RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/TPR/3
9May1995
ORGANIZATION(95-1082)
TRADE POLICY REVIEW BODY
TRADE POLICY REVIEW MECHANISM
Costa Rica
Arrangements forReview Meeting
Communication from theChairman oftheTrade Policy Review Body
1. Inpursuance ofArticle IV,paragraph 4andAnnex 3oftheWTO Agreement, ameeting of
theTrade Policy Review Body isscheduled for6-7June1995toconduct areview ofthetradepolicies
andpractices ofCosta Rica(first review) (WTO/AIR/74).
2. Thiscommunication setsoutarrangements concerning thereview meeting. Inthisconnection,
attention isalsodrawn totheprocedures fortheconduct ofreviews contained inthedraft rules of
procedure formeetings oftheTrade Policy Review Body (WT/TPR/W/4).
(i) Questions inwriting inadvance ofthemeeting
3. Where possible, Members shallsubmit written questions totheMember under review atleast
oneweek before thereview meeting, toallow timetoprepare replies. Itwould beappreciated ifany
suchquestions could beinthehands oftheSecretariat byTuesday, 30May 1995.Allquestions
submitted willbemade available toMembers atthebeginning ofthemeeting.
(ii) Discussants
4. Inconsultation withtheMember orMembers parties under review, theChairman oftheCouncil
maychoose discussants who, intheirpersonal capacity, willintroduce thediscussions inthereview
body. Following suchconsultations, Mr.Gunnar Snorri Gunnarsson andMr.LuisP.Niscovolos will
actasdiscussants. Documents summarizing themain points toberaised bythediscussants willbe
circulated oneweek inadvance ofthemeetings.
(iii) Structure ofthemeetings
5. Trade policy reviews cover fourbroad headings:
(a) appreciation ofthefullrange oftheMember 'strade policies andpractices;
(b) relevant background: wider economic anddevelopmental needs, including theexternal
environment;
(c) impactoftheMember'stradepoliciesandpracticesonthefunctioningofthemultilateral
trading system; and
./.WT/TPR/3
Page2
(d) general comments bywayofassessment andevaluation.
Meetings takeplaceontwosuccessive mornings. Thefirstmorning isdevoted totheopening statements
bytheMember under review, discussants andremarks fromthefloor. Thediscussion onthesecond
morning, when replies aremade bytheMember under review, isbased onmain themes identified
bytheChairman, discussants andSecretariat withtheMember under review aftertheopening meeting.
(iv) Documentation andpress arrangements
6. Thereport bytheMember under review andtheSecretariat arecontained inthefollowing
documents:
WT/TPR/G/1 Report bytheGovernment ofCosta Rica
WT/TPR/S/1 Costa Rica: Report bytheSecretariat
7. Thepress embargo forthereview ofCosta Ricawillendat13.00 gmt(3p.m.Geneva time)
onWednesday, 7June1995.
(v) Minutes
8. Minutes ofthemeetings willbecirculated promptly andwillbepublished together withthe
reports bytheGovernment andtheSecretariat.
(vi) Answers inwriting bythecontracting parties under review afterthespecial Council meetings
9. Inthecourse ofthediscussions atthereview meetings, theMembers under review mayindicate
thattheyintend toprovide supplementary information, inwriting, onspecific points raised. Upon
receipt, theSecretariat willcirculate adocument containing thisinformation toallMembers. Such
information willnotbereflected intheminutes ofthemeetings.