WORLD TRADE WT/TPR/44
31March 1998
ORGANIZATION(98-1277)
Trade Policy Review Body
TRADE POLICY REVIEW MECHANISM
INDIA
Arrangements forReview Meeting
Communication from theChairman oftheTrade Policy Review Body
1. Inpursuance ofArticle IV,paragraph 4andAnnex 3oftheWTO Agreement, ameeting of
theTrade Policy Review Body isscheduled for16-17 April 1998toconduct thesecond review ofthe
trade policies andpractices ofIndia.
2. Thiscommunication setsoutarrangements concerning thereview meeting. Inthisconnection,
attention isalsodrawn totheprocedures fortheconduct ofreviews contained intherulesofprocedure
oftheTrade Policy Review Body (WT/TPR/6).
(i) Questions inwriting inadvance ofthemeeting
3. Where possible, Members shallsubmit written questions totheMember under review atleast
oneweek before thereview meeting toallow timetoprepare replies. Fortheforthcoming review,
suchquestions should therefore bewiththeTrade Policies Review Division oftheSecretariat by
Wednesday, 8April 1998. Allquestions submitted willbemade available toMembers atthebeginning
ofthemeeting.
(ii) Discussants
4. Inconsultation withtheMembers under review, theChairperson oftheTrade Policy Review
Body maychoose discussants who, intheirpersonal capacity, willintroduce thediscussions inthe
Body. Ambassador Chak MunSee(Singapore) andMr.RicWells (Australia) willactasdiscussants
forthereview ofIndia. Documents summarizing themain points toberaised bythediscussants will
becirculated oneweek inadvance ofthemeeting.
(iii) Structure ofthemeeting
5. Trade policy reviews cover fourbroad headings:
(a) appreciation ofthefullrange oftheMember 'strade policies andpractices;
(b) relevant background: wider economic anddevelopmental needs, including theexternal
environment;
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(c) impactoftheMember'stradepoliciesandpracticesonthefunctioningofthemultilateral
trading system; and
(d) general comments bywayofassessment andevaluation.
Meetings takeplace intwosessions. Thefirstsession isdevoted totheopening statements bythe
Member under review andthediscussants, andremarks andquestions fromthefloor. Thediscussion
inthesecond session, when theMember under review willreply toquestions, isbased onmainthemes
identified aftertheopening meeting bytheChairman, discussants andSecretariat inconsultation with
theMember.
(iv) Documentation andpress arrangements
6. Reports bytheMember under review andtheSecretariat arecontained inthefollowing
documents:
WT/TPR/G/33 Report bytheGovernment ofIndia
WT/TPR/S/33 India: Report bytheSecretariat
7. Thepress embargo forthereview ofIndia willendon17April 1998.
(v) Minutes
8. Minutes ofthemeeting willbecirculated promptly andwillbepublished together withthe
reports byIndia andtheSecretariat.
(vi) Answers inwriting bythecontracting parties under review
9. Inthecourse ofthediscussions atthereview meeting, theMember under review mayindicate
thatitintends toprovide supplementary information, inwriting, onspecific points raised. Upon receipt,
theSecretariat willcirculate adocument containing thisinformation toallMembers. Suchinformation
willnotbereflected intheminutes ofthemeeting.
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