TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE: PROGRAMME AND PRESENTATIONS

Fifth Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange

The Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade (the TBT Committee) agreed in 1995 to hold, on a biennial basis, “regular meetings of persons responsible for information exchange, including persons responsible for enquiry points and notifications”.1 These meetings are organized in order to provide Members with an opportunity to discuss issues relating to information exchange and to review periodically the functioning of notification procedures and the operation of enquiry points.

The Fifth Special Meeting was held on 7-8 November 2007, back to back with the TBT Committee's regular meeting on 9 November. The discussions was held in four panel sessions and focus on the topics set forth in the attached programme. Members, including relevant interested parties of their delegations, as well as observers of the TBT Committee were invited to participate in this Special Meeting.2

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Day one — 7 November 2007 

8.30-10.00

Registration
  

10.00–11.30

Publication practices

The aim of this session will be to exchange information on Members' publication practices, in particular with respect to those set out in Article 2.9.1 of the TBT Agreement. It is recalled that at the Fourth Triennial Review of the TBT Agreement, the Committee noted that there appeared to be no uniformity between Members as to how notices of proposed measures were published, and agreed to examine ways in which the publications for such notices, and their content, were made available. 3

Panel

(i) Ms. Carolina Ramirez (Chile): An instrument of good regulatory practices for publication of proposed regulations in Chile
> Presentation
> Multimedia presentation

(ii) Ms. Anne Meininger (United States): Publication of proposed regulations in the United States
> Presentation
> Multimedia presentation

Discussion

Moderator: Mrs. Michelle Cooper (Canada)

   

11.30–13.00

Notification practices

With a view to assisting Members in their implementation of notification obligations and to identifying best practices, this session will examine, inter alia, ways in which Members could more effectively determine the necessity to notify a TBT measure and the timing of the notification, as well as ways to better complete the notification format.

Panel

(i) Ms. Andrea Spencer (Canada): Determining the necessity to notify and completing the notification formats
> Paper
> Presentation
> Multimedia presentation

(ii) Mrs. Lisheng GUO (China): Experiences in making TBT notifications in China
> Presentation
> Multimedia presentation

Discussion

Moderator: Ms. Carolina Ramirez (Chile)

   

15.00–18.00

The use of electronic tools

The aim of this session will be to share experiences on how the use of electronic tools and web-based applications can enhance transparency. This could be, but is not limited to, the use of electronic tools to promote a more widespread dissemination of comments on notifications. Electronic means may also be used to facilitate access to draft and final texts and to existing translations of documents, in line with the future work agreed by the Committee in the Fourth Triennial Review.4 In addition, applications available at Enquiry Points, such as “Export Alert” systems, will also be discussed.

Panel

(i) Mrs. Lisheng GUO (China): The Use of Electronic Tools in WTO/TBT Enquiry Point Work
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> Multimedia presentation

(ii) Ms. Ying-Ching SU (Chinese Taipei): Use of electronic tools for the dissemination of comments
> Presentation
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(iii) Mr. Cyril Hanquez (European Communities): Use of electronic tools to enhance transparency and to ease the management of notification procedures
> Presentation
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(iv) Mr. Rogerio de Oliveira Corrêa (Brazil): The Brazilian Export Alert System: An electronic tool for improving SME's knowledge on WTO countries regulations
> Presentation
> Multimedia presentation

(v) WTO Secretariat: Electronic tools available in the Secretariat
Paper: Attachments to TBT notifications
SPS Information Management System:
> Powerpoint presentation
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Discussion

Moderator: Mr. Mohamed Ahmed (Egypt)

  

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Day two — 8 November 2007 

10.00–13.00

Technical cooperation and the work of Enquiry Points

This session will illustrate the constraints faced by Enquiry Points in performing their tasks as well as ways to overcome them. In particular, the session will address examples of information exchange practices between Enquiry Points (e.g. study visits and twinning programmes) and of existing technical cooperation programmes, including between Members.

Panel

(i) Mr. Daniel Hector Rico (Colombia): The work of the Colombian Enquiry Point and technical cooperation
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(ii) Mr. Bruno Belmont (Paraguay): The experience of the National Enquiry Point in Paraguay
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(iii) Ms. René Heydenrich (South Africa): South Africa's experience in assisting other Members set up their Enquiry Points
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> Multimedia presentation

(iv) Mr. Amara Zayani (Tunisia): “Le projet de mise en place et de développement d'un Point d'Information National OTC en Tunisie: état des lieux et perspectives”
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> Multimedia presentation

(v) Mrs. Anne Meininger (United States): National Inquiry Points: Preparing for the 21st Century
> Presentation
> Multimedia presentation

(vi) Mr. Rogerio de Oliveira Corrêa (Brazil): Exchanging information on WTO countries regulations: A Technical Cooperation experience among Portuguese and Spanish language countries
> Presentation
> Multimedia presentation

(vii) Mr. Craig Radford (New Zealand): How do we measure effectiveness and operational improvement in National Enquiry Points?
> Presentation
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(viii) Mr. Shyam Kuamr Gujadhur and Mr. Bertrand Monrozier (International Trade Centre — ITC): Assistance provided to National Enquiry Points
> Paper
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Discussion

Moderator: Mr. Peter Bischoff-Everding (European Communities)

Notes:
1. “Decisions and Recommendations adopted by the Committee since 1 January 1995”, Note by the Secretariat, 23 May 2002, G/TBT/1/Rev.8, page 19. back to text
2. In accordance with the 2007 Technical Assistance and Training Plan, the participation of one capital-based official responsible for information exchange from developing country Members has been sponsored by the WTO, through the Global Trust Fund. back to text
3. G/TBT/19, para. 51 and para. 68(a)(i). back to text
4. G/TBT/19, para 68(c)(i), (iii) and (iv) and para 68(d)(ii). back to text