. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  RESTRICTED 
S/WPDR/M/52 
15 November 2011 
 (11-5878) 
Working Party on Domestic Regulation  
  
 
REPORT OF THE MEETING H ELD ON 4 NOVEMBER 2011 
 
Note by the Secretariat
1 
  
1. The Working Party on Domestic Regulation (W PDR) held a meeting on 4 November 2011.  
The meeting was chaired by Mr. Ahmad Mukhtar (Pakistan).  The agenda for the meeting was 
contained in Airgram WTO/AIR/3843, dated 24 October 2011.  The agenda was adopted. 
A. D
EVELOPMENT OF REGULATORY DISCIPLINES UNDER GATS ARTICLE VI:4 
2. The Chairman recalled that he had held informal  consultations on 28 October 2011 to discuss 
the organization of work based on the technical is sues proposed by the Members and himself, which 
were circulated in documents RD/SERV/59 to 67.  All the technical issues had been compiled into a 
single list and had been circulated in document RD /SERV/68.  A synopsis in the form of a table 
reproducing all the issues according to theme and Member had also been circulated in document 
RD/SERV/70.  Both documents were produced to assist Members in their discussion of technical 
issues.  The Chairman reiterated that these docum ents were not intended to be exhaustive and 
Members could propose other issues or topics during the course of the discussions.  
3. The Chairman explained the Indicative Work Plan in document RD/SERV/71, which had 
been prepared following Members' request to or ganize the sequence in which the Working Party 
would address topics at future meetings.  He clarifie d that the Work Plan might be adjusted in the 
future depending on the pace and direction of the discussions. Members could also revert to issues 
raised in previous meetings if they considered it to be necessary.  The Members had decided to start 
the substantive discussions at this meeting with  the theme of "transparency".  He suggested 
proceeding with the discussion in informal mode so as to as to allow for an easier and more open 
exchange of views on that theme.  An informal  summary of the discussion would be provided under 
the Chairman's own responsibility.  
4. The meeting continued in informal mode.  
5. Following the informal discussion, the Chairman  reminded Members that in accordance with 
the Indicative Work Plan at the next meeting the qu estions under the themes of simplicity of licensing 
and qualification procedures, impartiality of pr ocedures, independence of regulators and single 
window of applications would be addressed.  He  requested Members to consult their domestic 
stakeholders on these issues.  He also reminded Me mbers that should there be any further comments 
on issues related to transparency, these could be taken up at the next meeting.  As had been requested 
by Members, he confirmed that the Secretar iat would prepare a background note on technical 
standards for the first quarter of 2012.  The Secret ariat also confirmed that it would be preparing a 
note on WTO jurisprudence on the use of the terms "measures of general application", as had been 
requested by Members, to facilitate  the discussion on transparency.  
                                                      
1 This document has been prepared under the Secret ariat's own responsibility and without prejudice to 
the positions of Members and to their rights and obligations under the WTO. S/WPDR/M/52 
Page 2  
 
  B. F
UTURE WORK  
6. The Chairman recalled that at previous informal meetings some delegations had requested to 
hold discussions on issues at the sectoral level.  At the last meeting on 27 September, Members had 
asked the Secretariat to start looking at the regulat ory issues contained in the Secretariat Sectoral 
Notes with a view to producing a note for discussion by Members in the early part of 2012.  He 
suggested waiting for that document before  reverting to this agenda item.  
C. OTHER BUSINESS  
7. The representative of Turkey thanked the S ecretariat for producing all the documents 
requested.  Additionally, he pointed out that the proposal to substitute full minutes of the meetings 
with summary minutes of the meetings had not b een agreed by the Budget Committee.  Pending the 
decision of the Budget Committee, he requested th at the Secretariat not make any economies on the 
interventions by delegations.  
8. The representatives of Hong Kong, China, and New Zealand, who were joined by other 
Members, thanked the Chairman fo r the tireless efforts and work well done in this Working Party and 
wished him well in his future endeavours. 
9. The Chairman thanked the Member s, Secretariat and the interpreters for their support in the 
work of the Working Party, and the meeting was adjourned.  
__________