WORLD TRADE WT/TPR/36
1September 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-3509)
Trade Policy Review Body
TRADE POLICY REVIEW MECHANISM
Bénin
Arrangements forReview Meetings
Communication from theChairperson oftheTrade Policy Review Body
1. Inpursuance ofArticle IV,paragraph 4andAnnex 3oftheWTO Agreement, ameeting of
theTrade Policy Review Body isscheduled for15-16 September 1997 toconduct thereview ofthe
trade policies andpractices ofBénin (WTO/AIR/654).
2. Thiscommunication setsoutarrangements concerning thereview meetings. 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 should submit written questions totheMember under review atleast
oneweek before thereview meeting toallow timetoprepare replies. Fortheforthcoming review,
suchquestions should therefore bewiththeTrade Policies Review Division oftheSecretariat by
Monday, 8September 1997.Allquestions submitted willbemade available toMembers atthe
beginning ofthemeetings.
(ii) Discussants
4. Inconsultation withtheMembers under review, theChairperson oftheTrade Policy Review
Body maychoose discussants who, intheirpersonal capacity, willintroduce thediscussions inthe
Body. MsFlorence Dobelle (France) andMrMoha Ouali Tagma (Morocco) willactasdiscussants
forthereview ofBénin. Documents summarizing themainpoints toberaised bythediscussants will
becirculated oneweek inadvance ofthemeetings.
(iii) Structure ofthemeeting
5. Trade policy review cover fourbroad headings:
(a) appreciation ofthefullrange oftheMember 'strade policies andpractices;
(b) relevant background: wider economic anddevelopmental needs, including theexternal
environment;
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(c) impactoftheMember'stradepoliciesandpracticesonthefunctioningofthemultilateral
trading system; and
(d) general comments bywayofassessment andevaluation.
Meetings takeplace intwosessions. Thefirstsession isdevoted totheopening statements bythe
Member under review andthediscussants, andremarks andquestions fromthefloor. Thediscussion
inthesecond session, when theMember under review willreply toquestions, isbased onmainthemes
identified aftertheopening meeting bytheChairperson, discussants andSecretariat inconsultation
withtheMember.
(iv) Documentation andpress arrangements
6. Reports bytheMember under review andtheSecretariat arecontained inthefollowing
documents:
WT/TPR/G/27 Report bytheGovernment ofBénin
WT/TPR/S/27 Bénin: Report bytheSecretariat
7. Thepress embargo forthereview ofBénin willendat13.00 GMT (15.00 local time) on
16September 1997.
(v) Minutes
8. Minutes ofthemeeting willbecirculated promptly andwillbepublished together withthe
reports bytheGovernment andtheSecretariat.
(vi) Answers inwriting bythecontracting parties under review
9. Inthecourse ofthediscussions atthereview meeting, theMember under review mayindicate
thatitintends toprovide supplementary information, inwriting, onspecific points raised. Upon receipt,
theSecretariat willcirculate adocument containing thisinformation toallMembers. Suchinformation
willnotbereflected intheminutes ofthemeeting.