RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE IMA/W/3
15June1995
ORGANIZATION(95-1595)
International Meat Agreement
INTERNATIONAL MEAT COUNCIL
DRAFT RULES OFPROCEDURE
Note bytheSecretariat
Thefollowing proposed Rules ofProcedure have been prepared bytheSecretariat for
consideration bytheInternational Meat Council atitsfirstmeeting inJune1995. Theproposed Rules
arebased ontheRules ofProcedure oftheformer Arrangement Regarding Bovine Meat.
Substantive changes fromtheRules ofProcedure oftheArrangement Regarding Bovine have
beenhighlighted, andexplanatory comments given. These "comment" sections arefordiscussion
purposes onlyandwould notremain inthefinaltext.
* * *IMA/W/3
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INTERNATIONAL BOVINE MEAT AGREEMENT
DRAFT RULES OFPROCEDURE
Rule1
Each Party totheAgreement shall indicate totheSecretariat thename ofone(ormore)
representative(s) atGeneva towhom communications aretobeaddressed. Anyparticipant maymake
other arrangements forthispurpose.
Rule2
TheInternational Meat Council (hereinafter referred toasthe"Council") shall elect a
Chairperson. Theelection shalltakeplace atthe[first] [annual] regular meeting [oftheyear] andshall
takeimmediate effect. TheChairperson shallbeelected foraone-year termwhich mayberenewed
once. [Intheabsence oftheChairperson oftheCouncil, the[Chairperson oftheMeat Market Analysis
Group (hereinafter referred toasthe"MMAG")] [Secretariat] [theCouncil shall elect aninterim
Chairperson forthatmeeting orthatpartofthemeeting to]shallperform his/her functions. Ifthe
Chairperson oftheCouncil cannolonger perform thefunctions oftheoffice, theCouncil shalldesignate
the[Chairperson oftheMMAG] [Secretariat] [elect aninterim Chairperson forthatmeeting orthat
partofthemeeting] toperform those functions pending theelection ofanewChairperson.
Comment: Square brackets throughout thetextaremostoften usedtosuggest possible alternatives
regarding twoparticular issues: (1)theCouncil decides toholdoneortwoannual regular meetings
and(2)theCouncil decides tocreate ornotcreate theMMAG. Thisquestion isreflected intheabove
highlighted procedures relating tothereplacement oftheChairperson oftheCouncil inhis/her absence.
Theprocedures wereotherwise drafted inorder toharmonize withRule13oftheRules ofProcedure
oftheGeneral Council.
Rule3
TheCouncil shallnormally meetinJune[andDecember] ofeachyear. Thedate[s] of[these]
[this] meeting[s] [are][is]fixed bytheChairperson inconsultation withtheParties. Notice ofeach
meeting,togetherwiththedraftagendaestablishedbytheSecretariatinconsultationwiththeChairperson
shallbesenttotheParties notlessthantencalendar daysprior tothemeeting.
Comment: IncasetheCouncil decides toholdonlyanannual meeting, itissuggested thatthemeeting
beheldinJune.
Rule4
TheChairperson maycallaspecial meeting oftheCouncil either athis/her owninitiative,
orattherequest ofanyParty within lessthantencalendar daysprior tothemeeting.
Rule5
Unless theCouncil decides otherwise, allitsmeetings shallbeprivate anditsrecords treated
accordingly.IMA/W/3
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Rule6
Atanytime, theCouncil maydecide toamend theagenda ortogivepriority tocertain matters.
Rule7
ThetextofCouncil decisions mustbeadopted inthecourse ofthemeeting atwhich thesaid
decisions aremade.
Rule8
After eachmeeting oftheCouncil, adraftreport shallbesenttotheParties. AnyParty wishing
tomakecorrectionstothedraftshallpresentthemtotheSecretariatwithintwentyworkingdaysfollowing
thedateofdistribution ofthedraft. Ifwithin thatperiod theSecretariat receives nocorrections, the
report shallbedeemed tobeapproved. TheSecretariat shallcommunicate totheParties anysubstantive
corrections received byitwithin thatperiod. Ifnofurther remarks aremade byanyParty within fifteen
working daysfollowing thedateofcirculation ofsuchcorrections, therevised report shallbedeemed
tobeapproved. Anynewamendment proposal shallbesubject tothesame procedure.
Rule9
TheCouncil mayestablish anysubsidiary organs thatmaybenecessary, inparticular forthe
purposes indicated inArticle IV,paragraphs 2and5oftheAgreement.
Rule10
Representatives ofMembers oftheWorld Trade Organization (hereinafter referred toas"WTO
Members") which arenotsignatories mayparticipate intheproceedings oftheCouncil [andtheMMAG]
inanobserver capacity.
Rule11
Representativesofnon-signatorycountriesnotWTOMembers,whichareinterestedinfollowing
theproceedings oftheCouncil [andtheMMAG] inanobserver capacity, should communicate arequest
totheDirector-General oftheWTO indicating theirdesire todoso.TheCouncil shalldecide oneach
request.
Rule12
TheCouncilshalldecideontheconditionsofobservership,includingwithrespecttotheprovision
ofinformation tobesubmitted byobservers. Observers maybeinvited toparticipate inthediscussions
butdecisions shallbetaken onlybysignatories.
Rule13
TheCouncil [andtheMMAG] maydeliberate onconfidential matters inspecial restricted
sessions.IMA/W/3
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Rule14
TheCouncil mayinvite, asappropriate, international organizations toparticipate insessions
oftheCouncil [ortheMMAG] inanobserver capacity. Requests from international organizations
toparticipate inthesessions oftheCouncil [ortheMMAG] inanobserver capacity shallbeconsidered
onacase-by-case basis bytheCouncil.
Rule15
Theinformation tobeprovided under Article IIIoftheAgreement shallbecommunicated on
thebasisofquestionnaires asapproved bytheCouncil. Thequestionnaires mayberevised asnecessary
tofulfil theobjectives oftheAgreement.
[TheParties shallfurnish theinformation requested inthestatistical questionnaire twice ayear,
atthelatest by15April and15October, respectively. Theinformation requested inthequestionnaire
regarding domestic policies andtrade measures shallbefurnished onanannual basis, fortheJune
meeting].
[TheParties shallfurnish theinformation requested inthestatistical questionnaire andthe
questionnaires regarding domestic policies andtrade measures onanannual basis, atthelatest by
15April].
[(a) Thestatistical information furnished fortheJunemeeting shallinclude finaldatafor
thetwelve-month period ended 31December oftheprevious yearaswellasestimates forthecurrent
yearandforecasts forthefollowing year.
(b) Thestatistical information furnished fortheDecember meeting shallinclude asfar
aspossible dataforthecurrent year, including December, either finaldataorrevised estimates, as
wellasrevised forecasts forthecoming twelve-month period.]
[The statistical information shall include final dataforthetwelve-month period ended
31December oftheprevious yearaswellasestimates forthecurrent yearandforecasts forthefollowing
year]
Comment: Thehighlighted textistheproposed alternative forthesubmission ofinformation ifthe
Council decides tomeetonlyannually inJune.
Rule16
TheParties undertake toprovide within oneyearoftheentry intoforce oftheAgreement or
oftheParties 'acceptance thereof, information concerning theirdomestic policies andtrade measures
including bilateral andplurilateral commitments inthebovine sector. TheParties shallnotify asearly
aspossible, andinanycaseinJuneeachyear, anychanges insuchpolicies andmeasures thatarelikely
toaffect international trade inlivebovine animals andmeat.
Rule17
Inaccordance withArticle IV:1oftheAgreement, theSecretariat shallestablish [half-yearly]
[yearly] analytical reports onthesituation andoutlook intheworld bovine meatmarket, which shall
becirculated notlaterthantwoweeks inadvance oftheregular meeting[s] oftheCouncil.IMA/W/3
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Rule18
Inaccordance withArticle IIIoftheAgreement, theSecretariat shalldraw upandkeepup
todate, aninventory ofallmeasures affecting trade inbovine meat andliveanimals, including
commitments resulting frombilateral, plurilateral andmultilateral negotiations. Thisinventory shall
bedistributed totheParties atthebeginning ofeachthree-year period. Revisions oftheinventory
shallbedistributed upon submission ofchanges totheSecretariat.