RESTRICTED
PREPARATORY COMMITTEE PC/SCS/W/8
FOR THE 7December 1994
WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION
(94-2670)
Sub-Committee onServices
GUIDELINES FOR NOTIFICATIONS
Note bytheSecretariat
Atthemeeting oftheSub-Committee onServices heldon19May1994, theSecretariat was
asked toprepare adocument containing guidelines fornotifications under theGeneral Agreement on
Trade inServices.
The following Guidelines were agreed atthemeeting oftheSub-Committee on
29November 1994, andaresubmitted totheCouncil onTrade inServices forapproval.
______________________________PC/SCS/W/8
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GUIDELINES FOR NOTIFICATIONS UNDER THE
GENERAL AGREEMENT ONTRADE INSERVICES
1. Thisnoteidentifies theprovisions oftheGeneral Agreement onTrade inServices (GATS)
thatcontain notification requirements andtheelements tobeincluded insuchnotifications, andproposes
acommon format tobeusedbyMembers inmaking notifications.
2. Therelevant partsoftheGATS containing specific notification requirements arethefollowing:
- ArticleIII:(paragraph3)-Transparency;"EachMembershallpromptlyandatleastannually
inform theCouncil forTrade inServices oftheintroduction ofanynew,oranychanges to
existing,laws,regulationsoradministrativeguidelineswhichsignificantlyaffecttradeinservices
covered byitsspecific commitments under thisAgreement".
- Article V(paragraph 7)-Economic Integration ;"Members which areparties toany
agreement referred toinparagraph 1shall promptly notify anysuchagreement andany
enlargement oranysignificant modification ofthatagreement totheCouncil forTrade in
Services. Theyshallalsomake available totheCouncil suchrelevant information asmaybe
requested byit.TheCouncil mayestablish aworking party toexamine suchanagreement
orenlargement ormodification ofthatagreement andtoreport totheCouncil onitsconsistency
withthisArticle".
- Article Vbis(paragraph (b))-Labour Markets Integration Agreements ;"(b)isnotified to
theCouncil forTrade inServices".
- Article VII(paragraph 4)-Recognition ;"Each Member shall:
(a) within 12months fromthedateonwhich theWTO Agreement takeseffect forit,inform
theCouncil forTrade inServices ofitsexisting recognition measures andstatewhether
suchmeasures arebased onagreements orarrangements ofthetypereferred toin
paragraph 1;
(b) Promptly inform theCouncil forTrade inServices asfarinadvance aspossible of
theopening ofnegotiations onanagreement orarrangement ofthetypereferred to
inparagraph1inordertoprovideadequateopportunitytoanyotherMembertoindicate
theirinterest inparticipating inthenegotiations before theyenterasubstantive phase;
(c) promptly inform theCouncil forTrade inServices when itadopts newrecognition
measures orsignificantly modifies existing onesandstatewhether themeasures are
based onanagreement orarrangement ofthetypereferred toinparagraph 1".
- Article VIII(paragraph 4)-Monopolies andExecutive Service Suppliers ;"If,afterthe
dateofentry intoforce oftheWTO Agreement, aMember grants monopoly rights regarding
thesupply ofaservice covered byitsspecific commitments, thatMember shallnotify theCouncil
forTrade inServices nolaterthanthreemonths before theintended implementation ofthegrant
ofmonopoly rights andtheprovisions ofparagraphs 2,3and4ofArticle XXIshall apply.PC/SCS/W/8
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(Paragraph 5)Theprovisions ofthisArticle shall alsoapply tocases ofexclusive service
suppliers, where aMember, formally orineffect, (a)authorizes orestablishes asmall number
ofservice suppliers and(b)substantially prevents competition among those suppliers inits
territory".
- Article X(paragraph 2)-Emergency Safeguard Measures ;"Intheperiod before theentry
intoeffect oftheresults ofthenegotiations referred toinparagraph 1,anyMember may,
notwithstanding theprovisions ofparagraph 1ofArticle XXI,notify theCouncil onTrade in
Services ofitsintention tomodify orwithdraw aspecific commitment afteraperiod ofone
yearfromthedateonwhich thecommitment enters intoforce; provided thattheMember shows
cause totheCouncil thatthemodification orwithdrawal cannot await thelapseofthethree-year
period provided forinparagraph 1ofArticle XXI".
- Article XII(paragraph 4)-Restrictions toSafeguard theBalance ofPayments ;"Any
restrictionsadoptedormaintainedunderparagraph1,oranychangestherein,shallbepromptly
notified totheGeneral Council".
- Article XIVbis(paragraph 2)-Security Exceptions ;"The Council forTrade inServices
shallbeinformed tothefullest extent possible ofmeasures taken under paragraphs 1(b)and
(c)andoftheirtermination".
- Article XXI(paragraph 1(b))-Modification ofSchedules ;"Amodifying Member shallnotify
itsintent tomodify orwithdraw acommitment pursuant tothisArticle totheCouncil forTrade
inServices nolater thanthree months before theintended dateofimplementation ofthe
modification orwithdrawal".
- Annex onArticle IIExemptions (paragraph 7)"AMember shallnotify theCouncil forTrade
inServices atthetermination oftheexemption period thattheinconsistent measure hasbeen
brought intoconformity withparagraph 1ofArticle IIoftheAgreement".
3. Itshould benoted thatArticle V:7establishes theobligation tonotify thefulltextsofthe
agreements concerned, oranysignificant modification ofthem, forthepurpose oftheiranalysis in
aworking party. Article Vbisalsorequires thefulltextoflabour markets integration agreements
tobenotified totheCouncil. Acopyofthefulltextoftheagreements should therefore beprovided
forretention bytheSecretariat andconsultation byinterested members; asynthesis ofthemainelements
oftheagreements should beincluded inthestandard format fornotification purposes.
4. Inrelation toArticle VII(Recognition) thenotification should contain asynthesis ofthemain
elements ofthemeasure ortheinternational agreement inquestion andadvice onwhere additional
information isavailable (e.g., enquiry point established under Article III:4ortheWTO Secretariat).
5. Thenotification requirement inArticle XII:4 differs from those contained inother Articles
oftheAgreement inthesense thatthenotification hastobemade toTheGeneral Council instead of
TheCouncil onTrade inServices. Since anydiscussion onbalance ofpayments restrictions willtake
place inTheBalance ofPayments Committee andthenotification ofmeasures taken under thisArticle
should presumably bemade inconjunction withthatofmeasures adopted under GATT disciplines,
modalities fornotifications made under Article XII:4 willbedetermined bytheBalance ofPayments
Committee andtheGeneral Council.PC/SCS/W/8
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6. Inordertoavoidunnecessaryreproductionanddistributionofallinternationalagreementsnotified
under theGATS, theWTO Secretariat willbethedepository oftheagreements notified byMembers,
Copies ofsuchagreements willbeavailable toMembers uponrequest. Forthepurpose ofanyworking
parties thatmaybe established under Article V-Integration Agreements, Members thatareparties
tosuchagreements willprovide copies fordistribution.
7. Notifications made under theprovisions oftheGATS willfollow thestandard format attached
tothisNote andbesubmitted inoneoftheWTO 'sthree official languages.
8. Inorder toavoid duplication ofnotifications, Members should notneedtonotify ameasure
oraninternational agreement more thanonce. Itwould beenough inmaking thefirstnotification
toindicate anyother provisions oftheGATS under which thesame subject-matter isbeing notified.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATION
___________________________________________________________________________
General Agreement inTrade inServices
NOTIFICATION
1. Members(s) notifying. Ifapplicable theSubcentral government orauthority ornon
governmental bodies involved should bespecified.
2. Notification under Article(s):
3. Dateofentry intoforce/duration:
4. Agency responsible forenforcement ofthemeasure:
5. Complete description ofthemeasure*indicating themodes ofsupply covered, theeffect
ontrade inservices (e.g., restrictions/liberalization measures) andtheimpact ofthe
measure oncommitments intheMember 'sschedule andArticle II(MFN) exemption
list,ifrelevant:
6. Members specifically affected, ifany:
7. Textavailable from:
- Enquiry point
- WTO Secretariat
- Other sources (address, fax
andtelephone ofother body)
*Including international agreements, recognition measures orother types.