RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONS/C/W/159
7 July 2000
(00-2805)
Council for Trade in Services Original:  English
COMMUNICATION FROM THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC
Review of Article II Exemptions
Replies to Questions Posed on the Slovak Republic's MFN Exemptions in the
Course of the Review of MFN Exemptions
The attached communication has been received from the delegation of the Slovak Republic
with the request that it be circulated to Members of the Council for Trade in Services.
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A. ANSWER TO THE QUESTION POSED BY JAPAN NO. 309:
1. At a state level, the Slovak Republic has no co-production agreements.  Since the year 1994
to date, the Slovak private film companies co ncluded co-production agreements with the Czech
Republic, Hungary, Poland, Germany, France and Switzerland.  This list of the countries includes
only co-production agreements concluded with financial assistance under supporting programme
Eurimage within the Council of Europe, where the Slovak Republic participates.  The respective list is
not exhaustive because the co-production agreements of private film companies concluded out of the
programme Eurimage are not a subject of notification obligations to the Ministry of Culture and thereare no restrictions applied to conclusion of such co-production agreements in the Slovak Republic.
B. ANSWER TO THE QUESTION POSED BY JAPAN NO. 310:
2. The Slovak Republic has made no commitments in market access or national treatment in
audiovisual services within its Schedule of Specific Commitments under the Uruguay Round.  Setting
up an exemption from Article II of the GATS was aimed at defining to the WTO Members, that thereexist a concept to preserve and promote European cultural identity in the Slovak Republic in the
audiovisual sector.  By this, the Slovak Republic intended to reserve a right to follow up this concept.
Conditions for this MFN exemption still prevail.
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