WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/L/276
20 November 1998
(98-4661)
COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE:  GENERAL COUNCIL OVERVIEW OF
WTO ACTIVITIES (1998)
Report by the Chairman
The present report by the Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture, Ambassador Nestor
Osorio Londoño, is submitted on his own responsibility as agreed by the Committee.
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The Committee on Agriculture held four regular meetings in 1998:  on 19-20 March,
25-26 June, 30 September to 1 October and 17-18 November (Secretariat summary reports of these
meetings G/AG/R/13 to 16 refer).
In accordance with Article 18.1 of the Agreement on Agriculture, the Committee, at each of
its meetings, reviewed progress in the implementation of commitments negotiated under the Uruguay
Round reform programme.  This review process was undertaken on the basis of notifications
submitted by Members in the areas of market access, domestic support and export subsidies and the
provisions of the Agreement relating to export prohibitions and restrictions.  In 1998 the Committee
reviewed 232 notifications in these areas compared with 242 in 1997.  At each of its meetings the
Committee reviewed the overall position with respect to notification obligations under Article 18.2
and other relevant provisions of the Agreement.  The current situation is summarized in Annex I to
this report.
The Committee also addressed a wide range of general and specific matters relevant to the
implementation of commitments that were raised under the provisions of Article 18.6 of the
Agreement.  A number of the matters thus raised have been the subject of informal consultations.
At its March meeting the Committee reviewed the list of least-developed and net food-
importing developing countries, as required by its November 1995 decision (G/AG/3).  As there were
no requests for inclusion in the list it was decided that the review be held over until the Committee's
March 1999 meeting.  The follow-up to the Marrakesh Ministerial Decision as a whole was monitored
by the Committee pursuant to Article 16.2 of the Agreement at its November meeting, including the
follow-up to the recommendations of Singapore WTO Ministerial meeting on food aid and othermatters related to this Decision.  On this occasion, the international intergovernmental observer
organizations were invited to provide, as appropriate, updated assessments of the impact of the
implementation of the Agreement on Agriculture on developing countries generally and, in particular,
on least-developed and net food-importing developing countries and other relevant information.
At its November meeting, the Committee also undertook the annual consultations under
Article 18.5 of the Agreement on Agriculture with respect to the participation of Members in the
normal growth of world trade in agricultural pr oducts within the framework of the commitments on
export subsidies.G/L/276
Page 2
Under the arrangements adopted at the March, 1997 meeting of the Committee the process of
analysis and information exchange ("the AIE process") agreed to by the Singapore Ministerial
Conference (paragraph 12 of G/L/131 and WT/MIN(96)/DEC, paragraph 19 refer) has been
undertaken through informal open-ended meetings.  Five such meetings were held in 1998.  Members
discussed topics in a wide range of areas, including special safeguards, direct payments underproduction limiting programmes, direct payments decoupled from production, AMS commitments,
effects of inflation on domestic support reduction commitments, state trading enterprises, export
subsidies, export restrictions and taxes, food security, other non-trade concerns and the
multifunctional nature of agriculture, issues of interest to developing countries, and techniques of
trade liberalization.  The discussions were based on informal papers submitted by Members.  In
addition, a number of factual Secretariat background papers have been provided in order to facilitate
the work of the AIE process.  These informal papers  are listed in Annex II to this report.  Following
each of the AIE meetings the Chairman made a factual summary report to the Committee at its regular
meetings which is included in the Secretariat summary reports of these meetings (G/AG/R/13 to 16
refer).
The following international intergovernmental organizations have regular observer status in
the Committee:  FAO, IMF, the International Grains Council, the OECD, UNCTAD, the UN WorldFood Programme and the World Bank.  No consensus was reached with regard to applications for
observer status which had been under consideration by the Committee since March 1997, by the ACP
Secretariat, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Inter-American Institute for Agriculture
Cooperation (G/AG/W/29/Rev.1).
The Committee adopted the following schedule for the Committee's regular meetings in 1999:
18-19 March, 24-25 June, 29-30 September and 17-18 November.G/L/276
Page 3Annex I – Regular notifications pertaining to the 1995 to 1997 years made under the Agreement on Agriculture
MA:1 MA:2 MA:5 DS:1 ES:1 ES:2
Imports under tariff quotas Special safeguard Domestic support Export subsidies Total exports
One off 1995 1996 1997 1995 1996 1997 1995 1996 1997 1995 1996 1997 1995 1996 1997
Angola NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) NA NA NA NA NA
Antigua & Barbuda NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Argentina NA NA NA NA NA NA NA X X X X X
A u s t r a l i a X X XXXXX X X X X X XX XX
B a h r a i n N A N A N AN AN AN AN A X *X X * X N A N AN A
Bangladesh NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) NA NA NA
Barbados X X X NA NA NA
B e l i z e N A N A N AN AN AN AN A N A N AN A
B e n i n N A N A N AN AN AN AN A N A ( N A ) X N A N A N AN A
Bolivia NA NA NA NA NA NA NA X X X X X X NA NA NA
Botswana NA NA NA NA X X X X X NA NA NA
Brazil X X X X NA NA NA X X X X X X X X
Brunei Darussalam NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Bulgaria NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Burkina Faso NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) X* X NA NA NA
Burundi NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) NA NA NA
Cameroon NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Canada X X X X X X X X X X X X
Central African Rep. NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) NA NA NA
Chad NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) X* NA X* X* NA NA NA
Chile NA NA NA NA NA NA NA X X X X X X X X X
C o l o m b i a X X XXXXX X X X X X
Congo NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
C o s t a  R i c a X X XXXXX X * X * X * X X XX XX
Côte d'Ivoire NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Cuba NA NA NA NA NA NA NA X X X X X
Cyprus NA NA NA NA NA NA NA X X X* X X X X
Czech Republic X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
Dem. Rep. of the Congo NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) NA NA NA NA NA
Djibouti NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) NA NA NA
Dominica NA NA NA NA NA NA NA X X X NA NA NA
Dominican Republic NA NA NA NA NA NA NA X NA NA NA
E C X X XXXX X X X X X
Ecuador X NA NA X NA X NA X NA NA NAG/L/276
Page 4
Annex I – Regular notifications pertaining to the 1995 to 1997 years made under the Agreement on Agriculture  (cont'd)
MA:1 MA:2 MA:5 DS:1 ES:1 ES:2
Imports under tariff quotas Special safeguard Domestic support Export subsidies Total exports
One off 1995 1996 1997 1995 1996 1997 1995 1996 1997 1995 1996 1997 1995 1996 1997
E g y p t N A N A N AN AN AN AN A N A N AN A
El Salvador X X X X X X X X X X X X NA NA NA
Fiji NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA X X NA X X NA NA NA
Gabon NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Gambia NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) X NA X NA NA NA
Ghana NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Grenada NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Guatemala X X X X X X X X* X X NA NA NA
Guinea Bissau NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) NA NA NA
Guinea, Republic of NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) NA NA NA
Guyana NA NA NA NA NA NA NA X X NA NA NA
H a i t i N A N A N AN AN AN AN A N A ( N A ) N A N A N AN A
Honduras NA NA NA NA NA NA NA X X X
Hong Kong, China NA NA NA NA NA NA NA X X X X X X NA NA NA
Hungary X X X X X X X X X X X X
Iceland X X X X X X X X X X X X X
I n d i a N A N A N AN AN AN AN A X N A N AN A
Indonesia X X X X X X X X X
I s r a e l X X XXXXX X X X X XX XX
J a m a i c a N A N A N AN AN AN AN A X X X X X N A N AN A
Japan X X X X X X X X X X X X NA NA NA
K e n y a N A N A N AN AN AN AN A X X X X X N A N AN A
Korea X X X X X X X X X X X NA NA NA
Kuwait NA NA NA NA NA NA NA X* NA NA NA
Lesotho NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) NA NA NA
M a c a u N A N A N AN AN AN AN A X X X X X X N A N AN A
Madagascar NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) NA NA NA
Malawi NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) NA NA NA
Malaysia X X X X X X X X X X X
Maldives NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) NA NA NA
Mali NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) NA NA NA
M a l t a N A N A N AN AN AN AN A X X N A N AN A
Mauritania NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) NA NA NA
M a u r i t i u s N A N A N AN AN AN AN A N A N AN A
Mexico X X X X XG/L/276
Page 5Annex I – Regular notifications pertaining to the 1995 to 1997 years made under the Agreement on Agriculture  (cont'd)
MA:1 MA:2 MA:5 DS:1 ES:1 ES:2
Imports under tariff quotas Special safeguard Domestic support Export subsidies Total exports
One off 1995 1996 1997 1995 1996 1997 1995 1996 1997 1995 1996 1997 1995 1996 1997
Mongolia NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA X NA NA X NA NA NA
M o r o c c o X X XXXXX X X X X X N A N A N A
Mozambique NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) NA NA NA
Myanmar NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) NA NA NA
Namibia NA NA NA NA X X X X X NA NA NA
New Zealand X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
Nicaragua X X X NA NA NA
Niger NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) NA NA NA NA NA
Nigeria NA NA NA NA NA NA NA X X X X X X NA NA NA
N o r w a y X X XXXXX X X X X XX XX
Pakistan NA NA NA NA NA NA NA X X X X X X X X X
Panama X NA NA X NA NA X NA NA NA NA X* NA NA X*
Papua New Guinea NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Paraguay NA NA NA NA NA NA NA X X X X NA NA NA
Peru NA NA NA NA NA NA NA X X X NA NA NA
Philippines X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
P o l a n d X X XXXXX X X X X XX XX
Q a t a r N A N A N AN AN AN AN A N A N AX N A N AN A
Romania X X X X X X X X
Rwanda NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) NA NA NA NA
S a i n t  K i t t s  &  N e v i s N A N A N AN AN AN AN A N A N A N A N AN A
Saint Lucia NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Saint Vincent & Gre. NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Senegal NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Sierra Leone NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) NA NA NA
Singapore NA NA NA NA NA NA NA X X X X X X NA NA NA
Slovak Republic X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
Slovenia X X X X NA NA NA X X X X X NA NA NA
Solomon Islands NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) NA NA NA NA
South Africa X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
Sri Lanka NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Suriname NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Swaziland NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Switzerland-Liechtenstein X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
Tanzania NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) NA NA NAG/L/276
Page 6
Annex I – Regular notifications pertaining to the 1995 to 1997 years made under the Agreement on Agriculture  (cont'd)
MA:1 MA:2 MA:5 DS:1 ES:1 ES:2
Imports under tariff quotas Special safeguard Domestic support Export subsidies Total exports
One off 1995 1996 1997 1995 1996 1997 1995 1996 1997 1995 1996 1997 1995 1996 1997
Thailand X X X X X X X X X X X X
Togo NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) NA NA NA
Trinidad and Tobago NA NA NA NA NA NA NA X X X X NA NA NA
T u n i s i a X XXXXX X X X X N A N A N A
Turkey NA NA NA NA NA NA NA X X X X X X X X X
Uganda NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) NA NA NA
United Arab Emirates NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
United States X X X X X X X X X X X
Uruguay NA NA NA NA X X X X X X X X X X X X
Venezuela X X X X X X X X X X X
Zambia NA NA NA NA NA NA NA (NA) (NA) X X X NA NA NA
Zimbabwe NA NA NA NA NA NA NA X* X* X*
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Notifications may be submitted according to various bases (calenda r, crop, fiscal years, etc.) as stipulated in G/AG/W/2/Rev.4.   The symbols used in the tables are as
follows:(a) A blank  indicates that the requirement is applicable to the Member con cerned, but that no notification has been received up to the cut -off date.
(b) " NA" indicates that the requirement was not applicable for a given Member during the implementation period considered.
(c) " (NA) " is used in conjunction with the Table DS:1 (Domestic Support) notification requirement in the case of least-developed country  Members.  While all
Members are required to notify on an annual basis, the least-developed country Members may notify every second year.
(d) " X" denotes that a notification has been received and " X*" that the notification has been received but is still under preparation.  Subsequent addenda or
corrections to notifications are not counted as additional notifications.G/L/276
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Annex II
 AIE:  PROCESS OF ANALYSIS AND INFORMATION EXCHANGE
Informal Papers Presented by Members
AIE/1: by Australia on Administration of Tariff Quotas - 13 May 1997
AIE/2: by the United States on Circumvention of Export Subsidy Commitments -
16 May 1997
AIE/3: by the United States on Data Supplied Through Notifications - 16 May 1997AIE/4: by Australia on "Green Box" Domestic Support - 16 May 1997AIE/5: by New Zealand on Tariff Quota Administration - 12 August 1997AIE/6: by Pakistan, Peru and the Dominican Republic on Issues of Interest to Developing
Countries - 19 September 1997
AIE/7: by the United States on Administration of Tariff-Rate Quotas –
22 October 1997
AIE/8: by Uruguay on Implementation of Tariff Commitments - 24 October 1997AIE/9: by Australia on Tariff Quota Administra tion:  First-Come, First-Served (FCFS) –
29 October 1997
AIE/10: by the United States on Article 6.5:  Direct Payments Under Production-Limiting
Programs - 31 October 1997
AIE/11: by the United States on State Trading Enterprises:  Single Desk Buyers and Single
Desk Sellers - 31 October 1997
AIE/12: Communication by Cuba - 18 December 1997AIE/13: by the United States on Special Agricultur al Safeguard:  Data and Analytical Issues -
19 January 1998
AIE/14: by the European Community on Direct Payments under Production-Limiting
Programmes - 20 January 1998
AIE/15: by Australia on Article 6.5:  Direct Payments under Production-Limiting Programs -
27 January 1998
AIE/16: by Australia on State Trading Enterp rises (Single Desk Buyers and Single Desk
Sellers) - 27 January 1998
AIE/17: based on New Zealand's comments (20 January 1998) on the US paper on State
Trading Enterprises (AIE/11) - 5 February 1998
AIE/18: based on New Zealand's comments (20 January 1998) on the Secretariat Background
Paper on Export Subsidies (AIE/S3) - 5 February 1998
AIE/19: by the United States on Domestic Support Policy Reform (the Federal Agriculture
Improvement and Reform Act of 1996) - 4 March 1998
AIE/20: by New Zealand on Article 5:  Special Safeguard Provisions - 5 March 1998AIE/21: by Canada on Sectoral Trade Liberalization - 17 March 1998AIE/22: by Norway on Non-Trade Concerns in a Multifunctional Agriculture - Implications
for Agricultural Policy and the Multilateral Trading System – 2 June 1998
AIE/23: by Canada on Annex 2:  Domestic Support Measures Exempt from Reduction
Commitments - 2 June 1998
AIE/24: by Canada on Export Restrictions and Taxes - 2 June 1998AIE/25: by Japan on Non-Trade Concerns on Agriculture - 2 June 1998AIE/26: by the United States on Annex 4:  Equivalent Measurement of Support - 2 June 1998AIE/27: by Australia:  Reforming Domestic Support for Agriculture - 5 June 1998
AIE/28: by New Zealand - Side Effects of Agricultural Policies and Production –
9 June 1998
AIE/29: by the EC - Domestic Support Policy Reform:  the Role of Article 6.5 Direct
Payments - 19 June 1998
AIE/30: by India - Issues of Interest to Developing Countries - 23 June 1998AIE/31: by Brazil - Trade Liberalization:  Sectoral and "Across the Board" Initiatives  -
6 July 1998G/L/276
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AIE/32: by Argentina – Non-Trade Concerns in the next Agricultural Negotiations –
27 July 1998
AIE/33: by South Africa – The Effect of Inflation on Reduction Commitments – 29 July 1998
AIE/34 by the United States – Non-Trade Concerns and Agriculture –
2 September 1998
AIE/35 by Australia – Decoupling Domestic Support – 4 September 1998AIE/36 by Australia – Non-Trade Concerns – 4 September 1998AIE/37 by the United States – Article 13 - Due Restraint Provisions –
15 September 1998
AIE/38 by the United States – Domestic Support – Response to AIE/23 and AIE/27 –
15 September 1998
AIE/39 by the Republic of Korea – Non-Trade Concerns in Net Food-Importing Countries –
22 September 1998
AIE/40 by the European Communities – Multifunctional Character of Agriculture –
28 September 1998
AIE/41 by South Africa – The Negative Effects of Export Subsidies on Developing Countries
– 26 October 1998
AIE/42 by Iceland – External Reference Price Adjustment – 27 October 1998AIE/43 by Uruguay – Tariff Peaks and Tariff Escalation for Agricultural and Agri-Food
Products and their Effects on Developing and Least-Developed Countries –
4 November 1998
AIE/44 by India – Food Security – An Important Non-Trade ConcernAIE/45 by Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia
– The Future Treatment of Domestic Support Commitments in the Case of Transitionand Post-Transition Economies – 18 November 1998
Secretariat Background Papers
AIE/S1: Tariff and Other Quotas - 9 September 1997
AIE/S1/Rev.1: Tariff and Other Quotas - Revision - 26 May 1998AIE/S2: Domestic Support - 28 October 1997
AIE/S3 Export Subsidies - 3 November 1997
AIE/S4: Tariff Quota Administration Methods and Tariff Quota Fill –
6 November 1997
AIE/S4/Rev.1: Tariff Quota Administration Methods  and Tariff Quota Fill - Revision -10 June 1998
AIE/S5: Ad valorem, Specific and other Tariffs - 6 February 1998AIE/S6: Special and Differential Treatment Provisions Relating to the Agreement on
Agriculture - 16 February 1998
AIE/S7: Studies on the Implementation and Impact of the Agreement on Agriculture on
Developing Countries - 24 February 1998
AIE/S8: NFIDC Decision - Actions Taken Within the Framework of the Decision as Notified
by Members - 27 May 1998
AIE/S9: Green Box Measures - 17 June 1998
AIE/S10: Agricultural Trade Performance by Developing Countries - 19 June 1998
AIE/S11: Uruguay Round Agricultural Tariff Reductions for Selected WTO Members
According to Stage of Processing - 23 June 1998
AIE/S12: Special Agricultural Safeguard - 9 October 1998
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