RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/SPEC/25
10April 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-1250)
Original: Spanish
ACCESSION OFPANAMA
Further Proposals byPanama (Protocol ofAccession)
Panama proposes forconsideration byMembers thefollowing elements forinclusion inthe
Final Report oftheSecretariat ontheAccession ofPanama totheWTO:
I. Updating oflistsofbilateral agreements
Panama currently hasbilateral trade agreements withthefollowing countries:
A. Freetrade andpreferential trade agreements
Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, ElSalvador andtheDominican Republic.
B. Partial-scope agreements [Asrequired bytheLatin American Integration Association (LAIA).
Mutual relations among members aregoverned byagreements ofthiskind.]
Mexico andColombia.
II. Lawfortheprotection ofcompetition
Alltheexplanations orreferences tothe"draft lawonfreecompetition orforthedefence of
competition" should bereplaced by"Law ontheProtection ofCompetition" (Law 29of
1February 1996).
Panama alsoproposes thatthefollowing beincluded ascommitments intheProtocol of
Accession:
I. State trading enterprises
"Currently, onlytheenterprises listed below arestatetrading enterprises within themeaning
ofArticle XVII ofGATT 1994: Corporación Azucarera LaVictoria (CALV) (TheVictoria Sugar
CaneCooperation), Instituto deSeguro Agropecuario (ISA) (Agricultural Insurance Institute), Instituto
NacionaldeTelecomunicaciones(INTEL)(NationalTelecommunicationsInstitute),InstitutodeRecurosos
Hidráulicos yElectrificación (IRHE) (Hydraulic Resources andElectrification Institute), Instituto de
Acueductos yAlcantarillados Nacionales (IDAAN) (National Water Supply andDrainage Institute),
Dirección Metropolitana deAseo (Metropolitan Rubbish Collection Enterprise). With theexception
offirms having aState monopoly, theabove-mentioned enterprises aresubject totheanti-monopoly
provisions oftheLawontheProtection ofCompetition. TheGovernment willapply thelawsand
regulations governing theactivities ofthese enterprises inaccordance withtherelevant provisions of
Article XVII ofGATT 1994 andArticle VIIoftheGATS. Panama willcomply withtheprovisions
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relating tonotification, non-discrimination andapplication ofcommercial considerations intransactions,
andwillprovide thecorresponding Article XVII notification atthetimeofitsaccession."
II. Notifications
"Asfromtheentry intoforce oftheProtocol ofAccession, Panama willprovide notifications
ofthelegislation implementing theprovisions ofthefollowing multilateral agreements forwhich the
datestipulated insuchprovisions isprior totheentry intoforce oftheProtocol ofAccession, aswell
asanyother notification (other thanthose required onanadhocbasis) required under thefollowing
Agreements: Agreement onSanitary andPhytosanitary Measures, Agreement onImport Licensing
Procedures, Agreement onTechnical Barriers toTrade andtheUnderstanding ontheInterpretation
ofArticle XVII ofGATT 1994. Thenotifications relating totheAgreement onImplementation of
Article VIIofGATT 1994willbeprovided by1January 1997. Anyregulations subsequently enacted
byPanama toimplement these provisions willbeinkeeping withtheadministrative andnormative
requirements oftheAgreements. TheWorking Party hasexamined thedraft notifications forthe
Agreements onAgriculture andAgreement onSubsidies andCountervailing Measures andthese will
beprovided byPanama atthetimeofitsaccession."