WORLD TRADE WT/L/82
15September 1995
ORGANIZATION(95-2689)
ISRAEL -ESTABLISHMENT OFANEW SCHEDULE XLII
Extension ofTime-Limit
Decision of31August 19951
Considering thattheCONTRACTING PARTIES toGATT 1947, bytheir Decision of
3December 19872,suspended until30June1988 theapplication oftheprovisions ofArticle IIof
GATT 1947toenable theGovernment ofIsrael toimplement theHarmonized Commodity Description
andCoding System (Harmonized System) on1January 1988andcarry outnegotiations subsequently;
Takingintoaccountthat,bysuccessiveDecisions,theCONTRACTINGPARTIEStoGATT1947
extended thetime-limit forthecompletion ofthenegotiations orconsultations tobeconducted bythe
Government ofIsrael until30June19953;
Considering thatthefootnote toAnnex IA,Section onGATT 1994, sub-paragraph 1(b)(iii)
oftheAgreement establishing theWorld Trade Organization requires theMinisterial Conference to
establish atitsfirstsession arevised listofwaivers granted under Article XXV ofGATT 1947 and
stillinforce onthedateofentry intoforce oftheWTO Agreement;
Considering thatbyaDecision of31January 19954theGeneral Council established alistof
waivers existing attheentry intoforce oftheWTO Agreement, which included thewaiver granted
toIsrael fortheestablishment ofanewSchedule XLII;
Considering thatparagraph 2oftheUnderstanding inRespect ofWaivers ofObligations under
theGeneral Agreement onTariffs andTrade 1994 provides thatanywaiver ineffect onthedateof
entryintoforceoftheWTOAgreementshallterminateunlessextendedinaccordancewiththeprocedures
setoutinparagraph 1oftheaforementioned Understanding andthose ofArticle IXoftheWTO
Agreement onthedateofitsexpiry ortwoyears from thedateofentry intoforce oftheWTO
Agreement, whichever isearlier;
Noting thatthenecessary documentation forrenegotiations under Article XXVIII wascirculated
tothecontracting parties withdocument SECRET/HS/31 on22January 1992;
./.
1TheDecision wasadopted bypostal ballot. There were 81votes infavour andnoneagainst.
2BISD 34S/29.
3L/7597.
4WT/L/3 andCorr.1.WT/L/82
Page2
Considering thatattheendoftheprescribed 90days, three requests forconsultations were
received bytheGovernment ofIsrael andthatthese consultations arestillinprogress;
Noting thattheGovernment ofIsrael hasforwarded replies totherequests ofthecountries
concerned, andthatithasprovided theassurance ofmaking bestefforts forconcluding thebilateral
negotiations within thenextfewmonths;
Considering thattheGovernment ofIsrael, having fulfilled therequirements ofparagraph 1
oftheUnderstanding inRespect ofWaivers ofObligations under theGATT 1994, hasrequested a
further extension ofthetime-limit until31December 19955;
TheGeneral Council, acting pursuant totheprovisions ofArticle IXoftheWTO Agreement,
Decides, inviewoftheexceptional circumstances outlined above, toextend thewaiver granted
toIsrael bytheDecision of3December 1987, until31December 1995.
5G/L/14.