RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE IMA/1
3July1995
ORGANIZATION(95-1817)
International Bovine Meat Agreement
INTERNATIONAL MEAT COUNCIL
RULES OFPROCEDURE
Note bytheSecretariat
Thefollowing Rules ofProcedure havebeenadopted bytheInternational Meat Council atits
firstmeeting on21-22 June1995.IMA/1
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INTERNATIONAL BOVINE MEAT AGREEMENT
RULES OFPROCEDURE
Rule1
Each Party totheAgreement shall indicate totheSecretariat thename ofone(ormore)
representative(s) atGeneva towhom communications aretobeaddressed. Anyparticipant maymake
other arrangements forthispurpose.
Rule2
TheInternational Meat Council (hereinafter referred toasthe"Council") shall elect a
Chairperson. Theelection shalltakeplaceattheannual regular meeting andshalltakeimmediate effect.
TheChairperson shallbeelected foraone-year termwhich mayberenewed once. Intheabsence
oftheChairperson oftheCouncil, theCouncil shallelectaninterim Chairperson forthatmeeting or
thatpartofthemeeting toperform his/her functions. IftheChairperson oftheCouncil cannolonger
perform thefunctions oftheoffice, theCouncil shallelectaninterim Chairperson forthatmeeting
orthatpartofthemeeting toperform those functions pending theelection ofanewChairperson.
Rule3
ThedateoftheCouncil meetings isfixed bytheChairperson inconsultation withtheParties.
Notice ofeachmeeting, together withthedraftagenda established bytheSecretariat inconsultation
withtheChairperson shallbesenttotheParties notlessthantencalendar daysprior tothemeeting.
Rule4
TheChairperson maycallaspecial meeting oftheCouncil either athis/her owninitiative,
orattherequest ofanyParty anytime.
Rule5
Unless theCouncil decides otherwise, allitsmeetings shallbeprivate anditsrecords treated
accordingly.
Rule6
Atanytime, theCouncil maydecide toamend theagenda ortogivepriority tocertain matters.
Rule7
ThetextofCouncil decisions mustbeadopted inthecourse ofthemeeting atwhich thesaid
decisions aremade.
Rule8
After eachmeeting oftheCouncil, adraftreport shallbesenttotheParties. AnyParty wishing
tomakecorrectionstothedraftshallpresentthemtotheSecretariatwithintwentyworkingdaysfollowing
thedateofdistribution ofthedraft. Ifwithin thatperiod theSecretariat receives nocorrections, theIMA/1
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report shallbedeemed tobeapproved. TheSecretariat shallcommunicate totheParties anysubstantive
corrections received byitwithin thatperiod. Ifnofurther remarks aremade byanyParty within fifteen
working daysfollowing thedateofcirculation ofsuchcorrections, therevised report shallbedeemed
tobeapproved. Anynewamendment proposal shallbesubject tothesame procedure.
Rule9
TheCouncil mayestablish anysubsidiary organs thatmaybenecessary, inparticular forthe
purposes indicated inArticle IV,paragraphs 2and5oftheAgreement.
Rule10
Representatives ofMembers oftheWorld Trade Organization (hereinafter referred toas"WTO
Members") which arenotsignatories mayparticipate intheproceedings oftheCouncil inanobserver
capacity.
Rule11
Representativesofnon-signatorycountriesnotWTOMembers,whichareinterestedinfollowing
theproceedings oftheCouncil inanobserver capacity, should communicate arequest totheDirector-
General oftheWTO indicating theirdesire todoso.TheCouncil shalldecide oneachrequest.
Rule12
TheCouncilshalldecideontheconditionsofobservership,includingwithrespecttotheprovision
ofinformation tobesubmitted byobservers. Observers maybeinvited toparticipate inthediscussions
butdecisions shallbetaken onlybysignatories.
Rule13
TheCouncil maydeliberate onconfidential matters inspecial restricted sessions.
Rule14
TheCouncil mayinvite, asappropriate, international organizations toparticipate insessions
oftheCouncil inanobserver capacity. Requests from international organizations toparticipate in
thesessions oftheCouncil inanobserver capacity shallbeconsidered onacase-by-case basisbythe
Council.
Rule15
Theinformation tobeprovided under Article IIIoftheAgreement shallbecommunicated on
thebasisofquestionnaires asapproved bytheCouncil. Thequestionnaires mayberevised asnecessary
tofulfil theobjectives oftheAgreement.
TheParties shallfurnish theinformation requested inthestatistical questionnaire twice ayear,
atthelatest by15April and15October, respectively. Thisfrequency maybemodified bythe
Chairperson inconsultation withtheParties.
TheParties shallfurnish theinformation requested inthequestionnaire regarding domestic
policies andtrade measures onanannual basis, atthelatest by15April.IMA/1
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Thestatisticalinformationshallincludefinaldataforthetwelve-monthperiodended31December
oftheprevious yearaswellasestimates forthecurrent yearandforecasts forthefollowing year.
Rule16
TheParties undertake toprovide within oneyearoftheentry intoforce oftheAgreement or
oftheParties 'acceptance thereof, information concerning theirdomestic policies andtrade measures
including bilateral andplurilateral commitments inthebovine sector. TheParties shallnotify asearly
aspossible, andinanycaseinJuneeachyear, anychanges insuchpolicies andmeasures thatarelikely
toaffect international trade inlivebovine animals andmeat.
Rule17
Inaccordance withArticle IV:1oftheAgreement, theSecretariat shallestablish oneyearly
analytical report onthesituation andoutlook intheworld bovine meatmarket, which shallbecirculated
notlaterthantwoweeks inadvance oftheregular meetings oftheCouncil.
Rule18
Inaccordance withArticle IIIoftheAgreement, theSecretariat shalldraw upandkeepup
todate, aninventory ofallmeasures affecting trade inbovine meat andliveanimals, including
commitments resulting frombilateral, plurilateral andmultilateral negotiations. Thisinventory shall
bedistributed totheParties atthebeginning ofeachthree-year period. Revisions oftheinventory
shallbedistributed upon submission ofchanges totheSecretariat.