WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/L/291
3 December 1998
(98-4855)
REPORT (1998) OF THE COMMITTEE ON
TRADE IN CIVIL AIRCRAFT
1. This report is submitted under Article 8.2 of the Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft
(hereinafter the "Agreement") and Article IV.8 of the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World
Trade Organization.  It sets out the activities of the Committee since November 1997.
2. As of 30 November 1998, there were 24 Signatorie s to the Agreement:   Bulgaria, Canada, the
European Communities, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy,Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Egypt, Japan, Macau,
Norway, Romania, Switzerland and the United States. Those WTO Members with observer status in
the Committee are: Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia, the
Czech Republic, Finland, Gabon, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Israel, Korea, Malta, Mauritius, Nigeria,
Poland, Singapore, the Slovak Republic, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia and Turkey.  Inaddition, China, the Russian Federation and Chinese Taipei have observer status in the Committee.
The IMF and UNCTAD are also observers.
3. The only meeting of the Committee since November 1997 was held on 30 November 1998.
At this meeting, Signatories elected Mr. Didier Chambovey (Switzerland) as the new Chairperson of
the Committee.  Furthermore, the Committee discussed the application of the EC Directive onElectromagnetic Compatibility to civil aircraft;  the proposed EC regulation of aircraft engine noise;
Belgian aircraft industry supports;  the certification of large civil aircraft in France;  the system of
"end-use" customs administration in the United States;  proposals for the liberalization of trade in civil
aircraft made in the context of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC);  the restructuring of
domestic aircraft industries, the status of the Agr eement in the WTO framework;  the need to update
certain Harmonized System headings in the Produc t Coverage Annex of the Agreement;  the proposed
US Aircraft Repair Station Safety  Act of 1997;  and the application of the US Fastener Quality Act to
civil aircraft.  The Committee agreed that discussion of some of these issues  should continue through
written questions and answers.
4. At its meeting on 30 November 1998, the Committee agreed that the Secretariat should
prepare a paper identifying those HS headings in the Product Coverage Annex of the Agreement that
need to be amended in light of changes to the Harmonized System effective as of 1 January 1996.The Committee also agreed with the Chairperson's proposal that he should conduct informal
consultations with Signatories on (1) the technical rectifications needed to properly establish the
Agreement in the framework of the WTO, and (2) the need for any substantive amendment of the
Product Coverage Annex of the Agreement  The Committee further agreed that Signatories should by
30 May 1999 update the information concerning civil/military identification for domestic customspurposes contained in document AIR/TSC/W/49.
5. The Sub-Committee of the Committee on Trade in Civil Aircraft did not meet during the
period under review.
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