WORLD TRADE IMA/8
30September 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-4136)
International Bovine Meat Agreement
TERMINATION OFTHE INTERNATIONAL BOVINE MEAT AGREEMENT
Decision pursuant toArticle VI:3
TheInternational Meat Council (the"Council") representing theParties totheInternational
Bovine Meat Agreement (the"Agreement"),
Having reviewed thefunctioning oftheAgreement inaccordance withArticle IV:1(b) thereof
andasafollow-up tothereport oftheCouncil submitted to,andendorsed by,Ministers attheSingapore
Ministerial Conference,
Recalling thattheAgreement hadentered intoforce on1January 1995forathree-year period
ending on31December 1997,
Noting that,according toArticle VI:3oftheAgreement, itsduration shallbeextended for
asecond three-year period, unless theCouncil, atleasteighty dayspriorto31December 1997, decides
otherwise,
Recalling thatParties hadexpressed doubts withrespect tothecontinued usefulness ofthis
Agreement inthepost-Uruguay Round trading environment,
Noting that,following theestablishment oftheWTO, trade policy-related matters affecting
meatandmeatproducts aswellasotheragricultural products wereregularly addressed intheCommittee
onAgriculture andtheCommittee onSanitary andPhytosanitary Measures,
Considering thatthework oftheseCommittees hadclearpriority overthework oftheCouncil,
Noting that,asregards market information, Parties may, andincreasingly did,relyonother
sources ofinformation, including information prepared byother national andintergovernmental bodies
regularly evaluating meatmarket developments,
Considering theresource constraints faced bygovernments aswellastheSecretariat,
Hereby decides:
(a) toterminate theInternational Bovine Meat Agreement attheendof1997; and
(b) torequest, inaccordance withArticle X:9oftheMarrakesh Agreement Establishing
theWorld Trade Organization (the"WTO Agreement"), thattheWTO Ministerial
Conference delete theAgreement from Annex 4oftheWTO Agreement upon
termination oftheAgreement.