Considerations on COM(2022)257 - Conclusion of an agreement on the modification of schedules of specific commitments under the General Agreement on Trade in Services

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dossier COM(2022)257 - Conclusion of an agreement on the modification of schedules of specific commitments under the General Agreement on Trade in ...
document COM(2022)257 EN
date November 25, 2022
 
table>(1)At the 11th Ministerial Conference of the Word Trade Organization (WTO), a group of 59 WTO Members, including the Union, issued a Joint Ministerial Statement on Services Domestic Regulation whereby they launched a plurilateral initiative to negotiate disciplines on services domestic regulation.
(2)The Commission conducted negotiations in consultation with the Committee established under Article 207(3) of the Treaty. The number of participants in this plurilateral Joint Statement Initiative increased to 67 WTO Members over time.

(3)On 2 December 2021, the participants in those negotiations issued a Declaration on the Conclusion of Negotiations on Services Domestic Regulation (the ‘Declaration’), which announced the successful conclusion of the negotiations. The participants noted the conclusion of negotiations on the Reference Paper on Services Domestic Regulation, which is set out in Annex 1 to the Declaration. They also welcomed the GATS Schedules of Specific Commitments which were submitted by WTO Members as their contributions to finalise the negotiations and which were attached to the Declaration as Annex 2.

(4)The participants to the Declaration intend to incorporate the disciplines specified in Annex 1 to the Declaration as additional commitments into their GATS Schedules of Specific Commitments, in accordance with Section 1 of that Annex. In accordance with paragraph 5 of the Declaration, the participants aim to submit their GATS Schedules of Specific Commitments for certification, pursuant to the Procedures for the Certification of Rectifications or Improvements to Schedules of Specific Commitments, within 12 months of the date of the Declaration, subject to the completion of any required domestic procedures.

(5)In accordance with the Declaration, the Union should submit to the WTO the necessary modifications to its GATS Schedule of Specific Commitments, as set out in the Union’s Pre-Finalisation Schedule of Specific Commitments.

(6)The incorporation of the disciplines specified in Annex 1 to the Declaration as additional commitments into the Union’s GATS Schedule of Specific Commitments should therefore be approved on behalf of the Union,