RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/AG/W/22
18March 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-0962)
Committee onAgriculture
DRAFT RULES OFPROCEDURE FOR MEETINGS OF
THE COMMITTEE ONAGRICULTURE
Note bytheSecretariat
Atitsmeeting on21November 1995, theCommittee onAgriculture requested theSecretariat
toprepare draftrules ofprocedure foritsmeetings, based ontheRules ofProcedure adopted bythe
General Council (WT/L/28). Thefollowing draftRules ofProcedure areproposed foradoption by
theCommittee onAgriculture. They willsubsequently beforwarded forapproval totheCouncil for
Trade inGoods inaccordance withparagraph 6ofArticle IVoftheWTO Agreement.
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TheRules ofProcedure formeetings oftheGeneral Council (WT/L/28) shallapply mutatis
mutandis formeetings oftheCommittee onAgriculture except asotherwise provided intheWorking
Procedures asestablished (G/AG/1) orassubsequently amended bytheCommittee onAgriculture
andexcept asprovided below:
(i) Rule5ofChapter II(Agenda) isnotapplicable.
(ii) Rule6ofChapter II(Agenda) shallbemodified toreadasfollows:
Thefirstitemofbusinessateachmeetingshallbetheconsiderationandapproval
oftheagenda. Representatives ortheChairperson maysuggest amendments tothe
proposed agenda, oradditions totheagenda under "Other Business". Representatives
shall provide theChairperson ortheSecretariat, andtheother Members directly
concerned, whenever possible, advance notice ofitems intended toberaised under
"Other Business".
(iii) Rules 12,13and14ofChapter V(Officers) shallbemodified toreadasfollows:
Rule12
TheCommittee onAgriculture shall electaChairperson1from among the
representatives ofMembers. Theelection shalltakeplace atthefirstmeeting ofthe
1TheCommittee onAgriculture shallapply therelevant guidelines contained inthe"Guidelines
forAppointment ofOfficers toWTO Bodies" (WT/L/31 dated 7February 1995).
./.G/AG/W/22
Page2
yearandshalltakeeffect attheendofthemeeting. TheChairperson shallholdoffice
untiltheendofthefirstmeeting ofthefollowing year.
Rule13
IftheChairperson isabsent fromanymeeting orpartthereof, theCommittee
onAgriculture shallappoint aninterim Chairperson forthatmeeting orthatpartof
themeeting.
Rule14
IftheChairperson cannolonger perform thefunctions oftheoffice, the
Committee onAgriculture shall appoint aninterim Chairperson toperform those
functions pending theelection ofanewChairperson.
(iv) Rule16ofChapter VI(Conduct ofBusiness) isnotapplicable.
(v) Rule24ofChapter VI(Conduct ofBusiness) shallbemodified toreadasfollows:
Inorder toexpedite theconduct ofbusiness, theChairperson mayinvite
representatives thatwishtoexpress theirsupport foragiven proposal toshow their
hands; thus, onlyrepresentatives withdissenting views orwishing tomake explicit
points orproposals would actually beinvited tomake astatement. Thisprocedure
shallonlybeapplied inorder toavoid undue repetition ofpoints already made, and
willnotpreclude anyrepresentative whosowishes from taking thefloor.
(vi) Rule33ofChapter VII(Decision-Making) shallbereplaced bythefollowing:
TheCommittee onAgriculture shallreach itsdecisions byconsensus. Where
adecision cannot bearrived atbyconsensus, thematter atissue shallbereferred to
theCouncil forTrade inGoods ifanydelegation sorequests.
(vii) Rule34ofChapter VII(Decision-Making) isnotapplicable.
(viii) Rule36ofChapter IX(Records) shallbereplaced bythefollowing:
Records oftheCommittee onAgriculture 'sproceedings shalltaketheform
ofasummary tobeprepared bytheSecretariat, onthebasisthatanydelegation may,
attheirrequest, verify those portions ofthedraftreport containing theirstatements
priortotheissuance oftheSecretariat summary report inaccordance withthecustomary
GATTpractice.Delegationsthatwishtoavailthemselvesofthisverificationprocedure,
should soindicate totheSecretariat within 10days oftheclose ofthemeeting
concerned.