WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/GEN/40 
31 October 2006 
 (06-5228) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  
 
 
 
ATTACHMENTS TO TBT NOTIFICATIONS 
 
Information from the Secretariat1 
  
 During the preparation of the Fourth Triennial Review and in the context of the Committee's 
discussions on Transparency, Members sought information regarding the technical feasibility of attaching the text of notified measures to notificat ions submitted to the WTO.  In this regard, 
information of a technical nature was provided by the Secretariat and the attached paper was also 
made available. 
 
 
_______________ 
 
  
                                                     
 
1 This document has been prepared under the Secret ariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the positions of Members and to their rights and obligations under the WTO. G/TBT/GEN/40 
Page 2  
 
  ATTACHMENTS TO TBT NOTIFICATIONS 
 
1. It is technically possible for the Secretariat to  handle attachments to notification documents.  
Depending on how this is implemen ted, benefits to Members will vary as will the costs incurred by 
the Secretariat and the time required to deliver the modifications.  Clearly, if the solution selected is 
an ambitious one, substantially more time a nd money will be needed for its development. 
2. Three scenarios are discussed below.   The first is the most ambitious and requires most time 
to deliver. The second and third are less ambitious and could therefore be more easily implemented.  
I. SCENARIO ONE : ENHANCEMENT OF DOCUMENTS ONLINE  
Assumptions - Members Assumptions – Secretariat Implications 
Attachments will be 
provided by Members in the original language in which they were issued (not necessarily English, French 
or Spanish) Attachments will not be 
translated Documents Online  will need to be 
modified to cater for: 
- inclusion of an additional 
language repository  - modification of the three 
language rule in different screens 
 - single/multiple files of larger size  - replication time  - hit list results  - download function  
Attachments will be 
provided by Members in electronic form in PDF format only Attachments will not be 
scanned if submitted in hard copy form Additional human resources will 
have to be allocated to two units in LSDD to cope with the supplementary workload: 
- CRN 
- Documents Control 
Attachments should not exceed a specified file size 
(tbd); one electronic file per notification Attachments will not be 
indexed (no full-text search 
capabilities) The broadening of assumptions 
will have additional cost 
implications, i.e.  scanning of attachments, hard copy distribution of attachments,  etc.  
Attachments will be provided by Members in conjunction (at the same 
time) with the 
corresponding notification Attachments will be stored 
together with original notifications in Documents 
Online   
 Attachments will be 
downloadable together with the notification proper  
 Attachments will not be 
circulated in hardcopy form   G/TBT/GEN/40 
 Page 3 
 
 
  1. Time frame and costs 
3. The cost of software modifications for the posting of TBT attachments in Documents Online  
is estimated at ca 35,000 Sfr.  If the existing hardware configuration for Documents online  is 
insufficient to cope with the increased volume of  documentation generated by these modifications, a 
further 25,000 Sfr will be needed to cover the cost  of  a new server. An additional person will be 
required on a part-time basis to undertake the associat ed clerical work (30,00 0 - 40,000 Sfr).  No 
budgetary provision has been made in the 2006-07 budget for this expenditure. 
4. If resources are earmarked in the Budget for 20 07-08, the required modifications could be 
introduced in 2008. 
2. Observation 
5. Even if extra budgetary resources were to be found immediately, it would be 
counterproductive to undertake a modification of the existing version of Documents Online .  The 
application is ageing and has been enhanced sever al times already; it will be replaced by the 
Secretariat in stages starting in the third quarter of 2007 with a projected completion date of end 2009.  
The Secretariat takes note of this timely request from the TBT Committee to consider the inclusion of 
attachments to notification documents in the documen t dissemination system and will ensure that it is 
a feature of the new application. 
II. SCENARIO TWO:  CENTRAL SERVER FOR THE SECRETARIAT  TO STORE 
ALL ATTACHMENTS 
Assumptions - Members Assumptions – Secretariat Implications 
Attachments will be provided 
by Members in the original 
language in which they were issued (not necessarily English, French or Spanish) Attachments will not be 
translated Minor modifications of  
Documents Online  will  be 
required: 
 - CRN application 
 - SPS application (in development) 
Attachments will be provided by Members in electronic form in PDF format only Attachments will not be 
scanned if submitted in hard copy form Space in  a Secretariat file 
server will have to be found to store the attachments 
Attachments should not exceed a specified file size (tbd); one electronic file per notification Attachments will not be 
indexed (no full-text capabilities) Additional human resources 
will have to be allocated to one unit in LSDD to cope with the supplementary workload: 
- CRN G/TBT/GEN/40 
Page 4  
 
  Assumptions - Members Assumptions – Secretariat Implications 
Attachments will be provided 
by Members in conjunction with the corresponding notification Attachments will be stored 
outside Documents Online  in 
a separate central server.  A web page will provide an 
entry point to all attachments 
organised in the server in alphabetical order on a country by country basis: 
Albania  
  ALB001, ALB002 
Canada  
  CAN001, CAN002, 
CAN003, etc.   
 Attachments will be viewable 
online by: 
 - clicking on the hypertext 
link in any      notification  or 
 - visiting the attachments central web  
    page   
 Attachments will be 
downloadable separately from 
the notification proper. They will be downloaded either by  
- right clicking on the 
hypertext link in  
   any notification  or 
 - visiting the attachments central web      page   
 Attachments will not be 
circulated in hardcopy form   
 
1. Time frame and Cost 
6. The cost of a file server and the intr oduction of the required modifications to Documents 
Online  is estimated at ca. 25,000 Sfr.  An additiona l person will be required on a part-time basis to 
undertake the associated clerical work (30,000 - 40, 000 Sfr). No budgetary provision has been made 
in the 2006-07 budget for this expenditure. 
7. If extra budgetary resources were to be made available quickly, it would be possible to 
implement this solution by mid-2007.  G/TBT/GEN/40 
 Page 5 
 
 
  III. SCENARIO THREE:  CENTRAL SERVER FOR MEMBERS  TO STORE ALL 
ATTACHMENTS 
Assumptions - Members Assumptions – Secretariat Implications 
Attachments will be stored by Members in a central 
server Attachments will not be sent 
to the Secretariat minor modifications of  
Documents Online  will  be 
required: 
 - CRN application 
 - SPS application  (in development) 
Attachments will be stored 
by Members in the original 
language in which they were issued (not necessarily English, French or Spanish) Attachments will not be 
translated or scanned Space in  a Secretariat file 
server will have to be found to 
store the attachments 
Attachments will be provided by Members in electronic form in PDF 
format only Attachments will not be 
indexed (no full-text capabilities)  
Attachments should not 
exceed a specified file size 
(tbd); one electronic file per notification Attachments will not be 
posted in Documents Online   
Attachments will be stored 
by Members at approximately the same time that the corresponding 
notification is sent to the 
Secretariat Attachments will not be 
circulated in hardcopy form  
Attachments will be stored 
in accordance with a predefined nomenclature (corresponding to URLs in notifications) The Secretariat will provide 
each Member with instructions, a user ID and password to upload attachments to the central server  G/TBT/GEN/40 
Page 6  
 
  Assumptions - Members Assumptions – Secretariat Implications 
A web page will provide an 
entry point to all attachments organised in the server in alphabetical order 
on a country by country 
basis:  
Albania  
  ALB001, ALB002 
Canada  
  CAN001, CAN002, 
CAN003, etc. The Secretariat will design 
and maintain the web page giving access to the central server  
Attachments will be 
viewable online by: 
 - clicking on the hypertext 
link in any  
    notification  or 
 - visiting the attachments central web      page    
Attachments will be 
downloadable separately from the notification proper. 
They will be downloaded 
either by:  
- right clicking on the 
hypertext link in     any notification  or 
 - visiting the attachments 
central web      page    
 
1. Time frame and Cost 
8. The cost of a file server and the intr oduction of the required modifications to Documents 
Online  is estimated at ca. 25,000 Sfr. Additional workload will be met from existing resources.  No 
budgetary provision has been made in th e 2006-07 budget for this expenditure.   
9. If extra budgetary resources were to be made available quickly, it would be possible to 
implement this solution by mid-2007. 
__________