RESTRICTED

1 November 1995

1. This report, submitted under Article 15.8 of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade, sets out developments in the implementation and operation of the Agreement since the Committee's last report on 30 November 1994 (L/7558).

2. The Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade entered into force on 1 January 1980. As of 30 September 1995, forty-three signatories have accepted the Agreement under Article 15.1, two have accepted it subject to ratification. This figure reflects the fact that on 30 December 1994, the United States notified its withdrawal from the Agreement (LET/1971) and in accordance with Article 15.11 of the Agreement, the withdrawal became effective on 28 February 1995. There are twenty-three observers. In addition, nine international organizations are invited to attend meetings of the Committee in an observer capacity.

3. The Committee held its forty-ninth, fiftieth and fifty-first meetings jointly with the WTO TBT Committee on 21 April (TBT/M/48), 14 July (TBT/M/49) and 20 October (TBT/M/50) respectively. At those meetings, the Committee heard statements on the implementation and administration of the Agreement.

4. At its fifty-first meeting, the Committee carried out its sixteenth annual review of the implementation and operation of the Agreement under Article 15.8, based on background documentation contained in TBT/39.

5. The Committee held discussions regarding the termination of the Tokyo Round TBT Agreement at its forty-ninth Meeting. At its fifty-first meeting, the Committee adopted the decision on termination of the Tokyo Round Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade as contained in document TBT/W/195. The Agreement will terminate on 1 January 1996.