RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/SG/Q1/ARG/5
2May1997
ORGANIZATION(97-1928)
Original: Spanish Committee onSafeguards
NOTIFICATIONS OFLAWS AND REGULATIONS UNDER
ARTICLE 12.6OFTHE AGREEMENT
Questions toARGENTINA1
Posed byMexico
Thefollowingcommunication,dated2April1997,hasbeenreceivedfromthePermanentMission
ofMexico.
_______________
MexicowishestoraisethefollowingquestionsconcerningthenotificationsubmittedbyArgentina
on24October 1996 concerning itssafeguards legislation:
1. HowdoesArgentina intend toreconcile itsWTO obligations, inparticular theprovisions of
theAgreement onSafeguards, withtheprovisions oftheLatin American Integration Association
Agreement?
2. Article 4ofDecree 1059/96 (theDecree) establishes thatconfidential information willbetreated
assuch when "this hasbeen sostated attheappropriate timebytheUnder-Secretariat andthe
Commission respectively". Does thismean thattheArgentine investigating authority hasthepower
toclassify theinformation submitted bytheparties? Andifso,canitnotbeconsidered thatthisArticle
grants excessively broad powers totheArgentine investigating authority? HowdoesArgentina seek
toreconcile these factswiththeobligation under Article 3.2oftheAgreement onSafeguards whereby
theinvestigating authority ofamember isauthorized torefuse confidential treatment ofinformation
onlywhere suchtreatment isnotdulywarranted?
3. What would bethereasons forwhich theArgentine authority would consider thatarequest
forconfidential treatment wasunwarranted andhowwould itreconcile thiswithitsobligations under
theAgreement onSafeguards?
4. Inaccordance withArticle 13oftheDecree, when itisdecided thatitisappropriate toinitiate
aninvestigation, thedecision willbepublished intheOfficial Journal, butthisArticle doesnotsay
whether theparties considered tohaveaninterest intheinvestigation willbenotified. Does thismean
thatitisnotmandatory tonotify theother parties oftheinitiation oftheinvestigation? Otherwise,
what isthetime-period fornotifying theinitiation oftheinvestigation totheother parties? What
time-period willbegranted toexporters toexercise theirrighttomake representations? Isitplanned
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touseinvestigation questionnaires? Ifso,willthesequestionnaires besenttogether withthenotification
ofinitiation oftheinvestigation?
5. Inaccordance withArticle 32oftheDecree, thedecision adopted inconnection withan
investigation orasaresult thereof isnotopen toappeal. Does thismean thatthere isnomeans of
defence thatparties canusetointervene intheproceeding? What means ofdefence would anexporter
haveinthecaseofprocedural orconstitutional violations, forexample?