I
would like to take this opportunity to welcome the Delegation of China
and Members of the Working Party to this 16th Meeting of the Working
Party on the Accession of China.
There
should be little doubt in anyone's mind that this particular session
of the Working Party has been a very productive one, allowing us to
reach substantial and positive conclusions on a large number of the
outstanding issues. For this I am grateful to all delegations, but let
me take this opportunity to particularly thank the Plurilateral Chairs
for their major contributions to the results we can register today.
Members and China engaged constructively and intensively to resolve
difficult points of difference, with very positive outcomes.
Let
me, then, enumerate the areas where we have achieved substantial
results in our informal discussions over the past few days,
discussions which took place both at the plurilateral and at the
multilateral level.
I
will begin by listing those areas where we have effectively completed
the work of producing multilaterally agreed texts.
Anti-dumping/Countervailing
Measures. Here we now have agreement on a multilateral text for
the Draft Working Party Report. This text complements that already
finalized in the Draft Protocol.
Industrial
Policy, including Subsidies. On Industrial Policy, we also
now have a completed text for the Draft Working Party Report,
resolving what had proved to be a difficult area for some delegations.
Judicial
Review, Uniform Administration and Transparency. This area is also
now finalized, following some consultations in which the issues of
uniform administration and transparency were revisited. There is now
complete text on these areas for the Draft Working Party Report. The
corresponding Draft Protocol provisions had already been resolved last
autumn.
Product-Specific
Safeguard/Textiles. In this area, members of the Working Party and
China agreed the final version of a text for the Draft Report. The
agreed language gives additional clarification to the procedures to be
followed by WTO Members in cases where they may invoke the
transitional safeguard established in the Draft Protocol.
Quantitative
Import Restrictions, including Prohibitions and Quotas. Also here,
we were able to finalize the text for this section of the Draft
Working Party Report.
Sanitary
and Phytosanitary Measures. In the area of SPS, an issue not
previously the subject of plurilateral discussions, members of the
Working Party and China have been able to report completion of texts
for both the Draft Protocol and the Draft Working Party Report.
Trade-Related
Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. I am pleased to report
that here, as well, informal plurilateral discussions have allowed us
to finalize the section of the Draft Working Party Report dealing with
TRIPS.
Technical
Barriers to Trade. Members of the Working Party and China have
also finalized texts for both the Draft Protocol and the Draft Working
Party Report in this complex area of our work.
Trading
Rights. As well on trading rights, I am happy to note that we have
multilaterally agreed text for the Draft Working Party Report, text
which complements and clarifies the related agreed text of the Draft
Protocol.
Transitional
Review Mechanism. After some very intensive efforts, we now also
have a completed Draft Protocol text, with accompanying annexes, on
the Transitional Review Mechanism.
Agriculture.
I am also happy to report the latest developments to you. There
have been very intensive consultations between the most interested
parties in the field of agriculture and I understand that a text has
been agreed. I am confident now that we have an agreement on the
outstanding issues which will satisfy the entire Membership of the
Working Party. Copies of that text will be available to Members very
soon.
Then
there are a couple of areas where work is essentially complete but
where a little more time will be necessary in order to resolve a very
few outstanding issues. They are as follows.
Tariff-Rate
Quotas. Text has been consolidated for the Draft Working Party
Report. Work on the Headnotes has substantially progressed and will be
completed shortly.
Services.
Texts for the Draft Working Party Report have basically been agreed.
Only one specific issue remains to be resolved, on which consultations
are under way.
This,
then, is a brief summary of the major areas of work in which we have
been able to reach important and solid results. On the basis of these
new, multilaterally agreed texts, and those agreed at the meetings
last autumn, I will ask the Secretariat to prepare revisions to both
the Draft Working Party Report and Draft Protocol, for circulation to
the Working Party in advance of our next meeting.
What
then remains to be done? We will need to give careful examination to
the many draft Annexes to the Draft Protocol. I should point out once
again, however, that this should be done on the basis of updated and
revised drafts to be submitted by China. It will be important for
China to submit these updates and revisions in advance of the next
meeting.
Included
in these Annexes is Annex 8 dealing with restrictions to be maintained
against China. It is now time for WTO Members who intend to maintain
such restrictions on a transitional basis to address the phase-out of
such restrictions in consultation with the Chinese delegation. This
needs to be done on an urgent basis, and the results of these
consultations formally notified to the Secretariat for completion of
the Annex.
Also
included in these Annexes are the Goods and Services Schedules
detailing China's market-access commitments on Goods and Services. As
you well know, this is an area still requiring considerable work, both
to allow the Secretariat to finalize the consolidation of the these
Schedules and then to allow time for their verification by WTO
Members.
At
the next meeting we will, as well, need to conduct a thorough and
careful examination of the revised Working Party Draft Report and
Draft Protocol. The Secretariat will make every effort to ensure that
you have the revised documents sufficiently in advance of the next
meeting.
Which
brings me to the final point I wish to make in this formal meeting:
the scheduling of the next meeting of the Working Party. On the basis
of consultations I have held, it is my intention to convene the next
meeting of the Working Party in the week of 16 July. I am very
aware of how short a period this leaves between two very critical
sessions, but if we have as our objective to conclude the work of this
Working Party by the autumn, we really have no other choice than to
come back to Geneva in the very near future.
In
conclusion, I would like to thank all participants for their
constructive and very positive approach to this session of the Working
Party. This has allowed us to register very decisive progress. This,
then, constitutes my report to you all.
The
floor is open.
Thank
you. I wish you a safe journey home and look forward to seeing you
again shortly.
The
meeting is adjourned. |
