RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/TPR/18
23May1996
ORGANIZATION(96-1975)
Trade Policy Review Body
TRADE POLICY REVIEW MECHANISM
NORWAY
Arrangements forReview Meetings
Communication from theChairperson
1. Inpursuance ofArticle IV,paragraph 4andAnnex 3oftheWTO Agreement, ameeting of
theTrade Policy Review Body isscheduled for11-12 Junetoconduct thesecond review ofthetrade
policies andpractices ofNorway (WTO/AIR/345).
2. Thiscommunication setsoutarrangements concerning thereview meetings. Inthisconnection,
attention isalsodrawn totheprocedures fortheconduct ofreviews contained intherulesofprocedure
formeetings oftheTrade Policy Review Body (WT/TPR/6).
(i) Questions inwriting inadvance ofthemeetings
3. Where possible, Members shallsubmit written questions totheMember under review atleast
oneweek before thereview meeting, toallow timetoprepare replies. Fortheforthcoming review,
suchquestions should therefore beinthehands oftheSecretariat byTuesday, 4June. Allquestions
submitted willbemade available toMembers atthebeginning ofthemeetings.
(ii) Discussants
4. Inconsultation withtheMembers under review, theChairperson oftheTrade Policy Review
Body maychoose discussants who, intheirpersonal capacity, willintroduce thediscussions inthe
Body. Dr.V.Notis (Greece) andMr.P.Brno(Slovakia) willactasdiscussants forthereview of
Norway. Documents summarizing themain points toberaised bythediscussants willbecirculated
oneweek inadvance ofthemeetings.
(iii) Structure ofthemeetings
5. Trade policy reviews cover fourbroad headings:
(a) appreciation ofthefullrange oftheMembers 'trade policies andpractices;
(b) relevant background: wider economic anddevelopmental needs, including theexternal
environment;
(c) impactoftheMembers'tradepoliciesandpracticesonthefunctioningofthemultilateral
trading system; and
(d) general comments bywayofassessment andevaluation.
./.WT/TPR/18
Page2
Meetings takeplace intwosessions. Thefirstsession isdevoted totheopening statements bythe
Member under review, discussants andremarks fromthefloor. Thediscussion ofthesecond session
when replies aremade bytheMember under review, isbased onmainthemes identified aftertheopening
meeting bytheChairperson, discussants andSecretariat inconsultation withtheMember.
(iv) Documentation andpress arrangements
6. Reports bytheMember under review andtheSecretariat arecontained inthefollowing
documents:
WT/TPR/G/15 Report bytheGovernment ofNorway
WT/TPR/S/15 Norway: Report bytheSecretariat
7. Thepress embargo forthereview ofNorway willendat13.00 GMT (15.00 localtime) on
Wednesday, 12June1996.
(v) Minutes
8. Minutes ofthemeetings willbecirculated promptly andwillbepublished together withthe
reports bytheGovernment andtheSecretariat.
(vi) Answers inwriting byMembers under review aftertheTrade Policy Review Body meetings
9. Inthecourse ofthediscussions atthereview meetings, theMembers under review mayindicate
thattheyintend toprovide supplementary information, inwriting, onspecific points raised. Upon
receipt, theSecretariat willcirculate documents containing thisinformation toallMembers. Such
information willnotbereflected intheminutes ofthemeetings.