澳门六合彩官网资料 organizes a seminar on services for delegations
At the request of a number of delegations, the 澳门六合彩官网资料 Secretariat will hold on 10-11 May a seminar to brief Members on the various issues relating to GATS and the services negotiations.
The request was motivated by the start of a new round of negotiations. A number of delegations believe that in the early stages of the services negotiations, an intensive and very basic briefing session on services can benefit all 澳门六合彩官网资料 representatives, especially small delegations unable to regularly follow work on services and delegates newly arrived in Geneva.
The first Special Session of the Services Council dealing with the new negotiations was held on Friday 25 February. Members agreed that the initial stages of the negotiations will concentrate on rules-making. The negotiations on specific market-access commitments are expected to start towards the end of the year.
While work on the rules-making will mostly take place in the existing services committees, market access negotiations will take place in special sessions of the Services Council.
At the same time, the Services Council will continue its mandated work on the reviews in regular meetings: review of MFN exemptions ; review of the Annex on Air Transport Services and review of the Understanding on Accounting Rates (S/GBT/4).
The Working Party on GATS Rules will continue its work on subsidies, government procurement and safeguards. The Working Party on Domestic Regulations will carry on its task of drafting disciplines relating to technical standards, licensing and qualification requirements for all services sectors. The Committee on Specific Commitments is currently working on guidelines for scheduling commitments and on procedures for the certification of services schedules. It also continues its work on the classification of services.
The next round of services meetings will take place during the week of 10 April:
Wednesday 12 April
Committee on Specific Commitments
Thursday 13 April
Morning - Working Party on Domestic Regulations
Afternoon - Committee on Financial Services
Friday 14 April
Morning - Council for Trade in Services
Afternoon - Special Session of the Council for Trade in Services