| Author (Corporate) | European Commission |
|---|---|
| Series Title | COM |
| Series Details | (2013) 688 final (8.10.13) |
| Publication Date | 08/10/2013 |
| Content Type | Policy-making |
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Each Member of the Word Trade Organisation (WTO) has annexed to the General Agreement on Trade in Services (hereinafter "GATS") a list of specific commitments which includes the conditions of market access and national treatment for each service sector and, where applicable, of exemptions to the Most-Favoured Nation clause. The European Community and its Member States at the time submitted at the end of the Uruguay Round (1994) a single schedule of commitments and of MFN exemptions, which reflected their obligations vis-à-vis third countries (EC-12). In 2003, the European Community launched the consolidation of the EC-12 GATS schedule and of the 13 separate GATS schedules of the Member States that joined the EC in 1995 and 2004. The negotiations with WTO Members and the certification process of the new EC-25 GATS schedule were concluded at the end of 2006. The conclusion of the agreements signed with the different affected WTO Members is underway (awaiting ratification in five Member States). Following the accession of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania to the EU, their GATS schedules have to be consolidated with that of the EU-25 and the process of consolidation of the certified EU-25 GATS schedule and of schedules of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania has been launched (EU-27). On 31 January 2008, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations with certain other Members of the WTO with a view of reaching an agreement on any necessary compensatory adjustment resulting from the modification of GATS trade commitments as a consequence of the accession of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union. Negotiations with the Commonwealth of Australia, the Federative Republic of Brazil, Canada, the Republic of India, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China and Japan resulted in the draft Agreements in the form of an Exchange of Letters. Once the Council Decision on the conclusion of these Agreements is adopted, the Commission will launch the certification procedure provided for by the applicable WTO rules. |
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| Source Link | http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2013:688:FIN |
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| Subject Categories | Trade |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
