Ministers decide to
recommend that the Council for Trade in Services at its first meeting adopt the decision
on subsidiary bodies set out below.
The Council
for Trade in Services,
Acting
pursuant to Article XXIV with a view to facilitating the operation and furthering the
objectives of the General Agreement on Trade in Services,
Decides
as follows:
1. Any
subsidiary bodies that the Council may establish shall report to the Council annually or
more often as necessary. Each such body shall establish its own rules of procedure, and
may set up its own subsidiary bodies as appropriate.
2. Any
sectoral committee shall carry out responsibilities as assigned to it by the Council, and
shall afford Members the opportunity to consult on any matters relating to trade in
services in the sector concerned and the operation of the sectoral annex to which it may
pertain. Such responsibilities shall include:
(a) to
keep under continuous review and surveillance the application of the Agreement with
respect to the sector concerned;
(b) to
formulate proposals or recommendations for consideration by the Council in connection with
any matter relating to trade in the sector concerned;
(c) if
there is an annex pertaining to the sector, to consider proposals for amendment of that
sectoral annex, and to make appropriate recommendations to the Council;
(d) to
provide a forum for technical discussions, to conduct studies on measures of Members and
to conduct examinations of any other technical matters affecting trade in services in the
sector concerned;
(e) to
provide technical assistance to developing country Members and developing countries
negotiating accession to the Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization in
respect of the application of obligations or other matters affecting trade in services in
the sector concerned; and
(f) to
cooperate with any other subsidiary bodies established under the General Agreement on
Trade in Services or any international organizations active in any sector concerned.
3. There
is hereby established a Committee on Trade in Financial Services which will have the
responsibilities listed in paragraph 2. |
