. /.RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/MA/SPEC/9
23 November 1998
(98-4688)
Committee on Market Access
DRAFT
REPORT (1998) OF THE COMMITTEE ON MARKET ACCESS
1. The Committee on Market Access held four formal meetings in 1998:  on 26 March, 18 June,
22 September and 27 November 1998.   The minutes of these meetings are contained in documents
G/MA/M/13 to G/MA/M/[16].  In addition, two peri odic reports  giving an overview of the issues
discussed in the Committee and providing factual info rmation related to the requests for waivers, both
for the introduction of HS96 changes and for the transposition of schedules into the Harmonized
System are contained in doc ument G/MA/59 and G/MA/60.
2. At its meeting of 18 June 1998  the Committee took note of the nomination of
Mr. Ole Lundby of Norway as Chairman of the Committee for the current year and elected him by
acclamation.  On 22 September, the Committee agreed not to elect a Vice-Chairperson during the
present term, without however creating any precedent for the election of a Vice-Chairperson for the
Committee in the future.
3. As concerns the introduction on 1 January 1996 of the changes to the nomenclature of the
Harmonized System and the submission of documentation related to these changes, the Committee
examined the situation at every meeting on the basis of updated documents prepared by the
Secretariat.  On 13 December 1995 several Members were granted individual waivers, for operational
reasons grouped into one single decision, for the introduction of HS96 changes into their schedules.
These waivers which presently concern 37 Members were, by successive decisions by the General
Council, extended until 30 April 1999 (see doc. WT/L/281).  In addition to these waivers fourMembers obtained an extension until 30 April 1999 of their waivers in connection with the
transposition of their pre-Uruguay Round schedules into the Harmonized System.
4. [At its meeting of 27 November 1998 the Committee was informed of  and took note of the
status of quantitative restriction notifications contained in document G/MA/NTM/QR/+/Add.5.] - tobe completed .
5. As concerns the submission of the required documentation related to the introduction of HS96
changes in the respective WTO schedules of concessions on goods, the Committee noted that as of
27 November 1998, out of the 37 Members under waivers [10] of them had not yet submitted therequired documentation, and the submissions of [28] members, whether they had requested and
extension or not, remained pending due to ongoing consultations and/or negotiations.  Since the last
report, seven submission have been approved and certified.
6. [Communication on trade in pharmaceutical products – to be completed].7. With reference to the modalities and operation of the Integrated Data Base, the Committee
examined the status of IDB submissions at its  meetings of 26 March, 18 June, 22 September [and
27 November] 1998 on the basis of documents G/ MA/IDB/2, G/MA/IDB/2/R ev.1, G/MA/IDB/2/Rev.2
[and G/MA/IDB/2/Rev.3].  At the meetings of 26 March, 18 June and 22 September, several Members
stressed the need for all Members to supply this data in order to fulfil their notification obligations. ItG/MA/SPEC/9
Page 2
was further noted that technical assistance was availa ble to assist Members in the submission of data to
the IDB. As of 27 November 1998, [..] Members and [...] acceding countries had provided IDB
submissions.
8. At the meeting of 26 March 1998, the Committee examined document G/MA/IDB/W/3/Rev.1,
which described the modalities of a technical assistance programme for the IDB.  At the meeting of 22September 1998, the Secretariat presented an oral repo rt on the technical assistance activities that had
been carried out thus far.
9. At the meetings of 26 March and 18 June 1998, the Committee considered matters concerning
the dissemination of the information contained in the IDB, on the basis of informal papers prepared by
the Secretariat, dated 16 March (Job No. 1483) and 28 May 1998 (Job No. 1483/Rev.1) respectively.
At the meeting of 22 September 1998, on the basis of the revised note dated 18 September 1998
(Job No. 1483/Rev.2), the Committee adopted the proposals for dissemination of the IDB as describedin the document prepared by the Secretariat, which would be issued as an addendum to
G/MA/IDB/1/Rev.1.
10. With respect to the preparation of consolidated  loose-leaf schedules on goods, at the meeting of
26 March 1998, the Committee examined an informal note by the Secretariat dated 16 March 1998 (Job
No. 1484). The note described potential means of esta blishing a database of Members' consolidated
tariff concessions.  The database would be establishe d as a working tool without implications as to the
legal status of the information contained therein, but would accurately reflect Members' concessions.
Delegations observed that such a database could be  a very useful and important tool for the future
activities of the Committee and Members.  Delegations  supported the idea of carrying out a pilot project
for the schedule of one Member.  The pilot project  would provide a basis for estimating the resources
that might be required to establish the database for all Members.  It would also permit the identification
of problems that might be encounter ed and would help to determine the extent of Members' involvement
in the exercise. At the meetings of 22 September [and 27 November] 1998, the Secretariat presented
oral reports on the status of the pilot project.
[To be completed in light of the discussions at the meeting of 27 November 1998.]
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