RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/CTE/W/33
4June1996
ORGANIZATION(96-2090)
Committee onTrade andEnvironment
RESULTS OFTHE STOCKTAKING EXERCISE
Adopted atthe28-29 May1996 meeting
I. Theinformal consultations onthestocktaking permitted thefollowing consensus tobe
reached:
1. According totheresults ofthefirststocktaking inOctober 1995, theCTE hascompleted
twofullrounds ofanalysis ofeachindividual Itemoftheagenda (Items 2and4willberevisited
during theMaysession). TheSecretariat hassubmitted anumber ofbackground andanalytical
documents andtheCommittee hasbenefitted from thediscussion ofanumber ofItems onits
agenda inother intergovernmental fora(UNEP, UNCTAD, CSD). Ontheissue of
"eco-labelling" ajointinformal meeting wasorganized withtheCTBT andtheopportunity was
given tomanagers/practitioners ofnational/regional eco-labelling schemes topresent their
experience tobothCommittees.
2. Inpreparing fortheSingapore Ministerial Conference, theCTE hasheldageneral debate
onallItems ofitsagenda. Some agenda Items havebeendisaggregated, some specific issues and
problems havebeenidentified. Thegeneral debate clarified andpromoted understanding ofsome
issues andalsopermitted theidentification ofdivergences ofview. Insome cases more analytical
work isrequired. Asaresult ofthisprocess, theCTE isnowinaposition tocentre itsattention
onspecific issues, including issues covered byproposals submitted ortobesubmitted by
Members, keeping inmind theneedforabalanced andfocused approach tothewhole agenda.
3. Anumber ofproposals havebeensubmitted totheCommittee either orally orasformal or
informal documents andadditional proposals areanticipated.
4. Thus, thenextstage oftheCTE activities inpreparation forSingapore needs tobe
devoted tothepreparation oftheFinal Report tobesubmitted totheMinisterial Conference
including theidentification ofpossible agreed conclusions andrecommendations inthelightofthe
CTE mandate.
II. Tothatendthefollowing work programme, tobedeveloped inthelightoftheCTE terms
ofreference contained intheMinisterial Declaration ofMarrakesh, isadopted bytheCommittee1:
1TheCTE isawaiting theadoption ofadecision bytheGeneral Council onthematter referred toinItem10.WT/CTE/W/33
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Date Meeting Items/Issues Objective
28,29May CTE formal
2and4
6and8
1+5and7Toadopt theoutcome ofthestocktaking.
Tocomplete second review.
Torevisit andtodiscuss proposals
submitted onthese Items.
Presentation ofnewproposals.
30May CTE informal 1+5and7 Clarification andanalysis ofnewproposals.
20June CTE formal 1+5
2/3/4/6/7/8Possible presentation ofnewproposals on
these Items. Clarifications, comments and
reactions.
21June CTE informal same Discussion ofproposals.
30June TheSecretariat starts preparing thefirst
draftoftheFinal Report:
Introduction +Chapters 1and2
3-24July Informal
consultations2same Startoftheprocess ofinformal
consultations tobuild upconsensus on
individual issues.
24July CTE formal 2/9/BTA/
packaging(a)Items/issues revisited inviewof
possible presentation ofproposals onthem.
(b)Chairman 'sreport onresults of
informal consultations onspecific
issues/Items/proposals.
24-25 July CTE informal31+5
2/3/4/6/7/8Discussion ofspecific
issues/Items/proposals.
30July TheSecretariat submits thefirstdraftof
Final Report totheChairman forreview
andclearance.
31July Distribution ofthefirstdraftoftheFinal
Report (introduction +Chapters 1and2).
11Sept CTE formal AllItems Statements onanyissue.
11/12/13
SeptCTE informal same Discussion ofproposals onanyItem/issue.
2Allinterested delegations willhavetheopportunity tobeconsulted onallissues under consideration.
3Discussions ofissues under Item3(b)relevant tothework oftheCTBT would takeplace inajointformal/informal meeting with
theCTBT.WT/CTE/W/33
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Date Meeting Items/Issues Objective
16Septto
23OctInformal
consultations2AllItems (a)Continuation ofconsultations onspecific
Items/issues/proposals. Thework is
oriented towards building aconsensus on
possible conclusions andrecommendations.
(b)Consultations onthedraftFinal Report.
10Oct Secretariat completes draftFinal Report to
thelargest possible extent. Review and
clearance bytheChairman.
15Oct Distribution ofthedraftFinal Report
(introduction +Chapters 1and2+
Chapter 3)
24-25 Oct CTE formal (a)Report bytheChairman oninformal
consultations on:
(i) allItems/issues/proposals
(ii) draftFinal Report
(b)Final discussion on
proposals/conclusions/recommendations
(c)Adoption oftheFinal Report.
III. TheFinal Report tobeproduced bytheCommittee needs toinvolve thefollowing broad
components:
1. Anintroductory section briefly sketching theCTE'sestablishment, describing itsmandate
andpointing toprevious GATT work (particularly intheEMIT Group) andoutlining itswork
programme.
2. Three chapters covering eachindividual agenda Item:
(a) Thefirstone,describing theproblems/issues under eachagenda Itemandtheir
background, andmaking reference todocuments submitted bytheSecretariat, with
ashort reference totheircontent.
(b) Thesecond would betheanalytical component, drawing onthediscussions at
Committee meetings, describing theproposals anddocuments submitted by
delegations andthedebate which followed theirsubmission.
(c) Thethirdchapter would include theconclusions andrecommendations ifany.
TheFinal Report hastobecomprehensive, balanced among Items/issues and,atthesame
time, among thedifferent "schools ofthought"/perceptions onspecific issues. Theanalytical
component willbethemost substantial partofthereport andwillneedtobecarefully structured.
Atthesame time, amajor effort hastobemade tokeepthereport rather short.