RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/SG/W/147
17April 1996
ORGANIZATION (96-1407)
Original: English Committee onSafeguards
QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE NOTIFICATION PROVIDED
BYSOUTH AFRICA1OFLAWS AND REGULATIONS UNDER
ARTICLE 12.6OFTHE AGREEMENT
Thefollowing communication, dated 12April 1996, hasbeenreceived from thePermanent
Delegation oftheEuropean Commission.
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1. TheEuropean Community hascertain concerns relating totheconformity withtheWTO
Agreement onSafeguards oftheSafeguard legislation notified bySouth Africa. Forexample,
- theconcept of"material injury", usedforthedefinition of"disruptive competition"
inSection 1oftheBoard onTariffs andTrade Act,hasaprecise meaning intheWTO
legalsystem (intheAgreements onAnti-Dumping andonSubsidies andCountervailing
Measures), andindicates athreshold ofinjury different from thatof"serious injury"
usedintheWTOAgreementonSafeguards;thusSouthAfrica'slegislationwouldappear
toallow safeguard measures tobetaken when injury which isnot"serious" ispresent;
- there arenoprovisions ontheprocedural requirements ofaninvestigation, notably
ontherights ofinterested parties,
- there arenoprovisions onthewaysafeguard measures areimplemented (level ofa
quota, etc.);
- there arenoprovisions ontheduration ofasafeguard measure;
- therearenoprovisions onthenon-discriminatory application ofasafeguard measure.
Could South Africa indicate ifittherefore intends tomodify itslegislation intheforeseeable
future tobring itintolinewiththedisciplines oftheWTO Agreement onSafeguards?
2. IfSouth Africa takes asafeguard measure against Members oftheWTO, willtheprovisions
oftheWTO Agreement onSafeguards beapplicable tosuchproceedings?
3. Under Section 19oftheBoard onTariffs andTrade Act,anyperson (including anexporter)
whodoesnotcooperate toaninvestigation issubject tocriminal prosecution. Does thisprovision
apply incaseofsafeguard investigations?
1G/SG/N/1/ZAF/1.