RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/MA/W/5
10April 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-1252)
Committee onMarket Access
SIMPLIFICATION OFDATA REQUIREMENTS AND
STANDARDIZATION OFFORMATS
Note bytheSecretariat
Thefollowing letter, dated 18March 1996, addressed bytheChairman oftheWorking Group
onNotification Obligations andProcedures totheChairman oftheCommittee onMarket Access, is
circulated toMembers forinformation, withaviewtodiscussing thematters raised inthisletter at
thenextmeeting oftheCommittee.
_______________
"One oftheitems under discussion intheWorking Group onNotification Obligations and
Procedures established pursuant totheMarrakesh Decision onNotification Procedures, isthequestion
ofthescope forsimplification ofdatarequirements andthestandardization offormats. Thisitemwill
bethesubject offurther discussion intheWorking Group; however, toobtain thebenefit ofthewidest
possible examination ofthisdetailed andtechnical question, ithasbeensuggested thatitmight also
beusefully discussed intheconcerned committees, where there might beagreater concentration of
specialized knowledge onthese matters.
Specificallyinthecontextofthisoverallquestion,youmaywishtogiveconsideration,inrelation
totheAgreement under yourpurview, to(a)theidentification ofanyformats/questionnaires currently
inusewhich seekinformation going beyond thespecific requirements oftherelevant agreement and
(b)suggestions astoanyadditional areas where formats/questionnaires could bedeveloped.
Itwasagreed atourFebruary meeting that,afterconsulting withtheChairman oftheCouncil
forTrade inGoods, Iwould communicate thissuggestion toyouforwhatever action youmight consider
appropriate. Wewould welcome theviews ofyourcommittee onthese subjects andinformation on
anyactions which Members might consider appropriate torespond tothese suggestions."