST PRACTICES" 
 
Note by the Secretariat
1 
 
Addendum  
  1. During the informal open-ended consultati ons held on 2 December 2010, Members 
considered the 26 suggestions of best notificati on practices compiled in G/AG/W/73/Rev.2.  In the 
course of these consultations, a number of participa ting delegations expressed interest in the means by 
which the Secretariat could fulfil some of the info rmation gaps as highlighted in the suggested follow-
up actions
2, notably by drawing on in-house information resources. 
2. The purpose of this addendum is therefore to explore ways in which the Secretariat could 
partly address the information needs reflected in so me of Members' suggestions of best practices, in 
particular those numbered 1-6, 8-11, 15, 18, 20-21 an d 23-25.  This note is without prejudice to the 
notifying Members' decision to voluntarily implement the recommended best practices, as reflected in 
paragraph 4(a)(ii) of G/AG/W/73/Rev.2. 
  
 
 
 
                                                     
 
1 This document has been prepared under the Secret ariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the positions of Members or to their rights or obligations under the WTO. 
2 Column 3 of the table contained in Sections II-VI of G/AG/W/73/Rev.2 refers.  
  G/AG/W/73/Rev.2/Add.1 
Page 2 I. GENERAL SUBMISSION PROCEDURES  
MEMBERS ' SUGGESTIONS  C OMMENTS  
1.  Submit notifications in Excel format. 
2.  Design a website application using web template formats in order to 
allow Members to complete their notifications on-line; alternatively a 
stand-alone computer-based platform could be established to assist 
Members in compiling the relevant information and submitting their notifications while automating some of the calculations to be performed. 
20.  Indicate the source and methodology for the domestic consumption data used to calculate the tr igger level [in Table MA:3]. 
24.  Provide sub-totals and totals for Green and Blue Box expenditures in 
the notification.  It is AGCD's overall policy to introduce on-line notification systems.
3   The relevant 
agriculture IT project was approved in 2010.  In this context, preparatory work will be 
launched in the second half of 2011. Excel worksheets and templates in all the notification areas covered by G/AG/2 will be developed in the longer term.    
 Without prejudice to Members' voluntary implementation of Suggestions 20 and 24, the 
on-line submission system to be developed in the course of 2011 will duly include all 
relevant input screens to record the source of information notified (e.g. domestic consumption, base imports, etc.).    
 Likewise, where calculations, totals or sub-totals are required, they will be performed 
automatically.  For example, the volume-based trigger level will be calculated by the 
system based on indications provided by the end-user (notifying Member or 
Secretariat). 
3.  Where written responses have not been provided to questions posed 
during the regular session of the Committee on Agriculture, Members 
should provide them no later than the day following the meeting.  Since March 2010, responses are being (i) supplied by Members in writing in the 
context of the Review Process;  (ii) compiled in line with the Committee's decision taken 
in 2009; and (iii) circulated as documents of restricted distribution in the G/AG/W/-- 
series.  
4.  Send notification reminders directly to capital-based official in charge of notifications.  Existing channels of communications remain unchanged, unless the Permanent Mission 
specifies an additional national contact point.  Annual "calls" and semi-annual 
"reminders" of unfulfilled notifications con tinue to be regularly channeled by the 
Secretariat through Permanent Missions to capitals. 
 The AGCD remains available at agnotifenquiries@wto.org
 for any notification-related 
technical assistance and advice. 
8.  When notifications have been revised, provide a clear indication of the changes and the reason for these changes.  The Secretariat assists delegations in ensuring  that any modifications are clearly flagged 
in the introductory section of the revised notification prior to its circulation.   
                                                      
3 The SPS-online notification system was launched in March 2011.  
   G/AG/W/73/Rev.2/Add.1
 Page 3II. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
 
MEMBERS ' SUGGESTIONS  C OMMENTS  
5.  Indicate in the product description column of the notification, where 
possible, the relevant tariff lines  and the applicable nomenclature 
(e.g. HS 2002) 
25.  Indicate the applicable HS sub-heading (i.e. 6-digit) level covered by 
each notified product category for all Tables ES:1 to ES:3.  This would 
be highly relevant for product categories that may contain both basic and processed products, but also for the "incorporated products" and 
"alcohol" categories.  This would facilitate the verification of the 
reported level of exports and also wh ether the same tariff lines are being 
subsidized through more than one product category.  The indication of HS coverage is not explicitly required in all agriculture notification 
formats (G/AG/2 and Add.1).  
 Without prejudice to Members' voluntary implementation of these suggestions, similar 
information could be made available thro ugh on-line access to AGCD's notification 
databases (based on user-defined queries and reports).  This would necessitate linking 
(i) AGCD's notification databases on tariff rate quotas, special safeguard actions, 
domestic support and export subsidies; and (ii) the Consolidated Tariff Schedule 
database (CTS) containing Members' scheduled commitments while taking account of 
the status of the on-going HS transposition exercise (Co mmittee on Market Access).    
 AGCD is in the process of implementing such links as part of the development of its 
Agriculture On-Line Searchable Database (AOSD). 
6.  Indicate whether changes have occurred in scheduled commitments pursuant to procedures initiated unde r Article XXIV:6 or Article XXVIII 
of GATT 1994 (e.g. creation of ne w tariff quotas, expansion of tariff 
quota volumes, etc.); provide a source for the schedule of commitments being used in preparing the notification.  Document G/MA/W/23 shows the situation w ith respect to Members' Schedules, as 
monitored by the Committee on Market Access.  It is regularly revised with substantive 
information being directly replicated on the public WTO web site.  A hyperlink is also 
placed on the Members' Transparency Toolkit  in the WTO agriculture web page.   
 For more detailed information, the CTS is the relevant source.  It is regularly updated to 
take account of modifications to Member s' Schedules under the pertinent GATT 
procedures.   
 Without prejudice to Members' voluntary im plementation of this suggestion, the AOSD 
will facilitate the consultation of such information. 
10.  [Tables MA:1 and MA:2]: Include the relevant in- and out-of-quota tariffs being applied in the relevant period.  G/AG/2 does not require the notification of a pplied in-quota or out-of-quota tariffs. 
Under IDB's submissions procedures, applied out-of-quota tariffs are available but the 
notification of applied in-quota tariffs is not a requirement.  
 Correlation tables between the CTS (scheduled  tariff quota products, bound tariff quota 
volumes and in-quota tariffs) and the IDB (applied out-of-quota tariffs) may be 
explored at the sub-heading level (6-digit).   ERSD is in the process of refining the 
identification and presentation of in -quota and out-of-quota tariff lines.   
  G/AG/W/73/Rev.2/Add.1 
Page 4 III. CROSS-REFERENCING  
MEMBERS ' SUGGESTIONS  C OMMENTS  
18.  Cross-reference the individual Table MA:3 and MA:4 notifications in 
the annual summary Table MA:5.  The Secretariat has started working on the cr oss-referencing aspect in the safeguards 
area. Two new database modules recording Table MA:3 and Table MA:4 actions were 
created in 2011.  Data input for SSG actions invoked between January 1995 and February 2011 is now completed.  Cross-referencing with Table MA:5 is currently 
under verification.   
21.  Cross-reference previous notifications of the SSG being triggered on 
the same product.  Work on "broad product categories" has just been completed.  The cross-referencing of 
Table MA:3 and Table MA:4 notifications  based on product searches is under 
development with possible reporting by (i) Member/product/HS or (ii) product/Member.  
23.  Cross-reference the relevant Tables DS:2 in Table DS:1.  So far, no work has been undertaken in this area.   
IV. CROSS-PILLAR, CROSS-AREA (SPS/AGRICULTURE) REFERENCES 
MEMBERS ' SUGGESTIONS  C OMMENTS  
9.  Indicate whether the product is subject to SPS measures or other 
restrictions that may have prevented the tariff quota from being filled.  The AGCD is currently in the process of harmonizing and consolidating its information 
systems. In this context, the SPS and agri culture information systems will be linked 
based on HS sub-headings, or alternatively, on broad product categories.  AOSD/SPS-
IMS end-users will be able to identify those products that are simultaneously subject to 
TRQ and/or SSG commitments, and are facing notified SPS measures.   
11.  Cross-reference any triggering of the SSG on the applicable tariff 
quota product, including the notification symbol.  
 
15.  [SSG action:] Indicate whether the product concerned is subject to 
scheduled tariff quota commitments.  Joining the CTS to the SSG and TRQ notification databases will enable AGCD to 
produce reports containing, for each Member having invoked the SSG:  
 SSG notification number; product/HS coverage; period of SSG application; 
 Existence and listing of TRQ commitments  for notified HS positions covered by 
the SSG action;  
 If Table MA:2 was submitted: Table MA:2 notification number, notified TRQ 
volume, notified in-quota imports (during the corresponding implementation 
year).  
 
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