RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/DS20/6
G/L/33/Add.1
ORGANIZATION G/SPS/W/35/Add.1
G/TBT/D/4/Add.1
G/MA/3/Add.1
G/AG/W/14/Add.1
6May1996
(96-1780)
Original: English
KOREA -MEASURES CONCERNING BOTTLED WATER
Notification ofMutually Agreed Solution
Thefollowing communication, dated 24April 1996, fromCanada andtheRepublic ofKorea,
iscirculated pursuant toArticle 3.6oftheDSU.
_______________
Inaccordance withparagraph 6ofArticle 3oftheUnderstanding onRules andProcedures
Governing theSettlement ofDisputes, theGovernments oftheRepublic ofKorea andCanada hereby
notify theDispute Settlement Body that,withrespect tothematter raised bytheGovernment ofCanada
initsrequest forconsultations withtheRepublic ofKorea dated 8November 1995, regarding certain
lawsandregulations oftheRepublic ofKorea concerning bottled water, theparties havereached a
mutually satisfactory solution assetforth intheattached notification.
Wewould askyoutocirculate theattached notification totheDispute Settlement Body, the
Council forTrade inGoods, theCommittee onSanitary andPhytosanitary Measures, theCommittee
onTechnical Barriers toTrade, theCommittee onMarket Access andtheCommittee onAgriculture.
_______________
TheGovernments oftheRepublic ofKorea andCanada wishtonotify theDispute Settlement
Body that,withrespect tothematter raised bytheGovernment ofCanada initsrequest forconsultations
withtheRepublic ofKorea dated November 8,1995, regarding certain lawsandregulations ofthe
Republic ofKorea concerning bottled water, theparties havereached amutually satisfactory solution
based onthefulfilment oftheundertakings setforth intheunderstanding thatisattached hereto as
anannex.
Thisunderstanding iswithout prejudice totherights orobligations ofeither Member under
theAgreement Establishing theWorld Trade Organization.WT/DS20/6
G/L/33/Add.1
G/SPS/W/35/Add.1
G/TBT/D/4/Add.1
G/MA/3/Add.1
G/AG/W/14/Add.1
Page2
ANNEX
Letter from theRepublic ofKorea toCanada, dated 1April 1996
Asaresult ofbilateral consultations between ourtwogovernments, Iamwriting toconfirm
thatthefollowing understanding hasbeenreached ontheissue ofbottled water.
Withrespect totheissueofozonation, theGovernment oftheRepublic ofKorea willtakeevery
measure available under itsauthority toamend therelevant lawsandregulations withaviewtoallowing
theimportation, salesanddistribution ofozone-treated bottled water byJanuary 1,1997 ifpossible,
butnolaterthanApril 1,1997. Towards thisobjective, theGovernment oftheRepublic ofKorea
will:
- submit abilltoamend theDrinking Water Management Acttotheregular session of
theNational Assembly which begins inSeptember 1996;
- undertake toimplement anyrequired regulatory changes immediately afterthepassage
ofthebill;
- undertake toestablish technical regulations ontheuseofozonation inawaynotto
create anunnecessary obstacle tointernational trade; and
- provide theGovernment ofCanada with copies ofthedraft ofthebillandits
enforcement regulations attheearliest opportunity.
Inorder toresolve theimmediate shelf-life problems forbottled water, theGovernment of
theRepublic ofKorea willmake itsbestefforts toensure thetransparency ofitsprocedure foran
extension ofshelf-life. Theprocedure willunder normal circumstances takeonemonth fromthedate
theapplication isreceived withsupporting materials required under therelevant Korean regulations.
Inthisregard, upon request oftheGovernment ofCanada, theGovernment oftheRepublic ofKorea
willprovidecopiesofrelevantregulationsandothermaterialsnecessarytohelpunderstandtheprocedure.
TheGovernmentofCanadaandtheGovernmentoftheRepublicofKoreawillnotifytherelevant
bodies oftheWTO thattheyhavereached amutually satisfactory solution based onthefulfilment of
theundertakings setoutinthisunderstanding withregard tothematter raised bytheGovernment of
Canada onNovember 9,1995. Thisletter andyourletter inreply iswithout prejudice totherights
orobligations ofeither Member under theAgreement Establishing theWorld Trade Organization.
Letter from Canada totheRepublic ofKorea, dated 1April 1996
Iacknowledge receipt ofyourletter dated April 1,1996, thatreads asfollows:WT/DS20/6
G/L/33/Add.1
G/SPS/W/35/Add.1
G/TBT/D/4/Add.1
G/MA/3/Add.1
G/AG/W/14/Add.1
Page3
"Asaresult ofbilateral consultations between ourtwogovernments, Iamwriting toconfirm
thatthefollowing understanding hasbeenreached ontheissue ofbottled water.
Withrespect totheissueofozonation, theGovernment oftheRepublic ofKorea willtakeevery
measure available under itsauthority toamend therelevant lawsandregulations withaviewtoallowing
theimportation, salesanddistribution ofozone-treated bottled water byJanuary 1,1997 ifpossible,
butnolaterthanApril 1,1997. Towards thisobjective, theGovernment oftheRepublic ofKorea
will:
- submit abilltoamend theDrinking Water Management Acttotheregular session of
theNational Assembly which begins inSeptember 1996;
- undertake toimplement anyrequired regulatory changes immediately afterthepassage
ofthebill;
- undertake toestablish technical regulations ontheuseofozonation inawaynotto
create anunnecessary obstacle tointernational trade; and
- provide theGovernment ofCanada with copies ofthedraft ofthebillandits
enforcement regulations attheearliest opportunity.
Inorder toresolve theimmediate shelf-life problems forbottled water, theGovernment of
theRepublic ofKorea willmake itsbestefforts toensure thetransparency ofitsprocedure foran
extension ofshelflife.Theprocedure willunder normal circumstances takeonemonth fromthedate
theapplication isreceived withsupporting materials required under therelevant Korean regulations.
Inthisregard, upon request oftheGovernment ofCanada, theGovernment oftheRepublic ofKorea
willprovidecopiesofrelevantregulationsandothermaterialsnecessarytohelpunderstandtheprocedure.
TheGovernmentofCanadaandtheGovernmentoftheRepublicofKoreawillnotifytherelevant
bodies oftheWTO thattheyhavereached amutually satisfactory solution based onthefulfilment of
theundertakings setoutinthisunderstanding withregard tothematter raised bytheGovernment of
Canada onNovember 9,1995. Thisletter andyourletter inreply iswithout prejudice totherights
orobligations ofeither Member under theAgreement Establishing theWorld Trade Organization".
Iampleased toconfirm thatyourletterreflects ourmutual understanding ontheissueofbottled
water.
Canada alsowishes toregister thatitviews theabove undertaking onshelflifeasatemporary
solution forthisissue. Canada intends tocontinue toencourage Korea toadopt amanufacturer
determined shelf-life system forbottled water.