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Noticias 

Disciplines on services domestic regulation

The disciplines on services domestic regulation bring longstanding work on good regulatory practice for services within the ambit of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ. With services representing the fastest growing sector of today’s global economy, the new set of disciplines will benefit all °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ members, and especially small businesses and women entrepreneurs, by facilitating services trade and by promoting more transparent, predictable and efficient regulatory frameworks.

The disciplines aim to mitigate the unintended trade restrictive effects of measures relating to licensing requirements and procedures, qualification requirements and procedures, and technical standards. The disciplines will be applied on a “most-favoured nation” basis, meaning they will benefit all °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ members. They have been designed to apply to all sectors where participants have undertaken commitments in their GATS schedules.

A total of economies — comprising °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ members and two acceding members (Timor-Leste and Comoros) — are committed to implementing the new disciplines.

Participation

The following ^* °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ members and acceding members are committed to implement the disciplines on services domestic regulation:
.

Participation in this Joint Initiative is open to all °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ members. The Initiative is coordinated by Mr Jaime Coghi Arias (Costa Rica).

^* Counting the European Union and its 27 member states as 27 participants

State of play

The disciplines on services domestic regulation have become legally binding for 49 °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ members as part of the commitments set out in their GATS schedules.

°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ certification procedures have been concluded for a further eight members (Chile, Costa Rica, Georgia, Japan, Kazakhstan, North Macedonia, Paraguay and Ukraine) who will notify the date of entry into force of the new disciplines after completion of their respective domestic procedures.

For other participants in the Joint Initiative, certification procedures are either ongoing, or have not yet started.

Trade and economic effects of the new disciplines

According to °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ research, the implementation of the disciplines is projected to lead to a reduction in trade costs by 10% for lower-middle income economies and by 14% for upper‑middle income economies, resulting in global savings of USD 127 billion.

Implementation will lead to more active engagement in international services trade as well as reductions in input prices in services sectors. Moreover, the implementation of the disciplines is projected to reduce the costs of business start-up procedures, lead to broader financial inclusion, and boost participation in global value chains.

Background

The Joint Initiative on Services Domestic Regulation was established in December 2017 by a group of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ members, with the aim of developing disciplines to facilitate services trade and mitigate the unintended trade-restrictive effects of measures relating to licensing requirements and procedures, qualification requirements and procedures, and technical standards. The initiative built upon work undertaken in the Working Party on Domestic Regulation.

In December 2017, 59 °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ members issued a Joint Statement on Services Domestic Regulation, affirming their commitment to advance negotiations on domestic regulation of trade in services.

In May 2019, 59 °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ members welcomed the progress made in the negotiations in a second Joint Statement on Services Domestic Regulation, and committed to continue working on outstanding issues and finalize negotiations by the 12th Ministerial Conference.

On 2 December 2021, 67 °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ members adopted a Declaration announcing the successful conclusion of negotiations on services domestic regulation –  which resulted in the Reference Paper on Services Domestic Regulation.

The Declaration sets outs the intention of the signatories to incorporate the disciplines on services domestic regulation contained in the Reference Paper as “additional commitments” in their GATS schedules, in accordance with the from April 2000.