RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/TPR/14
29January 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-0317)
Trade Policy Review Body
TRADE POLICY REVIEW MECHANISM
VENEZUELA AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Arrangements forReview Meetings
Communication from theChairperson oftheTrade Policy Review Body
1. Inpursuance ofArticle IV,paragraph 4andAnnex 3oftheWTO Agreement, meetings of
theTrade Policy Review Body arescheduled for12-13 and14-15 February toconduct thereviews
ofthetrade policies andpractices ofVenezuela andtheDominican Republic (WTO/AIR/255).
2. Thiscommunication setsoutarrangements concerning thereview meetings. Inthisconnection,
attention isalsodrawn totheprocedures fortheconduct ofreviews contained intherulesofprocedure
formeetings oftheTrade Policy Review Body (WT/TPR/W/4).
(i) Questions inwriting inadvance ofthemeeting
3. Where possible, Members shallsubmit written questions totheMembers under review atleast
oneweek before thereview meeting, toallow timetoprepare replies. Forthese forthcoming reviews,
suchquestions should therefore beinthehands oftheSecretariat byMonday, 5February forVenezuela
andWednesday, 7February fortheDominican Republic. Allquestions submitted willbemade
available toMembers atthebeginning ofthemeetings.
(ii) Discussants
4. Inconsultation withtheMembers under review, theChairperson oftheTrade Policy Review
Body maychoose discussants who, intheirpersonal capacity, willintroduce thediscussions inthe
Body. Messrs. Carlos Antonio daRocha Paranhos andWilhelm Meier willactasdiscussants forthe
review ofVenezuela; andMessrs. Sebastián SáezandJoséLuisPerez Sanchez forthereview ofthe
Dominican Republic. Documents summarizing themain points toberaised bythediscussants will
becirculated oneweek inadvance ofthemeetings.
(iii) Structure ofthemeetings
5. Trade policy reviews cover fourbroad headings:
(a) appreciation ofthefullrange oftheMembers 'trade policies andpractices;
(b) relevant background: wider economic anddevelopmental needs, including theexternal
environment;
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Page2
(c) impactoftheMembers'tradepoliciesandpracticesonthefunctioningofthemultilateral
trading system; and
(d) general comments bywayofassessment andevaluation.
Meetings takeplace intwosessions. Thefirstsession isdevoted totheopening statements bythe
Member under review, discussants andremarks fromthefloor. Thediscussion onthesecond session
when replies aremade bytheMember under review, isbased onmainthemes identified aftertheopening
meeting bytheChairperson, discussants andSecretariat inconsultation withtheMember.
(iv) Documentation andpress arrangements
6. Reports bytheMembers under review andtheSecretariat arecontained inthefollowing
documents:
WT/TPR/G/10 Report bytheGovernment ofVenezuela
WT/TPR/S/10 Venezuela: Report bytheSecretariat
WT/TPR/G/11 Report bytheGovernment oftheDominican Republic
WT/TPR/S/11 Dominican Republic: Report bytheSecretariat.
7. Thepress embargoes forthereviews ofVenezuela andtheDominican Republic willendat
13.00 GMT (14.00 localtime) on13February and15February, respectively.
(v) Minutes
8. Minutes ofthemeetings willbecirculated promptly andwillbepublished together withthe
reports bytheGovernments andtheSecretariat.
(vi) Answers inwriting bythecontracting parties under review afterthespecial Council meetings
9. Inthecourse ofthediscussions atthereview meetings, theMembers under review mayindicate
thattheyintend toprovide supplementary information, inwriting, onspecific points raised. Upon
receipt, theSecretariat willcirculate documents containing thisinformation toallMembers. Such
information willnotbereflected intheminutes ofthemeetings.