RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/ADP/W/297
G/SCM/W/305
ORGANIZATION 26February 1996
(96-0706)
Original: English Committee onAnti-Dumping Practices
Committee onSubsidies andCountervailing Measures
REPLIES TOQUESTIONS POSED BYHONG KONG1
CONCERNING THE NOTIFICATION
OFLAWS AND REGULATIONS OFISRAEL2
Thefollowing communication wasreceived from thePermanent Mission ofIsrael on
15February 1996.
_______________
Israel 'snotification contains theTrade Levies Lawof1991, prior tothesigning oftheWTO
Agreement inApril 1994. Israel further states thatithasundertaken areview oftherelevant parts
ofthislawtoensure itsconsistency withtheWTO Agreements. Apparently numerous provisions of
theWTO A-DAgreement arenotfeatured intheIsraeli legislation andsome Israeli provisions may
beatoddswiththeWTO provisions.
Q1. (a) What isthelegal status oftheWTO A-DAgreement inIsrael? Does ithavetheforce
oflaw?
(b) AreIsraeli A-Dofficials required, legally orotherwise, toobserve theprovisions of
theA-DAgreement intheconduct ofA-Dproceedings, ortoconsult them, forexample
ontheinterpretation ofdomestic legislation?
(c) HowwillIsrael ensure compliance withtheprovisions oftheWTO A-DAgreement
before itslawsarebrought intototalconformity withtheWTO A-DAgreement?
(d) What isthetimetable ofthecompletion ofthereview?
A1. (a) TheWTO Agreement doesnotautomatically havetheforce oflawinIsrael. The
present applicable Lawispresently undergoing revision inorder thatitconforms with
thenewAgreements.
(b) Since theIsraeli Government hasratified itsmembership intheWTO, Israeli A-D
officials arerequired toobserve theprovisions oftheAgreement, when suchprovisions
arenotincontravention withtheexisting domestic legislation. Ingeneral, there do
notexistcontradictions between theAgreements andthedomestic Lawandaswas
1G/ADP/W/187-G/SCM/W/194.
2G/ADP/N/1/ISR/2-G/SCM/N/1/ISR/2-G/SG/N/1/ISR/2.
./.G/ADP/W/297
G/SCM/W/305
Page2
statedinouropeningremarkstotheCommittee,aproposedlegislationisbeingprepared
inorder tobring theLawintoconformity withtheAgreements. Inpractice, because
ofthelanguage usedintheLaw, theAuthorities areenabled andinfactdoconsult
andcomply withtheprovisions oftheAgreement.
(c) Seeanswer (b)above.
(d) Therevision ofthecurrent Lawispresently underway butatthispoint oftimeitwould
bedifficult topredict atimetable forthecompletion ofthelegislative process.
Q2. What judicial review procedures hasIsrael putinplace inobservance ofitsobligations under
Article 13oftheWTO A-DAgreement?
A2. Thepresent Lawdeals withjudicial review inArticle 50andallother administrative decisions
notcovered bythatsection aresubject toreview bytheHigh Court ofJustice.
Q3. What isIsrael 'spolicy andlawfortheimplementation ofWTO Panel Reports?
A3. Israel appreciates theestablishment oftheDispute Settlement Understanding andtheDispute
Settlement Body asinstituted inArticle 17oftheAgreement. Panel decisions willbeconsidered on
acasebycasebasis.