RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/C/M/21
17July1997
ORGANIZATION(97-3039)
Council forTrade inGoods
14July1997
MINUTES OFTHE MEETING
Held intheCentre William Rappard
on14July1997
Chairperson: Mr.T.Johannessen (Norway)
TheproposedagendacontainedindocumentG/C/W/83wasadoptedasfollows,withtheinclusion
ofitem3under "Other Business":
Page
1. Supply ofinformation totheIntegrated DataBaseforPersonal Computers
- Draft Decision (G/C/W/82) ...............................1
2. Harmonized System -request foranextension ofthewaiver
- SriLanka (G/L/164, G/C/W/73/Rev.1) .......................2
3. Dateofthenextmeeting .................................... 3
_______________
1. Supply ofinformation totheIntegrated DataBaseforPersonal Computers
- Draft Decision (G/C/W/82)
1.1 TheChairman stated thatthedraft Decision before theCouncil concerned thesupply of
information totheIntegrated DataBase(IDB) forpersonal computers (PCs). TheCommittee onMarket
Access hadapproved thisdraftDecision atitsmeeting of24June1997, andhadsentittotheCouncil
foritsapproval andtransmission totheGeneral Council foradoption.
1.2 TheChairman oftheMarket Access Committee, Mr.M.O. Tagma, informed theCouncil that
theIDBwasestablished bytheGATT Council on10November 1987(BISD 34S/66). ThisDecision
established thelegal basis fortheactivities relating tothefunctioning oftheIntegrated DataBase.
Since some time, formal andinformal discussions havetaken place intheMarket Access Committee
concerning thetransfer oftheIDB,which wascurrently onmainframe computer, toaPCenvironment.
Thiswasconsidered necessary inorder toimprove thefunctioning oftheIDB.
1.3 Some significant progress wasmade during thelastfewmonths inthecontext ofinformal
consultations which hadenabled aconsensus tobereached onthematter andwhich would allow this
reform totakeplace. Independently fromtheadaptation oftheIDBtomodern technology, oneimportant
element ofthisreform wastointroduce acertain flexibility withrespect tothesubmission ofdata,
which inturnwould reduce costs forMembers.G/C/M/21
Page2
1.4 Themodalities andtheoperation ofthePCIDB, setoutindocument G/MA/IDB/1/Rev.1,
were accepted bytheMarket Access Committee. Although theGATT 1987 Decision enabled the
modification ofthemodalities andtheoperation ofthePCIDB, itwasnevertheless judged important
toestablish asolid baseforthecommunication ofthenecessary information forthefunctioning of
thatdatabase, anditwasinthisconnection, thattheCommittee onMarket Access hadapproved the
draftDecision which contained thefollowing main points:
(a) Members shallsupply totheSecretariat, onanannual basis, theinformation referred
toindocument G/MA/IDB/1/Rev.1;
(b) theSecretariat shall, uponrequest, provide technical assistance toMembers inrelation
tothesubmission ofthedatarequired forthePCIDB; andfinally
(c) thesubmission ofthedatarequired forthePCIDBshallnotprejudice therights and
obligations ofMembers under theWTO Agreements.
1.5 ThedraftDecision wasnowbefore theCouncil foritsapproval andtransmission totheGeneral
Council foradoption.
1.6 Therepresentative ofJapan stated thathisdelegation appreciated theintroduction ofthePC
IDBthisyear, andalsowelcomed thedraftDecision. However, hisdelegation wished toconfirm a
point which hadalready beenagreed tobytheMarket Access Committee, i.e.thatforthetime-being
thedatawould bedisseminated onlytoMembers andother international organizations. However, this
would bereviewed andperhaps thelistexpanded inthefuture process.
1.7 TheCouncil took note ofthestatements, approved thedraft Decision contained in
document G/C/W/82 andforwarded ittotheGeneral Council foradoption.
2. Harmonized System -request foranextension ofthewaiver
- SriLanka (G/L/164, G/C/W/73/Rev.1)
2.1 TheChairman recalled thattherequest from SriLanka foranextension ofitswaiver in
connection with thetransposition ofitsschedule intotheHarmonized System, circulated in
document G/L/164, wasfirstconsidered attheCouncil meeting of14April 1997. Atthattime
NewZealand wasnotinaposition toagree totheextension ofthewaiver, andtheCouncil, asaresult,
hadnotforwarded thedraftDecision granting thiswaiver extension (G/C/W/73/Rev.1) totheGeneral
Council foradoption. Itwasagreed thatthedelegations concerned would report totheChair onthe
status oftheirconsultations onthismatter before theCouncil 'snextmeeting, which tookplace on
11June1997. Atthatmeeting, hehadinformed theCouncil based onthereport received from the
delegations concerned thattheyhadmetandhaddetailed discussions onthematter, butthatnoprogress
hadbeenmade. Inlightofthatsituation, theCouncil hadagreed torevert tothismatter atitsnext
meeting.
2.2 TheChairman pointed outthatthiswaiver hadexpired on30April 1997, andthatanextension
wasrequested until31October 1997. Moreover, pursuant toArticle IXoftheWTO Agreement, the
Council hadaperiod notexceeding 90daystoconsider suchrequests andtosubmit areport tothe
General Council. Thisperiod hadstarted on14April 1997 when theCouncil hadfirstconsidered
thisrequest forawaiver extension, andthe90-days hadnowexpired. Asaresult, afterthismeeting
theCouncil would needtosubmit areport onthisrequest totheGeneral Council which wasmeeting
on16July1997.G/C/M/21
Page3
2.3 Therepresentative ofNewZealand stated thathisdelegation recognised thefundamental role
andimportance ofwaivers asaspecial dispensation toallow Members toimplement newtariffsystems
andtoconsult andrenegotiate onitems adversely affected. They were, however, subject toperiodic
review andNewZealand hadnotbeeninaposition tosupport SriLanka 'sapplication forafurther
waiver extension when itwasconsidered intheCouncil forTrade inGoods. Hisdelegation 'sreasons
hadbeenclearly laidoutatthattime. Since then, however, hisdelegation hadbeenencouraged by
recent contacts withofficials inColombo, andparticularly bytheirstated willingness toaddress the
issuethroughbilateralconsultationswithNewZealand.Inthecontextoftheserecentpositiveexchanges,
hisauthorities hadgiven verycareful consideration toSriLanka 'smost recent request forafurther
waiver extension andwere abletosupport itonthisoccasion, provided thatSriLanka wasableto
giveanundertaking atthismeeting thatitwaswilling toenter intobilateral discussions atanearly
datewithaviewtoresolving matters within theextension period.
2.4 Therepresentative ofSriLanka stated thathewished toexpress hisdelegation 'sappreciation
forNewZealand 'sstatement withregard toSriLanka 'srequest foranextension ofthewaiver time-limit.
Hisdelegation waspleased thatNewZealand wasnowready tojointheconsensus tosupport SriLanka 's
request eventhough almost halftheperiod ofextension envisaged inthewaiver Decision hadexpired.
However, hisdelegation verymuch appreciated thespirit ofconstructive cooperation being shown
byNewZealand toresolve thisissue through additional bilateral consultations. Inthisconnection,
hewished toassure Council Members ofSriLanka 'sresolve inmeeting itsfullcommitments and
obligations incompliance withtheprovisions ofArticle XXVIII ofGATT 1994. Hisdelegation took
noteofNewZealand 'sdesire tobegin these consultations early. Hisdelegation alsowished toenter
intoconsultations atanearly date,notonlywithNewZealand, butalsowithother concerned trading
partners involved inthese negotiations, sothatanacceptable solution could bereached soon.
2.5 TheCouncil tooknoteofthestatements, approved theextension ofthewaiver granted toSri
Lanka until 31October 1997, andrecommended that thedraft Decision contained in
document G/C/W/73/Rev.1 beforwarded totheGeneral Council foradoption.
3. Dateofthenextmeeting
3.1 TheCouncil tooknotethatitsnextmeeting wasscheduled for21July1997; aproposed agenda
forthatmeeting hadbeencirculated inWTO/AIR/644.