WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
WT/MIN(11)/28 
WT/L/841 
17 December 2011 
 (11-6637) 
  
  
 
ACCESSION OF MONTENEGRO 
Decision of 17 December 2011 
 The Ministerial Conference,  Having regard to paragraph 2 of Article XII and paragraph 1 of Article IX of the 
Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (the "WTO Agreement"), and the 
Decision-Making Procedures under Articles IX and XII of the WTO Agreement agreed by the 
General Council (WT/L/93); 
 Taking note  of the application of Montenegro for accession to the WTO Agreement dated 
23 December 2004; 
 Noting  the results of the negotiations directed toward the establishment of the terms of 
accession of Montenegro to the WTO Agreement and having prepared a Protocol on the Accession of 
Montenegro; 
 Decides  as follows: 
 Montenegro may accede to the WTO Agreement on the terms and conditions set out in the 
Protocol annexed to this Decision. 
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  PROTOCOL ON THE ACCESSION OF MONTENEGRO 
Preamble 
 The World Trade Organization (hereinafter referr ed to as the "WTO"), pursuant to the approval 
of the Ministerial Conference of  the WTO accorded under Article XII of the Marrakesh Agreement 
Establishing the World Trade Organization (hereinafter referred to as the "WTO Agreement"), and Montenegro,  
 Taking note of the Report of the Working Party on the Accession of Montenegro to the 
WTO Agreement reproduced in document WT/ACC/ CGR/38, dated 5 Decemb er 2011 (hereinafter 
referred to as the "W orking Party Report"), 
 Having regard to the results of the negotiations on the accession of Montenegro to the 
WTO Agreement,  
 Agree as follows: 
PART I - GENERAL 
1. Upon entry into force of this Protocol pursu ant to paragraph 8, Montenegro accedes to the 
WTO Agreement pursuant to Article XII of that Agreement and thereby becomes a Member of the WTO.  
2. The WTO Agreement to which Montenegro accedes shall be the WTO Agreement, including 
the Explanatory Notes to that Agreement, as rectif ied, amended or otherwise modified by such legal 
instruments as may have entered into force before the date of entry into force of this Protocol.  
This Protocol, which shall include the commitments referred to in paragraph 281 of the Working Party 
Report, shall be an integral part of the WTO Agreement. 
3. Except as otherwis e provided for in paragraph 281 of  the Working Party Report, those 
obligations in the Multilateral Trade Agreements annexed to the WTO Agreement that are to be implemented over a period of time starting with the entry into force of that Agreement shall be 
implemented by Montenegro as if it had accepted that Agreement on the date of its entry into force. 
4. Montenegro may maintain a measure inconsistent  with paragraph 1 of Article II of the GATS 
provided that such a measure was recorded in the list of Article II Exemptions annexed to this Protocol 
and meets the conditions of the Annex to the GATS on Article II Exemptions. 
PART II - SCHEDULES 
5. The Schedules reproduced in Annex I to th is Protocol shall become the Schedule of 
Concessions and Commitments annexed to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 
(hereinafter referred to as the "GATT 1994") and the Schedule of Specific Co mmitments annexed to the 
General Agreement on Trade in Services (hereinafter referred to as "GATS") relating to Montenegro.  
The staging of the concessions and commitments lis ted in the Schedules sh all be implemented as 
specified in the relevant parts of the respective Schedules. 
6. For the purpose of the reference in paragraph 6(a)  of Article II of the GATT 1994 to the date of 
that Agreement, the applicable date in respect of the Schedules of Conc essions and Commitments 
annexed to this Protocol shall be the date  of entry into force of this Protocol.  WT/MIN(11)/28 
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  PART III - FINAL PROVISIONS 
7. This Protocol shall be open for acceptance, by signature or otherwise, by Montenegro until 
31 March 2012. 
8. This Protocol shall enter into force on the thirtieth day following the day upon which it shall 
have been accepted by Montenegro.  
9. This Protocol shall be deposited with the Director-General of the WTO.  The Director-General 
of the WTO shall promptly furnish a certified copy of this Protocol and a notification of acceptance by 
Montenegro thereto pursuant to paragraph 7 to each Member of the WTO and to Montenegro.   
 This Protocol shall be registered in accordance with the provisions of Ar ticle 102 of the Charter 
of the United Nations.   
 Done at Geneva this seventeenth day of December two thousand and elev en, in a single copy in 
the English, French and Spanish languages, each te xt being authentic, except that a Schedule annexed 
hereto may specify that it is authen tic in only one of these languages. 
 
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  ANNEX I 
SCHEDULE CLXVI - MONTENEGRO 
Authentic only in the English language. 
(Circulated in document WT/ACC/CGR/38/Add.1) 
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SCHEDULE OF SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS ON SERVICES 
LIST OF ARTICLE II EXEMPTIONS 
Authentic only in the English language. 
(Circulated in document WT/ACC/CGR/38/Add.2)  
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