RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/SG/W/90
6December 1995
ORGANIZATION(95-3974)
Original: French Committee onSafeguards
QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE NOTIFICATION PROVIDED
BYMEXICO1OFLAWS AND REGULATIONS UNDER
ARTICLE 12.6OFTHE AGREEMENT
Thefollowing communication, dated 24November 1995, hasbeenreceived fromthePermanent
Delegation oftheEuropean Commission.
_______________
TheEuropean Community hasthefollowing observations onthelegislation which Mexico has
notified totheCommittee onSafeguards:
A. PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS
Thenotified textsaresometimes difficult tointerpret: adistinction hastobemade between
theprovisions referring tosafeguard measures andthose referring exclusively tounfair practices, and
thisdistinction isoftennotclearly apparent, asinthechapter onpenalties (Foreign Trade Act:TitleIX,
Chapter I).
Bothfromtheaspect oftheproper implementation oftheAgreement onSafeguards innational
legislation andforthepurposes ofthetransparency required bythecodeandthelegal security of
economic operators, theCommunity doesnotconsider sufficient thedeclarations ofageneral nature
according towhich, intheapplication ofcertain provisions, Mexico willcomply withtheinternational
treatiesandbilateralconventionsconcerned.See,forexample,ForeignTradeAct:Article78,TitleVII,
Chapter III,Section 2;Articles 132and134,Annex II,TitleVII,Chapter V;Article 147,Annex II,
TitleVIII, Chapter III.
TheMexican legislation onsafeguard measures doesnotreflect some fundamental provisions
oftheAgreement onSafeguards concerning themaximum duration ofmeasures, theirextension, the
interval tobeobserved between twomeasures, methods forfixing quantitative quotas, progressive
liberalization ofsafeguard measures andreview ofthose measures.
B. INTERESTED PARTIES: FOREIGN TRADE ACT; ANNEX II,TITLE VIII,
CHAPTERS IAND II
CantheMexican authorities indicate iftherepresentatives ofthirdcountries canbeinformed,
asinterested parties, ofinformation gathered during theinvestigation?
1G/SG/N/1/MEX/1.
./.G/SG/W/90
Page2
C. FOREIGN TRADE ACT: ANNEX I,TITLE VII,CHAPTER III,SECTION I,ARTICLE 77
Article 7,paragraph 2,oftheAgreement onSafeguards stipulates thattheduration ofmeasures
cannot exceed fouryears.
CantheMexican authorities explain thedisparity between Article 77oftheirnational legislation
andArticle 4,paragraph 2,oftheAgreement onSafeguards?
D. ARTICLE 128,ANNEX II,TITLE VII,CHAPTER IV,SAFEGUARD MEASURES
CantheMexican authorities explain therelationship between thisArticle 128andArticle 78
ofChapter III,Section II?
Cantheyindicate, inparticular, themaximum duration ofthemeasures indicated inArticle 128,
thetypeofmeasures applied, whether thesemeasures mustbeconfirmed onthebasisofaninvestigation
andthemeans ofremedying these measures if,following theinvestigation, theyprove unjustified?
E. ARTICLE 93,TITLE IX,CHAPTER I,INFRINGEMENTS AND PENALTIES
Subject totheconformity ofthisarticle withtheprovisions ofGATT 1994, cantheMexican
authorities confirm thatparagraphs VandVIofthisarticle donotapply inthecaseofsafeguard
measures?