GATT/AIR/UNNUMBERED 14 MAY 1993

AT ITS MEETING ON 12-13 MAY 1993, THE COUNCIL OF REPRESENTATIVES CONSIDERED A REQUEST FROM THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY THAT THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE I.1 OF THE GENERAL AGREEMENT BE WAIVED UNTIL 31 DECEMBER 1993 TO THE EXTENT NECESSARY TO PERMIT THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY TO GRANT DUTY-FREE TREATMENT AND DEROGATION FROM CERTAIN STANDARDS AND NORMS TO IMPORTS OF ELIGIBLE PRODUCTS INTO PART OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY FROM BENEFICIARY CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AS PROVIDED FOR IN THE RELEVANT REGULATIONS AND DECISIONS OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (L/7199 AND CORR.1).

THE COUNCIL AGREED TO RECOMMEND TO THE CONTRACTING PARTIES THAT THE WAIVER BE GRANTED, APPROVED A DRAFT DECISION TO THAT EFFECT (C/W/730 AND ADD.1), AND RECOMMENDED THAT THE DRAFT DECISION BE ADOPTED BY A VOTE BY POSTAL BALLOT.

MANY REPRESENTATIVES ATTENDING THE MEETING REGISTERED THEIR VOTE ON

..... BEHALF OF THEIR GOVERNMENTS. A COPY OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY'S REQUEST ..... (L/7199 AND CORR.1) AND THE DRAFT DECISION (C/W/730 AND ADD.1), AS WELL AS

A BALLOT PAPER, ARE HEREWITH DISTRIBUTED TO CONTRACTING PARTIES WHICH WERE NOT REPRESENTED AT THE COUNCIL MEETING.

CONTRACTING PARTIES ARE REQUESTED TO CAST THEIR VOTE ON THE DECISION AND TO RETURN THE COMPLETED BALLOT BY 14 JUNE 1993.

A. DUNKEL

93-0758