Note:  "NG/W/-" refers to documents in the series:  "G/AG/NG/W/-". ./.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/AG/NG/4
23 November 2000
(00-4996)
Committee on Agriculture
Special Session
FOURTH SPECIAL SESSION OF THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
Report by the Chairman, Ambassador Jorge Voto-Bernales, 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 fourth meeting on
15-17 November 2000.
2. The agenda as set out in WTO/AIR/1428 was adopted.
3. The following submissions were presented and considered under the programme for the first
phase of the negotiations as it relates to work within  the framework of paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (d)
of Article 20:  (i) a note on "Non-Trade Concerns" submitted by Barbados, Burundi, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Dominica, Estonia, the European Communities, Fiji, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Latvia,
Liechtenstein, Madagascar, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mongolia, Norway, Poland, Romania, SaintLucia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Switzerland, and Trinidad and Tobago (NG/W/36/Rev.1);  and (ii)
a discussion paper by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay (Mercosur), Bolivia, Chile, and Costa
Rica on "Export Subsidies – Food Security or Food Dependence?" (NG/W/38).
4. The following new or additional proposals for continuing the reform process were presented
and examined at the meeting:  (i) a Cairns Gr oup proposal on "Market Access" (NG/W/54);  (ii) a
proposal on "Domestic Support" by Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Georgia,
Hungary, the Kyrgyz Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolia, Slovak Republic and Slovenia(NG/W/56);  (iii) a proposal on "Market Access" by Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic,
Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, the Kyrgyz Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovak Republic and Slovenia
(NG/W/57);  (iv) a proposal by ASEAN on "Special and Differential Treatment for Developing
Countries in World Agricultural Trade" (NG/W/55 );  and (v) a proposal by the United States on
"Tariff Rate Quota Reform" (NG/W/58).
5. As requested by the participants concerned, the following statements made at the meeting are
being circulated:  Australia (NG/W/59 and NG/W/60);  Bolivia (NG/W/61);  Brazil (NG/W/62);
Canada (NG/W/63);  Colomb ia (NG/W/64);  Czech Republic (NG/W/65);  the European
Communities (NG/W/66);  Grenada (NG/W/67);  Guatemala (NG/W/68);  Hungary (NG/W/69);
India (NG/W/70);  Indonesia ( NG/W/71);  Jamaica (NG/W/72);   Japan (NG/W/73);  Korea
(NG/W/74);  Mauritius (NG/W/75);  Namibia (NG/W/76);  Norway (NG/W/77);  Peru (NG/W/78);
the Philippines (NG/W/79 and NG/W/80); Poland (NG/ W/81);  South Africa (NG/W/82);  Sri Lanka
(NG/W/83);  and Swaziland (NG/W/84).  (Statements made at the third Special Session but circulated
after the appearance of the Chairman's report on that meeting are:  Norway (NG/W/50);  Hungary
(NG/W/51);  Mauritius (NG/W/52); and  Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Hungary, theSlovak Republic and Slovenia (NG/W/53).G/AG/NG/4
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6. The Secretariat was requested to prepare additional background papers, or to follow-up as
appropriate, on the following subjects:
(a) GSP treatment of agricultural products;
(b) non-trade concerns identified by developing countries and relevant provisions of the
Agreement on Agriculture;
(c) revision of G/AG/NG/S/6 in line with the definition of agricultural products under the
Agreement on Agriculture.
7. It was agreed that, as envisaged under the programme and arrangements for the first phase of
the negotiations (G/AG/NG/1, paragraph 6(d), refers),  an additional Special Session meeting would be
held in advance of the March 2001 stock-taking meeting. The meeting would take place from 5 to 7
February 2001.
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