RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/DS25/1
G/L/61
G/AG/W/16
ORGANIZATION 17January 1996
(96-0096)
Original: Spanish
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES -IMPLEMENTATION OFTHE
URUGUAY ROUND COMMITMENTS CONCERNING RICE
Request forConsultations byUruguay
Thefollowing communication, dated 12December 1995, from thePermanent Delegation of
Uruguay tothePermanent Delegation oftheEuropean Commission andtotheDispute Settlement Body,
iscirculated inaccordance withArticle 4.4oftheDSU.
_______________
ThePermanent Delegation ofUruguay inGeneva presents itscompliments tothePermanent
Delegation oftheEuropean Commission andhasthehonour hereby torequest consultations under
Article XXII:1 ofGATT 1994withrespect totheimplementation ofthecommitments concerning rice
undertaken bytheEuropean Community intheUruguay Round.
Uruguay hasasignificant share intheworld market forrice,inwhich itcurrently holds ninth
place withannual salesofover400,000 tonnes. Itisalsothecountry thatexports thehighest percentage
ofitsoutput, withforeign salesaccounting forroughly 77percentofproduction.
Theabove-mentioned commitments oftheEuropean Community, inparticular note7ofthe
agricultural schedule establishing theceiling forthemargin ofpreference, gave risetolegitimate
expectations fortheUruguayan export sector tobeabletoreestablish trade flows thathadexisted in
thepastwithMember countries oftheEuropean Community.
However,theimplementationsystemdecidedonbytheCommunity,aswellasotherinstruments
thatwould enter intoforce inthenearfuture applying toriceimports, havefeatures thatareamatter
ofconcern totheGovernment ofUruguay.
Inthehope thatitwillbepossible toinitiate these consultations assoon aspossible, the
Permanent Delegation ofUruguay takes thisopportunity torenew tothePermanent Delegation ofthe
European Commission theassurances ofitshighest consideration.