. /.  RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/REG165/M/2 
7 February 2006 
 
 (06-0507) 
Committee on Regional Trade Agreements 
Forty-First Session Original:  English 
 
 
 
EXAMINATION OF THE CHILE – EL SALVADOR  
FREE TRADE AGREEMENT, GOODS AND SERVICES 
 
Note on the Meeting of 24 January 2006  
 
Chairman:  Mr. A. Egger (Switzerland) 
 
1. The meeting was convened in document WTO/AIR/2734. 
2. Under Agenda Item C.IX of its 41st Session, the Committee on Regional Trade Agreements 
(hereinafter CRTA or the Committee) took up the second round of examination of the Free Trade 
Agreement between Chile and El Salvador, Goods and Services. 
3. The Chairman  noted that the proceedings of the first round of examination of both the goods 
and services aspects of the Agreement, which took place in February 2005, could be found in 
document WT/REG165/M/1.  Since then, the Parties had provided replies to questions put by delegations which had been circ ulated in document WT/REG165/6. 
4. The following items were discussed: 
 A. Item C.IX-A – Goods Aspects 
 B. Item  C.IX-B – Services Aspects  A. G
OODS ASPECTS  
5. Given that the Committee had already had a round of discussion under each of the headings 
of the Standard Format, document WT/REG165/4, the Chairman  invited comments and questions by 
broad Section. 
6. The Chairman  observed that the Committee seemed to have exhausted the factual inquiry and 
proposed that the Secretariat begin drafting the report for this examination. It was so agreed . 
7. The Committee took note  of the comments made. 
B. SERVICES ASPECTS  
8. Given that the Committee had already had a round of discussion under each of the headings 
of the Standard Format, document WT/REG165/5, the Chairman  invited comments and questions by 
broad Section. 
9. The representative of the European Communities  had a question under Section I 
("Background Information on the Agreement"), on financial services.  Since this sector had been 
excluded from the Agreement, he enquired about the state of play in discussions or negotiations regarding the inclusion of financial services in th e liberalization process. The representative of Chile
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  said that the Free Trade Commission, which was mana ging the Agreement, met once a year to analyze 
all pending topics, including financial services.  Ho wever, they had not yet decided when negotiations 
to include this sector in the Agreement would begi n.  In this context, she recalled that financial 
services was excluded in practice but not per se  from the Agreement, and that  at some point the sector 
would become part of the Agreement. 
10. The representative of the European Communities
 requested the Parties an update on the state 
of play of the Investment Chapter.  The representative of Chile  explained that at the time of 
negotiating the Agreement, both countries had signed an  Agreement on Protection of Investments that 
had been integrated into the FTA, and that this cont inued to be the status quo.  She added that it was 
possible that the investment provisions be improved, as part of the mandate of the Commission to 
review and improve the Agreement. 
11. The Chairman  observed that the Committee seemed to have exhausted the factual inquiry and 
proposed that the Secretariat begin drafting the report for this examination. It was so agreed . 
12. The Committee took note  of the comments made. 
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