. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  TN/TF/W/107 
6 June 2006 
 
 (06-2676) 
Negotiating Group on Trade Facilitation Original:   English 
  
 
COMMUNICATION FROM THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, KOREA, AND 
SWITZERLAND 
  
 The following communication, dated 1 June 2006, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegations of the European Communities, Korea, and Switzerland. 
 
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FEES AND CHARGES  
  
1. The following textual proposal is submitted by the European Communities, Korea, and 
Switzerland for consideration by the Negotiating Gr oup. It is closely based on the proposals on fees 
and charges made in the joint communication TN/T F/W/94 of 6 April 2006 and takes account of the 
discussion and other submissions on this issue in the Negotiating Group.  
Textual proposal 
 
 "Fees and charges  (a) Scope  
- The provisions [of this article] apply to all fees and charges imposed by customs 
authorities or by any other government body of any Member, including tasks undertaken on their behalf, on or in connec tion with importation or exportation, or as 
a condition for importation or exportation. 
 
(b) Specific parameters 
- Fees and charges shall only be imposed for services provided in direct connection 
with the specific importation or exportation in question or for any formality required 
for undertaking such importation or exportation.  
 
- Fees and charges shall not exceed the approximate cost of the service provided. 
 
- Fees and charges shall not be calculated on an ad valorem  basis. 
 
- Fees and charges shall not be imposed with respect to consular services and 
equivalent measures.  
 
- Information on fees and charges shall be pub lished. This information shall include the 
reason for the fee or charge (the service pr ovided), the responsible authority, the fees 
and charges that will be applied, a nd when and how payment is made. The TN/TF/W/107 
Page 2  
 
  information shall be made readily available to all interested parties and each Member 
shall inform, through the WTO Secretariat,  all other Members where the information 
on its fees and charges is available. Th e information shall be published via an 
officially designated medium, and where feasible and possible, official website. 
 
- An adequate time period shall be accorded between the publication of information on 
new or amended fees and charges and their en try into force except when justified by 
legitimate public policy objectives.  
- New or amended fees and charges shall not be imposed until information on them is 
published and made readily available. 
- Each Member shall periodically review its f ees and charges to ensure that they are in 
line with WTO commitments and with a view to consolidating them and reducing their number and diversity." 
 Special and differential treatment, technical assistance and capacity building
 
 
2. With regard to special and differential treatme nt, technical assistance and capacity building in 
relation to fees and charges, TN/TF/W/94 set out so me proposals, including with regard to a possible 
transition mechanism to allow for the design and implementation of a new structure for fees and 
charges and the provision of technical assistance. These issues could be taken forward through the 
development of a horizontal mechanism that woul d, among others, take full account of the needs, 
priorities, cost concerns and implementation capac ities of developing and least-developed Members in 
relation to commitments. A number of relevant su bmissions on this issue have been made to the 
Negotiating Group, one of which cont ained a textual proposal. Such textual proposals should continue 
to be developed in parallel to th e textual proposal set out above.  
 
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