RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/ADP/W/63
G/SCM/W/72
ORGANIZATION 27September 1995
(95-2838)
Original: Spanish Committee onAnti-Dumping Practices
Committee onSubsidies andCountervailing Measures
REPLIES TOORAL QUESTIONS POSED BYCANADA CONCERNING
THE NOTIFICATION OFVENEZUELAN LAWS AND REGULATIONS1
Thefollowing communication, dated 5September 1995, hasbeenreceived fromthePermanent
Mission ofVenezuela.
_______________
Ihavethepleasure totransmit herewith thereplies tothequestions addressed totheGovernment
ofVenezuela byCanada during themeetings forthereview ofAnti-Dumping andSubsidies legislation.
With these replies, Venezuela considers thatithascovered allthequestions addressed toit.
1G/ADP/N/1/VEN/1-G/SCM/N/VEN/1G/ADP/W/63
G/SCM/W/72
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CANADA
3. Implementation ofobligations
Willanyoftheobligations assumed under theWTO Agreement beimplemented through
other laws, regulations, decrees oradministrative instructions?
Ashasbeennotified, itisnottechnically necessary toissueanyspecial provisions (bymeans
ofanyother laws, regulations, decrees oradministrative instructions) toimplement theobligations
stemming fromtheWTO Agreements. Aspointed out,oncetheyhavebeenapproved byCongress,
ratified bythePresident andsubsequently published intheOfficial Journal oftheRepublic ofVenezuela,
theWTO Agreements arepartofVenezuelan domestic lawandareapplied withprimacy overany
conflicting pre-existing provisions.
There arespecial provisions intheagreements thatdocallfortheissuing ofspecial rules.
Thisisthecaseoftheprovisions inArticles 13oftheAnti-Dumping Agreement and23oftheSubsidies
Agreement concerning theneedtomaintain mechanisms toreview administrative decisions under
independent authorities. However, these provisions already existed intheVenezuelan Anti-Dumping
Law(andotherspecificlegislationsuchastheOrganicLawofAdministrativeProceduresandtheOrganic
LawoftheSupreme Court ofJustice) andtheyremain inforce.
4. Implementation ofWTO Panel decisions
What isthelegal mechanism provided forinVenezuelan lawfortheimplementation of
WTO Panel decisions?
Asanadministrative body, theCassisbound bytheOrganic LawofAdministrative Procedures.
Article 83ofthisLawstates thattheAdministration may, atanytime, onitsowninitiative oratthe
request ofprivate individuals, recognize thatactsithasissued arenullandvoid. Thiswould bethe
caseofanadministrative decision issued bytheCasswhere aWTO Panel considered thatthedecision
wasnotconsistent withtheundertakings entered intobyVenezuela under theWTO Agreements. In
thatcase, oncethedecision bythecorresponding WTO bodies became final, theCasswould havethe
power, onitsowninitiative orattherequest oftheindividuals concerned, torevoke theadministrative
decision concerned.
5. Legal mechanisms toprevent implementation ofWTO Panel decisions
Arethere anylegal instruments (such asconstitutional safeguards) under which local
interests inVenezuela could prevent thegovernment from implementing WTO Panel decisions?
ThejudicialsysteminVenezuelafunctionsindependentlyfromtheAdministration,andtherefore
anyadministrative action (including agovernment decision toimplement aWTO Panel decision) is
subject toreview bythecourts andtothepossibility thatanyparty thatfeelsthatitisaffected bythe
Administrative measure mayrequest aprotective judicial measure. Thisisparticularly trueifitis
argued andshown that,byitsactions, theAdministration hasviolated orthreatened anindividual 's
constitutional right orguarantee. Forsuchcases, there isaspecial law(theOrganic Lawforthe
Protection ofConstitutional Rights andGuarantees) which contains anexpeditious mechanism forthe
courts toexamine thematter. Needless tosay,thecourt decisions inthiscasemaybereviewed on
appeal bysuperior tribunals orcourts.G/ADP/W/63
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6. Changes intheRegulations
Could theVenezuelan Government indicate when itwillbeabletonotify theCommittee
ofchanges initsRegulations?
InVenezuela, theRegulations oflawsmaybeissued onlybythePresident oftheRepublic
inCouncil ofMinisters.
Atpresent,theCass,asthegovernment'sspecializedagencyforanti-dumpingandcountervailing
measures, ispreparing draftamendments totheRegulations oftheAnti-Dumping Law. Asmentioned,
these amendments would notbetechnically necessary toimplement theWTO Agreements, because
thelatter form partofVenezuelan law,andalsohavethestatus oflaw,which isabove thatofany
regulation. Nevertheless, through these amendments, itwould bepossible tofacilitate useofthe
provisions currently contained invarious lawsandimprove thetechnical andmethodological aspects
ofinvestigations.
Theprocess ofamending theRegulations willtakeatleastsixmonths. Inanycase, inthe
firsthalfof1996 wehopetobeinaposition tobeabletonotify theCommittees ofthefinaldecision
astothechanges intheRegulations oftheAnti-Dumping Law.