WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/REG/17 
24 November 2006 
 (06-5676) 
 
  
REPORT (2006) OF THE  
COMMITTEE ON REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS  
TO THE GENERAL COUNCIL 
 
Chairman:  Mr. O. Camara (Senegal
) 
  
I. INTRODUCTION 
1. Mr. Ronald Saborío Soto (Costa Rica) retained  his position as Chairman of the Committee on 
Regional Trade Agreements (hereinafter, the Co mmittee or CRTA) until the second meeting in April 
2006, when Mr. Ousmane Camara (Senegal) w as elected as Chairman.  Mr. Anton Egger 
(Switzerland) retained his position as Vice-Chairman. 
2. During 2006, the Committee held four sessions (i n January, April, July and October).  The 
minutes of those meetings are listed in Attachme nt 1.  Four sessions are foreseen in 2007. 
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 lis ted in document WT/REG/W/11/Add.3, pending the 
definition of guidelines by the General Council. 
III. EXAMINATION OF REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS 
4. As of 15 October 2006, 366 regional trade agreem ents (RTAs) have been notified to the 
GATT/WTO, 214 of which are currently in force:
1  Of the agreements in force, 147 were notified 
under GATT Article XXIV;  22 under the Enabling Clause;2  and 45 under GATS Article V.  
5. The Committee has under examination a total of 158 agreements, of which 120 in the area of 
trade in goods and 38 in trade in services.3  Fourteen RTAs are currently undergoing factual 
examination, while for 65 RTAs, the Committee has not  yet started the factual examination.  For the 
remaining 79 RTAs, the factual examination has concluded (see Attachment 2).   No progress was 
made, however, on the completion of the corresponding examination reports. 
6. At its first meeting in January 2006, the Co mmittee agreed that the subsequent meetings 
would concentrate on the 42 RTAs already under fact ual examination at that date, rather than 
undertake new examinations.  The aim was to en sure a smooth transition from the existing RTA 
                                                      
1 These figures correspond  to notifications of new RTAs, as well as accessions to existing RTAs.  One 
notified RTA is not yet in force. 
2 Differential and More Favourable Treatment, Reci procity and Fuller Partic ipation of Developing 
Countries , Decision of the GATT CONTRACTING PARTIES of 28 November 1979. 
3 Eighteen additional agreements recently notified (eleven under GATT Article XXIV and seven under 
GATS Article V) are yet to be transmitted to the Committee for examination.  WT/REG/17 
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  review procedures to those which might result from discussions at the Negotiating Group on Rules.  
Thanks to Delegations' efforts, it has been possi ble to complete the factual examination of 28 
agreements .  For the remaining 14 agreements in this  category, the factual examination had been 
"frozen" or stopped by the Committee:  in the case of two services agreements, because no specific 
commitments had been communicated by the parties;  and in the case of 12 agreements concluded with 
non-WTO Members, because consultations in this respect had not yet yielded any result. 
IV. REPORTING ON THE OPERATION OF AGREEMENTS 
7. Nine reports on the operation of agreements, which had been submitted in accordance with 
the 2004 Schedule for Submission of Reports (WT/RE G/W/48) were considered by the Committee in 
the course of 2006:  three reports (EC-Malta, EC-C yprus, United States-Israel) in January; four 
(ANZCERTA, Czech/Slovak Customs Union, EFTA-Czech Rep., EFTA-Slovak Rep.) in July; and 
two (EC-Algeria, EC-Syria) in October.  Two bi ennial reports due in 2004 are still outstanding (see 
Attachment 3). 
8. A total of 13 biennial reports should have been  scheduled for submission in 2006.  However, 
at its 41
st Session, the Committee agreed to await the outcome of the discussions taking place in the 
Negotiating Group on Rules, as they had a bearing on th is procedure, and revert to this item at a later 
stage.  At its 44th Session the Committee agreed to postpone any action in this respect until early 
2007. 
V. PROCEDURES TO IMPROVE AND FACILITATE THE EXAMINATION PROCESS 
9. No discussion took place on this item. 
VI. SYSTEMIC IMPLICATIONS OF REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS AND 
INITIATIVES FOR THE MULTILATERAL TRADING SYSTEM AND THE 
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEM 
10. No discussion took place on this item. 
VII. OTHER 
11. At the 43rd Session, the Secretariat drew the attenti on of the Committee to the spiralling cost 
of providing translations of RTA main texts,  while annexes and protocols, which contained 
particularly useful information, were not translated.  Stressing the fact that most modern RTAs are available in full on official websites and thus text  translations no longer served a pressing need, the 
Secretariat indicated its intention to stop the prac tice, thus saving up to SF 300,000  in translation 
costs a year. 
12. At its 44
th Session, the Committee agreed to r ecommend the introduction of a simplified 
format for the notification of new RTAs to the Council for Trade in Goods, the Council for Trade in 
Services and the Committee on Trade and Development. 
VIII. FINAL REMARKS 
13. The Committee has pursued its factual examination work, meeting its objective to clear most 
of the backlog of agreements for which the factual examination process was ongoing.  WT/REG/17 
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  14. Future work of the Committee is likely to be s ubstantially revised in the light of discussions 
held in the Negotiating Group on Rul es to improve RTAs' transparency.4 
 
                                                      
4 At its meeting of 10 July 2006, the Negotiating Group approved a draft decision establishing a 
"Transparency Mechanism for RTAs" (TN/RL/18), to be implemented on a provisional  basis in accordance with 
paragraph 47 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration (WT/MIN(01)/DEC/1). WT/REG/17 
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  ATTACHMENT 1 
 
Minutes of the Meetings held in 2006
 
  
Forty-First Session – 23-24 January 2006
 
  WT/REG/M/41   WT/REG1/M/5 European Communities – Bulgaria, Services  
 WT/REG2/M/5 European Communities – Romania, Services  
 WT/REG156/M/2 Turkey – Croatia    WT/REG119/M/1 Georgia – Armenia  WT/REG114/M/2 Kyrgyz Republic – Armenia   WT/REG162/M/2 China – Hong Kong, China, Goods and Services 
 WT/REG163/M/2 China – Macao, China, Goods and Services 
 WT/REG165/M/2 Chile – El Salvador, Goods and Services  WT/REG160/M/2 United States – Chile, Goods and Services  WT/REG161/M/2 United States – Singapore, Goods and Services  WT/REG134/M/2 United States – Jordan, Goods and Services  WT/REG155/M/2 Caribbean Community and Common Market, Services 
 
Forty-Second Session – 3 and 4 April 2006
 
  WT/REG/M/42 
 
 WT/COMTD/1/Add.16 Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) Agreement 
 WT/REG44/M/2 Romania – Republic of Moldova  WT/REG155/M/3 Caribbean Community and Common Market, Services  WT/REG156/M/3 Turkey – Croatia   WT/REG160/M/3 United States – Chile, Goods and Services  WT/REG169/M/2 Republic of Korea – Chile, Goods and Services  
 WT/REG170/M/2 Enlargement of the European Union 
 WT/REG162/M/3 China – Hong Kong, China, Goods and Services  WT/REG163/M/3 China – Macao, China, Goods and Services   Forty-Third Session – 4 July 2006
 
 
 WT/REG/M/43 
  WT/REG39/M/5 Establishment of the European Union, Services  WT/REG22/M/4 Turkey – European Communities  WT/REG164/M/2 European Communities – Chile  
 WT/REG119/M/2 Georgia – Armenia  
 WT/REG148/M/3 EFTA States – Singapore, Goods and Services 
 
Forty-Fourth Session – 13 October 2006
 
 
 WT/REG/M/44 
  WT/REG170/M/3 Enlargement of the European Union, Goods  WT/REG164/M/3 European Communities – Chile  WT/REG114/M/3 Kyrgyz Republic – Armenia  WT/REG/17 
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  ATTACHMENT 2 
A. RTAs for which factual examination has been completed (79): 
ANZCERTA (S) EU Enlargement (25) (G)  * Georgia-Armenia (G) 
Bulgaria-FYROM (G) EC-FYROM (G) Iceland-Faroe Isl. (G) 
Canada-Chile (G&S) EC-Israel  (G) Japan-Singapore (G&S) 
Canada-Costa Rica (G) EC-Jordan (G) Kyrgyz Rep.-Armenia (G) 
Canada-Israel (G) EC-Mexico (G) Kyrgyz Rep.-Moldova (G) 
CARICOM (S) EC-Morocco (G) MERCOSUR (G) 
CEFTA – Accession of Bulgaria (G) EC -Romania (G&S) Mexico-Israel (G) 
CEFTA – Accession of Romania (G ) EC-Tunisia (G) NAFTA (G&S) 
Chile-Costa Rica (G&S) EC-Turke y (G) New Zealand-Singapore (G&S) 
Chile-El Salvador (G&S) EFTA (S) Norway-Faroe Isl. (G) 
Chile-Mexico (G&S) EFTA-Bulga ria (G) Romania-Moldova (G) 
Chile-Rep. of Korea (G&S) EFTA-Cro atia (G) Singapore-Australia (G&S) 
China-Hong Kong, China (G&S) EFTA-FYR OM (G) Switzerland-Faroe Isl. (G) 
China-Macao, China (G&S) EFTA-Is rael (G) Turkey-Bulgaria (G) 
EC (Treaty of Rome) (S)  EFTA-Jordan (G) Turkey-Croatia (G) 
EC-P. of Andorra (G) EFTA-Mex ico (G)  Turkey-FYROM (G) 
EC-Bulgaria (G&S) EFTA-Moro cco (G) Turkey-Israel (G) 
EC-Chile (G) EFTA-Romania  (G) Turkey-Romania (G) 
EC-Croatia (G) EFTA-Singapore (G &S) United States-Chile (G&S) 
EC Enlargement (15) (G&S) European Econo mic Area (S) United States-Jordan (G&S) 
  United States-Singapore (G&S) 
B. RTAs under factual examination (14): 
EC-Faroe Isl. (G) Georgia-Russian Fed. (G)  Kyrgyz Rep.-Russian Fed. (G)  
EC-Mexico (S) Georgia-Turkmenistan  (G) Kyrgyz Rep.-Ukraine (G) 
EFTA-Mexico (S) Georgia-Ukraine (G) Kyrgyz Rep.-Uzbekistan (G) 
Georgia-Azerbaijan (G) CIS (G) EAEC (G) 
Georgia-Kazakhstan (G) Kyrgyz Rep.-Kazakhstan (G)  
C. RTAs for which factual examin ation has not yet commenced (65): 
Albania-Bosnia & Herzegovina (G) Croatia-Bo snia & Herzegovina (G) Moldova-Croatia (G) 
Albania-Bulgaria (G) Croatia- FYROM (G) Moldova-FYROM (G) 
Albania-FYROM (G) Croatia-Serbia & Monten egro (G) Moldova-Serbia & Montenegro (G)  
Albania-Moldova (G) EC-Chile (S) Panama-El Salvador (G&S) 
Albania-Romania (G) EC-Egypt (G ) Rep. of Korea-Singapore (G&S) 
Albania-Serbia & Montenegro (G) EC-Leba non (G) Romania-Bosnia & Herzegovina (G)  
Albania-UNMIK (G) EC-Palestinian Authority (G) Romania-FYROM (G) 
Armenia-Kazakhstan (G) EC-South Africa (G) Romania-Israel (G) 
Armenia-Moldova (G) EFTA-Chile (G&S ) Romania-Serbia & Montenegro (G) 
Armenia-Russian Federation (G) EFTA-P alestinian Authority (G) SADC (G) 
Armenia-Turkmenistan (G) EFTA-Tuni sia (G) Thailand-Australia (G&S) 
Armenia-Ukraine (G) El Salvador-Mex ico (G&S) Thailand-New Zealand (G&S) 
Bulgaria-Bosnia & Herzegovina (G)  EU Enlargement (25) (S) Turkey-Bosnia & Herzegovina (G) 
Bulgaria-Israel (G) FYROM-Bosnia & Herzegovina (G)  Turkey-Morocco (G) 
Bulgaria-Serbia & Montenegro (G)  Japan-Mexico (G&S) Turkey-PLO (G) 
CAFTA-DR (G&S) Mexico-Nicarag ua (G&S) Turkey-Tunisia (G) 
CEFTA-Accession Croatia (G) Mol dova-Bosnia & Herzegovina (G)  United States-Australia (G&S) 
Croatia-Albania (G) Moldova-Bulgari a (G) United States-Morocco (G&S) 
D. RTAs yet to be transmitted to the Committee  (18): 
Costa Rica-Mexico (G&S) GCC Custom s Union (G) Jordan-Singapore (G&S) 
EC-Algeria (G) Guatemala-Mexico (G&S) Pan-Arab FTA (G) 
EFTA-Rep. of Korea (G&S) Honduras-Mexico (G&S) Unite d States-Bahrain (G&S) 
EU Enlargement (27) (G) Japan-Malaysia (G&S)  
                                                      
* Once a satisfactory resolution of outstanding issues  is  reached, the factual examination of this 
agreement will be deemed concluded. WT/REG/17 
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  ATTACHMENT 3 
 
Schedule for the Submission of Biennial Reports on RTAs 
 
  A. Reports submitted und er the 2004 schedule (9) 
 
 EC - Algeria  EC - Cyprus  EC – Malta 
  EC - Syria 
 United States – Israel   Australia-New Zealand Cl oser Economic Relations Tr ade Agreement (ANZCERTA) 
 Czech/Slovak Customs Union  EFTA - Czech Republic 
 EFTA - Slovak Republic 
 
B. Reports not submitted under the 2004 schedule (2) 
 
 Australia-Papua New Guinea Agreement (PATCRA)  Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) 
 
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