Issues covered by the WTO’s committees and agreements

SERVICES: NEGOTIATIONS

State of play

The initial and revised offers of new or improved commitments are made known to all WTO members since the entire membership may be affected by these commitments' entry into force. Envisaged amendments are inscribed into the existing schedules and made available to all members via the WTO Secretariat. Some offers are publicly available if the member concerned has agreed to de-restrict the document. Offers that have been derestricted can be found on the WTO website.

Two landmarks were achieved in the services negotiations in 2008.

  • The services text, attached to the July 2008 Report by the Chairman of the Council for Trade in Services in Special Session, which sets out the elements required for the completion of the negotiations.
     
  • The Signalling Conference, which yielded some indication of what members would be willing to include in their revised services offers.

The services negotiations have been pursued through successive rounds of bilateral, plurilateral and multilateral consultations and meetings.  Progress has been limited since the Signalling Conference of July 2008. 

In April 2011, the Chairman of the Council for Trade in Services submitted a report to the Trade Negotiations Committee on the achievements and remaining gaps in all four areas of the services negotiations: market access; domestic regulation; GATS rules; and the implementation of LDC modalities.

The report noted that on:

  • Market access, limited progress has been achieved since July 2008.
     
  • Domestic regulation, recent intensification of negotiations has produced notable progress, even if disagreement persists on important and basic issues.
     
  • GATS rules, while technical work continues, there does not seem to be any convergence regarding the expected outcome in any of the three negotiating subjects (safeguards, government procurement and subsidies).
     
  • Implementation of LDC modalities, Members support a waiver permitting preferential treatment to least-developed countries (LDCs), but disagreements continue, mainly regarding the scope of the waiver, and rules of origin for services and service suppliers.