WORLD TRADE WT/TPR/29
11November 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-4779)
Trade Policy Review Body
TRADE POLICY REVIEW MECHANISM
ELSALVADOR
Arrangements forReview Meeting
Communication from theChairperson oftheTrade Policy Review Body
1. Inpursuance ofArticle IV,paragraph 4andAnnex 3oftheWTO Agreement, themeeting
oftheTrade Policy Review Body isscheduled for25-26 November toconduct thereview ofthetrade
policies andpractices ofElSalvador (WTO/AIR/477).
2. Thiscommunication setsoutarrangements concerning thereview meeting. Inthisconnection,
attention isalsodrawn totheprocedures fortheconduct ofreviews contained intherulesofprocedure
formeetings oftheTrade Policy Review Body (WT/TPR/6).
(i) Questions inwriting inadvance ofthemeeting
3. Where possible, Members shallsubmit written questions totheMember under review atleast
oneweek before thereview meeting, toallow timeforthepreparation ofreplies. Fortheforthcoming
review, suchquestions should therefore beinthehands oftheSecretariat by18November 1996. All
questions submitted willbemade available toMembers atthebeginning ofthemeeting.
(ii) Discussants
4. Inconsultation withtheMember under review, theChairperson oftheTrade Policy Review
Body maychoose discussants who,intheirpersonal capacity, willintroduce thediscussion intheBody.
Ambassador Alejandro delaPeña(Mexico) andMrs.Elaine Feldman (Canada) willactasdiscussants
forthereview ofElSalvador. Documents summarizing themainpoints toberaised bythediscussants
willbecirculated oneweek inadvance ofthemeeting.
(iii) Structure ofthemeeting
5. Trade policy reviews cover fourbroad headings:
(a) appreciation ofthefullrange oftheMember 'strade policies andpractices;
(b) relevant background: wider economic anddevelopmental needs, including theexternal
environment;
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Page2
(c) impactoftheMember'stradepoliciesandpracticesonthefunctioningofthemultilateral
trading system; and
(d) general comments bywayofassessment andevaluation.
Meetings takeplace intwosessions. Thefirstsession isdevoted totheopening statements bythe
Member under review, discussants andremarks fromthefloor. Thediscussion onthesecond session,
when replies aremade bytheMember under review, isbased onmainthemes identified aftertheopening
meeting bytheChairperson, discussants andtheSecretariat inconsultation withtheMember.
(iv) Documentation andpress arrangements
6. Reports bytheMember under review andtheSecretariat arecontained inthefollowing
documents:
WT/TPR/G/23 Report bytheGovernment ofElSalvador
WT/TPR/S/23 ElSalvador: Report bytheSecretariat
7. Thepress embargo forthereview ofElSalvador willendat13.00 GMT (14.00 localtime)
on26November 1996.
(v) Minutes
8. Minutes ofthemeeting willbecirculated promptly andwillbepublished together withthe
reports bytheGovernment andtheSecretariat.
(vi) Answers inwriting bythecontracting party under review afterthespecial Council meeting
9. Inthecourse ofthediscussion atthereview meeting, theMember under review mayindicate
itsintention toprovide supplementary information, inwriting, onspecific points raised. Upon receipt,
theSecretariat willcirculate adocument containing thisinformation toallMembers. Suchinformation
willnotbereflected intheminutes ofthemeeting.