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AGRICULTURE: NEGOTIATIONS 2001

28 September 2001: chairperson’s report to General Council

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G/AG/NG/8   back to top
4 October 2001
(01-0000)

Committee on Agriculture
Special Session

Eighth Special Session of the Committee on Agriculture

Report by the Chairperson, Ambassador Apiradi Tantraporn, to the General Council

1. The Special Session of the Committee on Agriculture, which was established by the General Council to conduct the negotiations for continuing the reform process under Article 20 of the Agreement on Agriculture (WT/GC/M/53, paragraph 39 refers), held its eighth meeting on 28 September 2001 on the basis of the agenda as set out in WTO/AIR/1612.

2. The meeting provided an opportunity for reviewing the work being carried out under the programme for the second phase of the negotiations. Under this programme in-depth work is being carried out in informal Special Sessions on all issues and options for policy reform set out in Members’ proposals, with further elaboration as appropriate (G/AG/NG/7, dated 29 March 2001, refers). An overview presented by the Chairperson summarized the discussions at the informal Special Sessions held in May, July and September on the following trade and non-trade issues: (i) tariff quota administration; (ii) tariffs; (iii) Amber Box; (iv) export subsidies; (v) export credits; (vi) state trading enterprises; (vii) export restrictions; (ix) food security; (x) food safety; (xi) rural development; (xii) geographical indications; (xiii) Green Box; (xiv) Blue Box; and (xv) special agricultural safeguard. This overview will be included in the Secretariat summary report on the meeting (to be issued as G/AG/NG/R/8). The elaborated proposals and other informal papers submitted at these three informal Special Sessions are listed in the attachment to this report.

3. The following trade or non-trade issues are to be taken up at the next informal Special Session meeting on 3-5 December: environment, trade preferences, food aid, consumer information and labelling, and sectoral initiatives.

4. The next formal Special Session is scheduled to be held on 7 December 2001.

 

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Elaborated Proposals and Other Informal Papers *
May, July and September 2001 Informal Special Sessions



I.  Tariff Quota Administration

Australia: Paper on Tariff Quota Administration
Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Kenya, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Zimbabwe: Tariff Rate Quotas
European Communities: Views of the EC on Tariff Rate Quotas Administration
Japan: Questions on TRQ Administration
Switzerland: Administration of Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQ) — The Case for Auctioning

II.  Tariffs

Australia: Paper on Tariffs
Japan: Paper on Tariff Quota Commitment
Japan: Questions on Tariff
Mercosur, Chile and Bolivia: Paper on Market Access: Ensuring the Continuity of the Reform Process

III.  Amber Box

Australia: Paper on Amber Box Support
European Communities: Amber Box — Views of the EC
Japan: Questions on Amber Box

IV.  Special and Differential Treatment

Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Indonesia, Kenya, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Venezuela and Zimbabwe: Special and Differential Treatment in Agriculture — “Establishing the Objectives”

V.  Export Subsidies

Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and Suriname: Domestic Support and Export Competition
Cairns Group: Export Subsidies
Israel: Export Subsidies
Japan: Elaboration of Japan’s Negotiating Proposal: Export Enhancing Measures — Export Subsidies
Japan: Questions on Export Subsidies
Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Venezuela and Zimbabwe: Export Subsidies
Switzerland: Export Subsidies: Modalities for Further Commitments to Reduce Export Subsidies

VI.  Export Credits

Australia: Export Credits
European Communities: Export Credits
Japan: Elaboration of Japan’s Negotiating Proposal: Export Enhancing Measures — Export Credits
Japan: Questions on Export Credits
United States: Export Credit Guarantee Programmes

VII.  State Trading Enterprises

Japan: Elaboration of Japan’s Negotiating Proposal: State Trading Enterprises
Japan: Questions on State Trading Enterprises
United States: Disciplines on Export State Trading Enterprises
United States: Disciplines on Import State Trading Enterprises

VIII.  Export Restrictions

Japan: Elaboration of Japan’s Negotiating Proposal: Export Prohibitions and Restrictions
Japan: Questions on Export Restrictions
United States: Disciplines on Export Taxes

IX.  Food Security

Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Kenya, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Sri Lanka, Venezuela and Zimbabwe: Food Security
Japan: Elaboration of Japan’s Negotiating Proposal: International Environment Surrounding Agricultural Trade and Food Security
Japan: Questions on Food Security
Peru: Food Security
United States: Food Security

X.  Food Safety

European Communities: Food Safety
Japan: Elaboration of Japan’s Negotiating Proposal: Consumers’ Concern on Food Safety and Quality

XI.  Rural Development

Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Kenya, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe: Rural Development
Cyprus: Rural Development
Japan: Elaboration of Japan’s Negotiating Proposal: Importance of Agriculture in Rural Areas (Rural Development)
Japan: Questions on Rural Development
Norway: Rural Development

XII.  Geographical Indications

European Communities: Geographical Indications
Japan: Questions on Geographical Indications
Switzerland: Geographical Indications and Agriculture

XIII.  Green Box

Argentina: Green Box Measures: Approach for a Work Programme
Cyprus: Green Box
Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Kenya, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe: Green Box
European Communities: Green Box
Japan: Elaboration of Japan’s Negotiating Proposal: Domestic Support (Green Box)
Japan: Questions on Green Box
Namibia: Elaboration of Namibia’s Negotiating Proposal: Green Box Measures

XIV.  Blue Box

Cairns Group: Blue Box
Japan: Questions on Blue Box

XV.  Special Agricultural Safeguard

Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, the Philippines and Thailand: Special and Differential Treatment for Developing Countries: Transitional Instruments to Expeditiously Countervail Subsidized Imports (SDCM)
Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Kenya, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Senegal, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe: “An Appropriate Safeguard Mechanism for Developing Countries”
Japan: Elaboration of Japan’s Negotiating Proposal: A New Safeguard Measure
Japan: Questions on Special Agricultural Safeguard
Namibia: Elaboration of Namibia’s Negotiating Proposal: Special Agricultural Safeguard
Norway: Special Safeguards
Switzerland: WTO Agreement on Agriculture — Special Safeguard
* Copies of these informal papers are available, in the working languages, in the informal document series: SS(INF)AG/1 to 3.

EDITOR’S NOTE: These informal documents are restricted. To see an unofficial summary of the proposals and discussion go to the backgrounder on the negotiations and look for “Phase 2”.  > back to text