DECISION ON NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES


      Ministers recommend approval by the Ministerial Conference of the 
improvement and review of notification procedures as set out below.

      Members,

      Desiring to improve the operation of notification procedures under the 
MTO, and thereby to contribute to the transparency of Members' trade 
policies and to the effectiveness of surveillance arrangements established 
to that end,

      Recalling obligations under the MTO to publish and notify, including 
obligations assumed under the terms of specific Protocols of Accession, 
waivers, and other agreements entered into by Members,

      Agree as follows:


I.    General obligation to notify

      Members affirm their commitment to obligations under the Multilateral 
Trade Agreements and, where applicable, the Plurilateral Trade Agreements, 
regarding publication and notification.

      Members recall their undertakings set out in the Understanding 
Regarding Notification, Consultation, Dispute Settlement and Surveillance 
adopted by the CONTRACTING PARTIES to the GATT 1947 on 28 November 1979.  
With regard to their undertaking therein to notify, to the maximum extend 
possible, their adoption of trade measures affecting the operation of the 
GATT 1994, such notification itself being without prejudice to views on the 
consistency of measures with or their relevance to rights and obligations 
under the Multilateral Trade Agreements and, where applicable, the 
Plurilateral Trade Agreements, Members agree to be guided, as appropriate, 
by the annexed list of measures.  Members therefore agree that the 
introduction or modification of such measures is subject to the notification 
requirements of the 1979 Understanding.


II.   Central registry of notifications

      A central registry of notifications shall be established under the 
responsibility of the MTO Secretariat.  While Members will continue to 
follow existing notification procedures, the Secretariat shall ensure that 
the registry records such elements of the information provided on the 
measure by the Member as its purpose, its trade coverage, and the 
requirement under which it has been notified.  The registry shall 
cross-reference its records of notifications by Member and obligation.

      The central registry shall inform each Member annually of the regular 
notification obligations to which that Member will be expected to respond in 
the course of the following year.

      The central registry shall draw the attention of individual Members to 
regular notification requirements which remain unfulfilled.

      Information in the central registry regarding individual notifications 
shall be made available on request to any Member entitled to receive the 
notification concerned.


III.  Review of notification obligations and procedures

      The Council for Trade in Goods will undertake a review of notification 
obligations and procedures under the Agreements in Annex 1A.  The review 
will be carried out by a working group, membership in which will be open to 
all Members.  The group will be established immediately after the entry into 
force of the Agreement Establishing the MTO.

      The terms of reference of the working group will be:

      -    to undertake a thorough review of all existing notification 
           obligations of Members established under the Agreements in Annex 
           1A, with a view to simplifying, standardizing and consolidating 
           these obligations to the greatest extent practicable, as well as 
           to improving compliance with these obligations, bearing in mind 
           the overall objective of improving the transparency of the trade 
           policies of Members and the effectiveness of surveillance 
           arrangements established to this end, and also bearing in mind 
           the possible need of some developing Members for assistance in 
           meeting their notification obligations;

      -    to make recommendations to the Council for Trade in Goods not 
           later than two years after the entry into force of the Agreement 
           Establishing the MTO.
                                  ANNEX

                INDICATIVE LIST[1] OF NOTIFIABLE MEASURES


Tariffs (including range and scope of bindings, GSP provisions, rates 
applied to members of free-trade areas/customs unions, other preferences)

Tariff quotas and surcharges

Quantitative restrictions, including voluntary export restraints and orderly 
marketing arrangements affecting imports

Other non-tariff measures such as licensing and mixing requirements;  
variable levies

Customs valuation

Rules of origin

Government Procurement

Technical barriers

Safeguard actions

Anti-dumping actions

Countervailing actions

Export taxes

Export subsidies, tax exemptions and concessionary export financing

Free-trade zones, including in-bond manufacturing

Export restrictions, including voluntary export restraints and orderly 
marketing arrangements

Other government assistance, including subsidies, tax exemptions

R“le of State-trading enterprises

Foreign exchange controls related to imports and exports

Government-mandated countertrade

Any other measure covered by the Multilateral Trade Agreements in Annex 1A 
to the Agreement Establishing the MTO


1. This list does not alter existing notification requirements in the 
Multilateral Trade Agreements in Annex 1A to the Agreement Establishing the 
MTO.