WTO news: what’s been happening in the WTO

WTO NEWS: 2000 NEWS ITEMS

17 April 2000

Services Council adopts negotiating timetable for this year

At a special session on Friday 14 April, the Council for Trade in Services adopted its work programme for 2000, including the dates for negotiating sessions (see below). It will take the shape of four "services weeks". During each of these four weeks, meetings of the services subsidiary committees (committee on specific commitments, working party on domestic regulations, working party on GATS rules) will be followed by a meeting of the services council (on the review of MFN exemptions or the review of the annex on air transport services) and finally by a special session of the services council on negotiations.

Australia and Singapore, and MERCOSUR (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay) respectively presented the special session with a communication calling for the market access phase of the negotiations to start in March 2001. The two communications also suggested that members submit their proposals concerning the modalities and the scope of the market access negotiations by the end of December 2000.

Back to top

2000 Services programme

  

Special sessions

(negotiations)

Services Council

Week of 22 May

25 or 26 May

29 - 30 May

MFN exemptions

Week of 10 July

13 or 14 July

6 - 7 July

MFN exemptions

Week of 2 October

5 or 6 October

28 - 29 September

Air transport

Week of 4 December

7 or 8 December

30 Nov. - 1 Dec.

Air transport