RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  S/C/W/305 
24 September 2009 
 (09-4474) 
Council for Trade in Services  
  
 
- DRAFT -  
 
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN SERVICES 
TO THE GENERAL COUNCIL (2009) 
  
1. Since its last report to the General Council, the Council for Trade in Services held three 
formal meetings, on 5 December 2008, 2 April 2009 and 23 June 2009.
1  During this period, the 
Council addressed the following matters. 
I. NOTIFICATIONS MADE TO THE COUNCIL PURSUANT TO GATS 
ARTICLES III:3 AND V:7 
2. At its meetings held on 5 December 2008, 2 April 2009 and 23 June 2009, the Council for 
Trade in Services took note of the following notifications. 
(a) Notifications pursuant to Article III:3 of the GATS 
Republic of Albania S/C/N/452 to 461, S/C/N/485 
Republic of Armenia  S/C/N/464 
Switzerland S/C/N/467, S/C/N/474-482 
The Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, S/C/N/468  Kinmen and Matsu Thailand S/C/N/486-489 Brazil S/C/N/492-493 
Egypt S/C/N/494-496 
 
(b) Notifications pursuant to Article V:7 of the GATS 
Japan and Indonesia  S/C/N/462 
China and Singapore (on behalf of the ASEAN Members) S/C/N/463 Iceland S/C/N/465 
Brunei and Japan S/C/N/466 
CARIFORUM States and the European Communities S/C/N/469 and Rev.1 China and Hong Kong, China S/C/N/264/Add.2 Japan and the Philippines S/C/N/470 Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, S/C/N/471 
 Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the United States 
China and Macao, China S/C/N/265/Add.2 The United States and Oman S/C/N/472 Peru and the United States S/C/N/473 China and Singapore S/C/N/483 
Australia and Chile S/C/N/484 
                                                     
 
1 Reports of the meetings are contained in documents S/C/M/92 to 94, and should be read in 
conjunction with this report. S/C/W/305 
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  Costa Rica and Panama S/C/N/490 
China and New Zealand S/C/N/491  
II. NOTIFICATION PURSUANT TO GATS ARTICLE XXI 
3. At its meeting on 5 December 2008, the Council for Trade in Services considered a 
notification from Bolivia made pursuant to GATS Article XXI (Modification of schedules).  In 
keeping with the agreed procedure, the exchange of views on this issue is contained in document JOB(08)/131. 
III. TRANSITIONAL REVIEW UNDER SECTION 18 OF THE PROTOCOL ON THE 
ACCESSION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA 
4. At its meeting held on 5 December 2008, the Council for Trade in Services conducted 
and concluded the seventh transitional review of the implementation by China of its WTO commitments, pursuant to section 18 of the Protocol on the Accession of the People's Republic of China (WT/L/432).  The Council took note of the report of the Committee on Trade in Financial Services (S/FIN/21), which formed part of the Council's report on this matter to the 
General Council, contained in document S/C/31. 
IV. FUTURE WORK OF THE COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN SERVICES 
5. At its meeting held on 5 December 2008, Members of the Council for Trade in Services 
discussed how best to allocate their time and efforts in the following months.  It was decided that the Chairperson would conduct open-ended informal consultations on the issue at the beginning of 2009.  Following these consultations, Members agreed that the Council would 
address the issue of compliance with GATS notification requirements and undertake sectoral 
and modal discussions on the basis of Background Notes prepared by the Secretariat. 
V. COMPLIANCE WITH GATS NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS 
6. At its meetings held on 2 April 2009, the Council for Trade in Services held a first round 
of discussions on the issue of compliance with GATS notification requirements.  This item had 
been placed on the Council's agenda following a request made by several delegations during 
informal consultations held at the beginning of 2009.  Two documents had been circulated at the April meeting:  a Secretariat Note (JOB(09)/10/Rev.1), which provided a statistical account of the notifications made under relevant GATS provisions;  and a communication from Switzerland (S/C/W/297), on "Compliance with notification requirements under the GATS".  At the subsequent meeting, held on 23 June 2009, the Council pursued its discussions of this 
issue. 
VI. SECTORAL DISCUSSIONS 
7. Following informal consultations held at the beginning of 2009, the Council for Trade in 
Services had requested that the Secretariat produce a series of Background Notes containing information and analysis on services sectors and modes of supply, by way of an update of 
similar Notes produced in 1998.  At its meeting held on 23 June 2009, the Council considered 
the first three Background Notes produced by the Secretariat, on tourism services (S/C/W/298), telecommunication services (S/C/W/299) and computer and related services (S/C/W/300).    S/C/W/305 
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  VII. WORK OF THE SUBSIDIARY BODIES 
8. The activities of the subsidiary bodies are reflected in their respective reports, which are 
annexed to this report, as follows:  
 Annex  I Report of the Committee on Trade in Financial Services (S/FIN/**) 
 Annex  II Report of the Committee on Specific Commitments (S/CSC/**) 
 Annex  III Report of the Working Party on Domestic Regulation (S/WPDR/**) 
 Annex  IV Report of the Working Party on GATS Rules (S/WPGR/**)   
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