The texts reproduced here do not have the legal standing of the original documents which are entrusted and kept at the WTO Secretariat in Geneva.
Also in this section:
- Language Incorporating GATT 1947 and other Instruments into GATT 1994
- Preamble
- Article I
- Article II
- Article III
- Article IV
- Article V
- Article VI
- Article VII
- Article VIII
- Article IX
- Article X
- Article XI
- Article XII
- Article XIII
- Article XIV
- Article XV
- Article XVI
- Article XVII
- Article XVIII
- Article XIX
- Article XX
- Article XXI
- Article XXII
- Article XXIII
- Article XXIV
- Article XXV
- Article XXVI
- Article XXVII
- Article XXVIII
- Article XXVIII bis
- Article XXIX
- Article XXX
- Article XXXI
- Article XXXII
- Article XXXIII
- Article XXXIV
- Article XXXV
- Article XXXVI
- Article XXXVII
- Article XXXVIII
- Table of Regional Trade Agreements Notified to the GATT/WTO and in Force, as of 30 September 2011
Table of contents
I. Language Incorporating GATT 1947 and Other Instruments Into GATT 1994 back to top
A. Text of the Language Incorporating GATT 1947 and Other Instruments into GATT 1994
B. Interpretation and Application of the Language Incorporating GATT 1947 and Other Instruments into GATT 1994
1. General
2. Paragraph 1
(a)
Paragraph 1(a): “the provisions in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, dated 30
October 1947 … as rectified, modified or amended …”
(b) Paragraph 1(b): Legal instruments under the GATT 1947
(i)
“protocols and certifications relating to tariff concessions”
(ii) “protocols of accession”
(iii) “decisions on waivers granted under GATT 1947 and still in force …”
(iv) Item (iv) — “other decisions of the CONTRACTING PARTIES to GATT 1947”
(c) Relationship with Article XVI:1 of the WTO Agreement
3. Paragraph 2
(a) Allocation of functions of the CONTRACTING PARTIES acting jointly
(b) Authentic texts of GATT 1994
4. Paragraph 3
A. Text of the Preamble
B. Interpretation and Application of the Preamble
A. Text of Article I
B. Text of Notes Ad Article I
C. Interpretation and Application of Article I
1. Article I:1
(a) General
(i) Object and purpose
(ii) Application to de facto discrimination
(iii) Order of examination
(b) “All rules and formalities in connection with importation or exportation”
(c) “all matters referred to in paragraphs 2 and 4 of Article III”
(d) “Any advantage, favour, privilege or immunity granted by any Member”
(i) General
(ii) Allocation of tariff quotas
(iii) Flexibility in import procedures
(iv) Access to certification procedures
(v) GATT practice
(e) “like products”
(f) “any product originating in or destined for any other country”
(g) “shall be accorded immediately and unconditionally”
(i) General
2. Articles I:2 and I:4: historical preferences
3. Exceptions and derogations to the MFN principle
(a) Enabling Clause
(i) Text and adoption of the Enabling Clause
(ii) Notification, consultation and transparency for
preferential measures
(iii) Regional trade agreements (RTAs) notified under the
Enabling Clause
(iv) Special treatment of the least-developed countries
(v) Interpretation
(b) Anti-dumping and countervailing duties
(c) Frontier traffic, customs unions and free trade areas
(i) Waiver on Preferential Tariff Treatment for Least-Developed
Countries
(ii) Decision on duty-free and quota-free market access for least-developed countries
(iii) Other waivers of Article I:1
4. Relationship with other GATT provisions
(a) Article III
(b) Article VI
(c) Article XI
(d) Article XIII
(e) Article XXIV
(f) Article XXVIII
5. Relationship with other WTO Agreements
(a) SCM Agreement
A. Text of Article II
B. Text of Note Ad Article II
C. Understanding on Interpretation of Article II .1(B) of the GATT
1994
D. Interpretation and Application of Article II
1. Article II:1: Interpretation of tariff concessions
(a) General
(b) Applicable interpretative rules
(c) Ordinary meaning and factual context
(d) Context for tariff concessions including Harmonized System
(f) Circumstances of conclusion
(g) Relevance of “legitimate expectations”
(a) “treatment no less favourable”
(b) “Treatment”: Schedule concessions other than duties on importation
(i) Non-tariff concessions
(ii) Export duties and taxes
(a) Duties or charges under Article II:1(b)
(b) “subject to the terms, conditions or qualifications set forth in that Schedule”
(d) “in excess of”
(e) “other duties or charges” (ODCs)
(i) General
(ii) Import surcharges
(iii) Foreign exchange fees
(iv) Recording of “other duties and charges”
pursuant
to the Understanding on Article II.1(b)
(f) “date of this Agreement” (Article II:1(b), II:1(c), II:6(a))
(g) Relationship between paragraphs 1(b) and 2(a)
4. Article II:2
(b) Article II:2(b)
5. Article II:5
6. Article II:7
7. Relationship with other GATT provisions
(a) General
(b) Article III
(c) Article XIII
(d) Article XVII
8. Exceptions and derogations from Article II
(a) Waivers
(b) Price-based measures taken for balance of payments purposes
9. Relationship with other WTO agreements
2. Consolidated Loose-Leaf Schedules and Market Access Databases
(a) Consolidated Loose-Leaf Schedules and Consolidated Tariff Schedule (CTS) Data Base
(b) Integrated Data Base (IDB) Project
(c) Dissemination and access to CTS Database, IDB and other tariff data
3. Implementation in WTO Schedules of HS changes
F. Tariff Initiatives in the WTO
1. Ministerial Declaration on Trade in Information Technology Products
A. Text of Article III
B. Text of Note Ad Article III
C. Interpretation and Application of Article III
1. General
(i) Avoidance of protectionism in the application of internal
measures
(ii) Protection of tariff commitments under Article III/Relevance of
tariff concessions
(iii) Comparison with competition law
(iv) GATT practice
(b) Scope of application — measures imposed at the time or point of importation
(ii) State trading enterprises
(iii) GATT practice
(c) Relevance of policy purpose of internal measures / “aims-and-effects” test
(d) Relevance of trade effects
(a) Relationship between paragraph 1 and paragraphs 2, 4 and 5
(a) General
(i) General distinction between first and second sentences
(ii) Relationship with paragraph 1
(iii) Legal status of Note Ad Article III:2
(b) Article III:2, first sentence
(i) General
(ii) “like domestic products”
(iii) “internal tax or other internal charge of any kind”
(iv) “in excess of those applied”
(v) “directly or indirectly”
(c) Article III:2, second sentence
(i) General
(ii) “directly competitive or substitutable products”
(iii) “not similarly taxed”
(iv) “so as to afford protection to domestic production”
(a) General
(i) Test under paragraph 4
(ii) Burden of proof
(iii) Relationship with other paragraphs of Article III
(b) “like products”
(i) Relevant factors
(ii) GATT practice
(c) “laws, regulations or requirements”
(i) Differences from
“measures” under Article
XXIII:1(b)
(ii) Non-mandatory measures
(iii) Action of private parties
(iv) The term “requirement”
(v) GATT practice
(d) “affecting the internal sale, offering for sale, purchase”
(i) Scope of
“affecting”
(ii) Application of “affecting”
(iii) GATT practice
(e) “treatment no less favourable”
(i) General
(ii) Methodology of comparison
(f) Relationship with other GATT provisions
(i) Article III:8
(ii) Article XX
(iii) Article XXIII:1(b)
(iv) GATT practice
(a) Item (b)
(i) “the payment of subsidies exclusively to domestic
producers”
(ii) GATT practice
6. Relationship with other GATT provisions
(a) Article I
(b) Article II
(c) Article VI
(d) Article XI
(e) Article XVII
7. Relationship with other WTO Agreements
(a) General
(b) SPS Agreement
(c) TBT Agreement
(d) SCM Agreement
(e) TRIMs Agreement
(f) GATS
A. Text of Article IV
B. Interpretation and Application of Article IV
A. Text of Article V
B. Text of Note Ad Article V
C. Interpretation and Application of Article V
1. General
2. Article V:2
(a) “There shall be freedom of transit”
(b) “No distinction shall be made”
3. Article V:5
4. Article V:6
(b) Obligations under paragraph 6
5. Relationship with other GATT provisions
A. Text of Article VI
B. Text of Note Ad Article VI
C. Interpretation and Application of Article VI
1. Scope and applicability of Article VI
(a) Subject matter applicability
2. Article VI:1
(a) Definitional nature and elements of paragraph 1
(b) Irrelevance of “intent” in determining dumping
4. Article VI:2
(a) “a contracting party may levy … an antidumping duty”: Permissible responses to dumping
(b) Methodology of investigation
(i) No obligation to choose a particular methodology
(ii) Price comparisons and zeroing
5. Article VI:3
(a) Relationship between Paragraph 3 and the SCM Agreement
(b) Permissible responses to subsidization
7. Article VI:4
8. Article VI:5
9. Article VI:6
(a) Article VI:6(a): material injury
10. Relationship with other GATT provisions
(a) Article I
(b) Article II
(c) Article III
(d) Article XI
11. Relationship with other WTO Agreements
(b) SCM Agreement
A. Text of Article VII
B. Text of Note Ad Article VII
C. Interpretation and Application of Article VII
A. Text of Article VIII
B. Text of Note Ad Article VIII
C. Interpretation and Application of Article VIII
3. Relationship with other GATT provisions
(a) Article II:1(b) and recording of changes in Schedules pursuant to Understanding on Article II:1(b)
4. Relationship with other WTO Agreements
A. Text
of Article IX
B. Interpretation and Application of Article IX
A. Text of Article X
B. Interpretation and Application of Article X
1. General
2. Article X:1
(a) “Laws, regulations, judicial decisions and administrative rulings”
(c) “made effective”
(f) “promptly”
(h) “confidential information”
(i) GATT practice
3. Article X:2
(a) General
(b) “measure of general application”
(d) Enforcement before official publication
4. Article X:3
(a) General
(b) Article X:3(a)
(i) General
(ii) “shall administer”
(iii) “in a uniform, impartial and reasonable manner”
(c) Article X:3(b)
(i) “prompt review and correction”
(ii) “administrative action relating to customs matters”
(iii) “Such tribunals or procedures shall be independent of
the agencies entrusted with administrative enforcement”
(d) Article X:3(c)
(i) “the date of this Agreement”
5. Relationship with other GATT provisions
(a) General
(b) Article I
(c) Article III
(d) GATT practice
6. Relationship with other WTO Agreements
A. Text of Article XI
B. Text of Note Ad Article XI
C. Interpretation and Application of Article XI
1. General
(a) Role of Article XI in GATT
(b) Burden of proof
(c) GATT practice
2. Article XI:1
(a) “restrictions or prohibitions”
(b) De facto prohibitions or restrictions
(f) Trade balancing requirements
(g) Minimum export price requirements
(h) Restrictions on circumstances of importation
(i) Restrictions on imports by particular persons
(ii) Trading rights
(iii) Restrictions on ports of entry
(i) “restrictions made effective through statetrading operations”
(k) “prohibitions or restrictions … on the exportation or sale for export of any product”
(l) GATT practice regarding Article XI:1
(a) Burden of proof
(b) “Export prohibitions or restrictions”
(e) “prevent or relieve critical shortages”
4. Notification of quantitative restrictions and non-tariff trade barriers
5. Relationship with other GATT provisions
(a) Article II
(b) Article III
(c) Article VI
(d) Article XVII
(e) GATT practice regarding relationship with other Articles
6. Relationship with other WTO Agreements
(b) TRIMs Agreement
(c) SPS Agreement
A. Text of Article XII
B. Text of Note Ad Article XII
C. Understanding on the Balance-of-Payments Provisions of the General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994
D. Interpretation And Application of Article XII
1. General
3. Relationship with other GATT provisions
(a) Article II
(b) Article XVIII
A. Text of Article XIII
B. Text of Note Ad Article XIII
C. Interpretation and Application of Article XIII
1. General
2. Article XIII:1: “the importation … is similarly restricted”
(a) Chapeau: “aim at a distribution of trade”
(b) Article XIII:2(a): “quotas representing the total amount of permitted imports … shall be fixed”
(c) Article XIII:2(b): import licensing schemes
(d) Article XIII:2(d): quota allocation
(i) Agreements under Article XIII:2(d)
(ii) “among supplying countries”:
(iii) Allocation of quotas to non-Members and newly acceded Members
4. Article XIII:4: Adjustment of quota allocation
(a) Application of Article XIII to tariff quotas
6. Relationship with other GATT provisions
(a) Article I
(b) Article II
(c) Article XI
(d) Article XXIV
(e) Article XXVIII
(f) Reference to GATT practice
7. Relationship with other WTO Agreements
A. Text of Article XIV
B. Text of Notes Ad Article XIV
C. Interpretation and Application of Article XIV
A. Text of Article XV
B. Text of Note Ad Article XV
C. Interpretation and Application of Article XV
1. Article XV:1: “cooperation with the International Monetary Fund”
2. Article XV:2: Consultation with the Fund
(a) Participation by the Fund in balance-of-payments consultations
(b) Consultation with the Fund in the context of dispute settlement
(c) “findings of statistical and other facts presented by the Fund”
3. Article XV:6: special exchange agreements
(a) “exchange controls or exchange restrictions”
(b) “in accordance with the Articles of Agreement of the International Monetary Fund”
XVIII. Article XVI
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A. Text of Article XVI
B. Text of Notes Ad Article XVI
C. Interpretation and Application of Article XVI
A. Text of Article XVII
B. Text of Notes Ad Article XVII
C. Understanding on the Interpretation of Article XVII of the General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994
D. Interpretation and Application of Article XVII
1. General
(b) Note Ad Articles XI, XII, XIII, XIV and XVIII
(a) General: State trading enterprises
(b) “general principles of non-discriminatory treatment”
(c) GATT practice
(a) “the provisions of subparagraph (a) … shall be understood to require”
(b) “solely in accordance with commercial considerations”
(c) “adequate opportunity … to compete for participation in such purchases or sales”
(d) GATT practice
4. Relationship between Article XVII:1(a) and XVII:1(b)
(b) GATT practice
(a) Paragraph 1
(b) Paragraph 3
(c) Paragraph 5
(i) Working Party on State Trading Enterprises
(ii) “an illustrative list”
7. Relationship with other GATT provisions
(a) Article I
(b) Article II
(c) Article III
(d) Article XI
8. Relationship with other WTO Agreements
A. Text of Article XVIII
B. Text of Notes Ad Article XVIII
C. Understanding on the Balance-of-Payments Provisions of the General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994
D. Interpretation and Application of Article XVIII
(a) General
(c) Right to maintain balance-of-payments measures
(d) Burden of proof regarding measures justified by Article XVIII:B
(e) GATT practice
(a) General
(a) Burden of proof
(i) General
(ii) “would thereupon produce”
(c) Proviso to Article XVIII:11
(a) General
(b) Invocation and disinvocation of Articles XII and XVIII:B
(c) Footnote 1
(d) Paragraph 1
(e) Paragraph 5
(i) Committee on Balance-of-Payments Restrictions
(f) Paragraph 9
(g) Paragraph 13
(i) Conclusions
(ii) Reporting by the Committee
7. Relationship with other GATT provisions
(a) Article II
(b) Articles XI, XIII, XIV and XVII
(c) Article XII
(d) GATT practice
A. Text of Article XIX
B. Interpretation and Application of Article XIX
1. General
(a) Application of Article XIX
2. Article XIX:1: “as a result of unforeseen developments”
(a) Concept of unforeseen developments
(b) Requirement to demonstrate “unforeseen developments”
(i) General
(ii) Unforeseen developments as describing a set of circumstances
(iii) Confluence of developments to form the basis of an
unforeseen development
(i) General
(ii) Point in time where the developments were unforeseen
(iii) Judicial economy
(d) “as a result … of the effect of the obligations incurred by a Member”
(e) “being imported in such increased quantities …”
(g) “as to cause or threaten serious injury to domestic producers”
(a) “shall give notice in writing to the Contracting Parties as far as in advance as may be practicable”
(b) “an opportunity to consult”
5. Relationship with other WTO Agreements
A. Text of Article XX
B. Text of Note Ad Article XX
C. Interpretation and Application of Article XX
1. General
(a) Nature and purpose of Article XX
(i) Two-tier test
(ii) Language of paragraphs (a) to
(i)
(c) Burden of proof
(a) Purpose
(b) “arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination between countries where the same conditions prevail”
(i) Constitutive elements
(ii) Type of discrimination covered by the chapeau
(iii) Standard of discrimination
(iv) Examples of arbitrary and unjustifiable discrimination
(c) “disguised restriction on international trade”
(d) Reference to GATT practice
(b) “necessary”
(a) Three-tier test
(i) General
(ii) Policy objective of the measure at issue
(iii) “necessary”
(b) GATT practice
(a) General
(b) “necessary”
(c) Aspect of measure to be justified as “necessary”
(f) “Reasonably available” alternatives
(g) GATT practice
6. Paragraph (g): “relating to the conservation of exhaustible natural resources”
(a) “the conservation of exhaustible natural resources”
(i) Jurisdictional limitations
(ii) Meaning of “exhaustible natural resources”
(iii) GATT practice
(b) “relating to”
(i) Aspect of the measure to be justified as
“relating
to”
(ii) Meaning of “relating to”
and “primarily
aimed at”
(c) “measures made effective in conjunction with”
(d) GATT practice
7. Relationship between Article XX and other WTO Agreements
(b) SPS Agreement
(c) Special provisions in Protocols of Accession
XXIII. Article XXI
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A. Text of Article XXI
B. Interpretation and Application of Article XXI
XXIV. Article XXII
back to top
A. Text of Article XXII
B. Interpretation and Application of Article XXII
XXV. Article XXIII
back to top
A. Text of Article XXIII
B. Interpretation and Application of Article XXIII
1. General
(a) Relationship between Articles XXIII:1(a) and XXIII:1(b)
(a) Overview of the non-violation complaint
(b) Purpose
(c) Scope
(d) Test under Article XXIII:1(b)
(e) Burden of proof
(f) “measure”
(g) “benefit”
(j) Non-violation complaints in relation to the Agreement on Government Procurement
(k) Relationship with other WTO Agreements
XXVI. Article XXIV
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A. Text of Article XXIV
B. Text of Ad Article XXIV
C. Understanding on the Interpretation of Article XXIV of the General
Agreement on Tariffs And Trade 1994
D. Transparency Mechanism For Regional Trade Agreements
E. Interpretation and Application of Article XXIV
(a) Committee on Regional Trade Agreements
(b) Enabling Clause
(a) “not to raise barriers to the trade of other contracting parties”
(b) Relationship between paragraph 4 and paragraphs 5 to 9
(c) Reference to GATT practice
(a) Chapeau
(i) “the provisions of this Agreement shall not prevent
… the formation of a customs union or of a free-trade area”:
the “necessity test”
(ii) Reference to GATT practice
(i) Link with the chapeau
(ii) “The general incidence of duties”
(iii) “Other regulations of commerce”
(c) Evaluation of trade-restrictiveness under paragraph 5
(d) Reference to GATT practice
(a) “Any contracting party … shall promptly notify the contracting parties”
(b) Examination and consideration of agreements
(i) Working parties
(ii) Committee on Regional Trade Agreements
(iii) Reference to GATT practice
(c) Legal status of agreements in the absence of recommendations pursuant to Article XXIV:7
(a) “substantially all the trade”
(b) Reference to GATT practice
(c) Article XXIV:8(a)(ii): “substantially the same duties and other regulations of commerce”
(i) Interpretation
(ii) Reference to GATT practice
8. Understanding on the Interpretation of Article XXIV of the GATT 1994
(a) Reporting requirements in accordance with paragraphs 9 and 11 of the Understanding
(b) Dispute settlement under paragraph 12 of the Understanding
9. Transparency Mechanism for Regional Trade Agreements
10. Relationship with other GATT provisions
(a) Article I
(b) Article XI
(c) Article XIII
11. Relationship with other WTO Agreements
(i) Footnote 1 to Article 2.1
(ii) Article 2.2
(b) Agreement on Textiles and Clothing
XXVII. Article XXV
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A. Text of Article XXV
B. Interpretation and Application of Article XXV
(a) Understanding In Respect of Waivers of Obligations Under the GATT 1994
(i) Text
(ii) Interpretation and Application
XXVIII. Article XXVI
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A. Text of Article XXVI
B. Interpretation and Application of Article XXVI
1. Paragraph 1: “date of this Agreement”
3. Acceptance, entry into force, deposit and registration
4. Practice under the GATT 1947 including provisional application
XXIX. Article XXVII
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A. Text of Article XXVII
B. Interpretation and Application of Article XXVII
1. Withholding or withdrawal of concessions made in multilateral trade negotiations
XXX. Article XXVIII
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A. Text of Article XXVIII
B. Text of Note Ad Article XXVIII
C. Understanding on the Interpretation of Article XXVIII of the
General Agreement an Tariffs and Trade 1994
D. Interpretation and Application of Article XXVIII
1. Legal relevance of Article XXVIII negotiations in interpretation of GATT Articles
2. Article XXVIII:2: “general level of … concessions not less favourable to trade”
3. Review of the Understanding on the Interpretation of Article XXVIII of the GATT 1994
4. Renegotiation of concessions under Article XXVIII
6. Notifications submitted under Article XXVIII:5
7. GATT practice under Article XXVIII
XXXI. Article XXVIII
bis back to top
A. Text of Article XXVIII bis
B. Text of Note Ad Article XXVIII bis
C. Interpretation and Application of Article XXVIII bis
XXXII. Article XXIX
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A. Text of Article XXIX
B. Text of Note Ad Article XXIX
C. Interpretation and Application of Article XXIX
XXXIII. Article XXX
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A. Text of Article XXX
B. Interpretation and Application of Article XXX
XXXIV. Article XXXI
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A. Text of Article XXXI
B. Interpretation and Application of Article XXXI
XXXV. Article XXXII
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A. Text of Article XXXII
B. Interpretation and Application of Article XXXII
XXXVI. Article XXXIII
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A. Text of Article XXXIII
B. Interpretation and Application of Article XXXIII
XXXVII. Article XXXIV
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A. Text of Article XXXIV
B. Interpretation and Application of Article XXXIV
XXXVIII. Article XXXV
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A. Text of Article XXXV
B. Interpretation and Application of Article XXXV
XXXIX. Article XXXVI
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A. Text of Article XXXVI
B. Text of Note Ad Article XXXVI
C. Interpretation and Application of Article XXXVI
1. General
2. WTO Work Programme for the Least-Developed Countries
3. Integrated Framework (IF), Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) and Aid for Trade
4. Favourable and more preferential treatment for developing countries
5. Work Programme on Small Economies, Paragraph 35 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration
XL. Article XXXVII
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A. Text of Article XXXVII
B. Text of Ad Article XXXVII
C. Interpretation and Application of Article XXXVII
1. General
XLI. Article XXXVIII
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A. Text of Article XXXVIII
B. Interpretation and Application of Article XXXVIII
1. General
XLII. Table of Regional Trade Agreements Notified to the
GATT/WTO and
in Force, as of 30 September 2011 back to top