WORLD TRADE S/L/5
4April 1995
ORGANIZATION(95-0802)
Trade inServices
GUIDELINES FOR NOTIFICATIONS UNDER THE
GENERAL AGREEMENT ONTRADE INSERVICES
Adopted bytheCouncil forTrade inServices on1March 1995
1. These Guidelines identify theprovisions oftheGeneral Agreement onTrade inServices (GATS)
thatcontain notification requirements andtheelements tobeincluded insuch notifications, andpropose
acommon format tobeused byMembers inmaking notifications.
2. Therelevant parts oftheGATS 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 anysuch agreement andany
enlargement oranysignificant modification ofthatagreement totheCouncil forTrade in
Services. They shall alsomake available totheCouncil such relevant information asmaybe
requested byit.TheCouncil may establish aworking party toexamine such anagreement
orenlargement ormodification ofthatagreement andtoreport totheCouncil onitsconsistency
with thisArticle".
- 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 from thedateonwhich theWTO Agreement takes effect forit,inform
theCouncil forTrade inServices ofitsexisting recognition measures andstate whether
such measures arebased onagreements orarrangements ofthetype referred toin
paragraph 1;
(b) Promptly inform theCouncil forTrade inServices asfarinadvance aspossible of
theopening ofnegotiations onanagreement orarrangement ofthetype referred to
inparagraph1inordertoprovideadequateopportunitytoanyotherMembertoindicate
their interest inparticipating inthenegotiations before theyenter asubstantive phase;
(c) promptly inform theCouncil forTrade inServices when itadopts new recognition
measures orsignificantly modifies existing ones andstate whether themeasures are
based onanagreement orarrangement ofthetype referred toinparagraph 1".S/L/5
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- Article VIII (paragraph 4)-Monopolies andExecutive Service Suppliers ;"If,after the
date ofentry intoforce oftheWTO Agreement, aMember grants monopoly rights regarding
thesupply ofaservice covered byitsspecific commitments, thatMember shall notify theCouncil
forTrade inServices nolater thanthree months before theintended implementation ofthegrant
ofmonopoly rights andtheprovisions ofparagraphs 2,3and4ofArticle XXIshall apply.
(Paragraph 5)Theprovisions ofthisArticle shall also apply 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 after aperiod ofone
yearfrom thedateonwhich thecommitment enters intoforce; provided thattheMember shows
cause totheCouncil thatthemodification orwithdrawal cannot await thelapse ofthethree-year
period provided forinparagraph 1ofArticle XXI".
- Article XII(paragraph 4)-Restrictions toSafeguard theBalance ofPayments ;"Any
restrictionsadoptedormaintainedunderparagraph1,oranychangestherein,shallbepromptly
notified totheGeneral Council".
- Article XIV bis(paragraph 2)-Security Exceptions ;"The Council forTrade inServices
shall beinformed tothefullest extent possible ofmeasures taken under paragraphs 1(b)and
(c)andoftheir termination".
- Article XXI (paragraph 1(b)) -Modification ofSchedules ;"Amodifying Member shall notify
itsintent tomodify orwithdraw acommitment pursuant tothisArticle totheCouncil forTrade
inServices nolater than three months before theintended date ofimplementation ofthe
modification orwithdrawal".
- Annex onArticle IIExemptions (paragraph 7)"AMember shall notify theCouncil forTrade
inServices atthetermination oftheexemption period thattheinconsistent measure hasbeen
brought intoconformity with paragraph 1ofArticle IIoftheAgreement".
3. Itshould benoted thatArticle V:7establishes theobligation tonotify thefulltexts ofthe
agreements concerned, oranysignificant modification ofthem, forthepurpose oftheir analysis in
aworking party. Article Vbisalsorequires thefulltextoflabour markets integration agreements
tobenotified totheCouncil. Acopy ofthefulltextoftheagreements should therefore beprovided
forretention bytheSecretariat andconsultation byinterested members; asynthesis ofthemain elements
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:4 ortheWTO Secretariat).S/L/5
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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 with thatofmeasures adopted under GATT disciplines,
modalities fornotifications made under Article XII:4 willbedetermined bytheBalance ofPayments
Committee andtheGeneral Council.
6. Inordertoavoidunnecessaryreproductionanddistributionofallinternationalagreementsnotified
under theGATS, theWTO Secretariat willbethedepository oftheagreements notified byMembers,
Copies ofsuch agreements willbeavailable toMembers upon request. Forthepurpose ofanyworking
parties thatmaybe established under Article V-Integration Agreements, Members thatareparties
tosuch agreements 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 notneed tonotify ameasure
oraninternational agreement more than once. Itwould beenough inmaking thefirst notification
toindicate anyother provisions oftheGATS under which thesame subject-matter isbeing notified.S/L/5
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NOTIFICATION
1. Members(s) notifying. Ifapplicable theSub central government orauthority ornon
governmental bodies involved should bespecified.
2. Notification under Article(s):
3. Date ofentry 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. Text available from:
- Enquiry point
- WTO Secretariat
- Other sources (address, fax
andtelephone ofother body)
*Including international agreements, recognition measures orother types.