. /. RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  TN/RL/M/13 
31 March 2004  
 
(04-1440) 
Negotiating Group on Rules  
  
SUMMARY REPORT OF THE MEETING 
HELD ON 11 MARCH 2004 
 
Note by the Secretariat
 
  
1. The Negotiating Group on Rules ("the Group") held a formal meeting on 11 March 2004. 
2. The Chairman indicated that he was ope ning the meeting as Chairman-designate, in 
accordance with the consen sus expressed at the General Council regarding the slate of appointments 
of Chairmanships of bodies under the Trade Negotiating Committee. 
A. 
ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  
3. The Group adopted the following agenda: 
A. Adoption of the Agenda 
B. Election of the Chairman C. Organization of the Work (Regional Trade Agreements) D.  Other Business 
 B. 
ELECTION OF THE CHAIRMAN  
4. The Group confirmed the appointment of Mr. Eduard o Pérez Motta (Mexico) as its Chairman,   
in accordance with the consen sus reached at the General Council of 11 February 2004. 
5. The Chairman thanked all delegations for the trust placed upon him and stated that he was 
available at any time to delegations.  It was an honou r and a privilege, but also a commitment, to work 
with all delegations participating in the proceedings of the Group.  
C. ORGANIZATION OF THE WORK (REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS ) 
6. The Chairman clarified that the meeting concerned only the negotiations on rules and 
procedures relating to regional trade agreements (R TAs); other issues dealt with by the Group would 
be taken up at another meeting.  Given that the l ast meeting of the Group relating to RTAs had taken 
place in July 2003, he viewed this meeting as a firs t step to re-launch work and move discussions 
towards a work programme that, while remaining fl exible, would enable substantive negotiations to 
continue progressing at a sustained pace.  Fo llowing these comments, the Chairman turned the 
meeting into informal mode, to pursue discussions regarding the organization of work. 
7. At the end of these discussions, the Chairman re verted back to formal mode.  He conveyed 
his and Members' highest degree of appreciation for the work accomplished by his predecessor, Ambassador T. Groser.  Noting the good atmosphere prevailing in the Group, he stated that it 
appeared that the Group was ready to take up the work from where it had been left eight months 
before.  He intended to use the informal mode of  meeting as much as possible, as this allowed the TN/RL/M/13 
Page 2  
 
Group to proceed with greater flexibility.  In the li ght of the discussions, he informed the Group that 
three papers would be made available well in advan ce of the next meeting:  a Chair's stock-taking 
paper on transparency of RTAs; his suggested road map for the sequencing of discussions on systemic 
issues; and a "mock" presentation of the Canada-Chile FTA by the Secretariat. 
8. The Chairman proposed that the next meeting of  the Group, devoted to the consideration of 
RTA matters, to take place on 5 May 2004. 
9. Finally, the Chairman stated that he viewed the issue of regional trade agreements as of 
considerable responsibility for all.  At stake was the credibility of the WTO and, to a considerable 
degree, the operational nature of the Committee on Regional Trade Agreements.  
D. 
OTHER BUSINESS  
10. No issue was raised under this agenda item. 
 
__________ 
 
 