Public
FTAA.ngma/com/27
June 6, 2003
Original: English - Spanish
Translation: non FTAA Secretariat
FTAA - NEGOTIATING GROUP ON MARKET ACCESS
Twenty-Seventh Meeting
Puebla, June 2-6, 2003
PRESS COMMUNIQUE
The Twenty-seventh meeting of the Negotiating Group on Market Access (NGMA)
was held in Puebla, Mexico from June 2-6, 2003. Mr. Felipe Jaramillo of
Colombia chaired the meeting. The Vice-chair is Mr. Manuel Diaz of the
Dominican Republic. In attendance were delegates from the following
countries: Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile,
Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and
Tobago, and United States. The Tripartite Committee provided technical
support to the meeting.
The NGMA agreed on an agenda, which is
attached hereto. All the items on the agenda were satisfactorily addressed.
The Group made significant advances in the discussion about substantive
issues related to origin regime, customs procedures related to rules of
origin, customs procedures, safeguard measures, and tariff and non tariff
measures. A parallel meeting on standards and technical barriers to trade
was also held and significant progress was made on this issue.
The Tripartite Committee reported to the Group on the status of, and
contributions submitted to, the Hemispheric Data Base (HDB).
The Group acknowledged receipt of eight civil society contributions
forwarded by the Committee of Government Representatives on the
Participation of Civil Society to the NGMA. Delegations called attention to
the quantity and quality of the contributions received, which came from a
wide spectrum of participants in civil society. This highlights the
interest of civil society and the transparency of the negotiating process.
Some delegations indicated that there is a high degree of coincidence
between the civil society contributions and many of their negotiating
positions. Delegations agreed to continue to take into account these
contributions when defining their negotiating positions.
The Group’s next meeting will be held in Puebla, Mexico and is tentatively
scheduled to take place July 21-25, 2003.
FTAA - NEGOTIATING GROUP ON MARKET ACCESS
Twenty-Seventh Meeting
Puebla, June 2 – 6, 2003
AGENDA
1. Approval of Agenda
2. General Issues
3. Methods and Modalities for Tariff Negotiations
4. Text on Origin Regime
5. Text on Origin-related [Customs] Procedures
6. Text on Customs Procedures
7. Text on Safeguards
8. Tariff and Non Tariff Measures
9. Text on Standards and Technical Barriers to Trade
10. Civil Society Contributions
11. Agenda for the next meeting
12. Other business |