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Public
FTAA.ngag/com/22
December 19, 2002
Original: English-Spanish
Translation: non FTAA Secretariat
FTAA - NEGOTIATING GROUP ON AGRICULTURE
Twenty-Second Meeting
Panama, December 17-19, 2002
PRESS COMMUNIQUE
The Twenty-second Meeting of the Negotiating Group on Agriculture (NGAG)
took place in Panama City, Panama from December 17-19, 2002. The following
delegations attended: Argentina, Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile,
Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada,
Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago,
United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
The NGAG agreed on the agenda, which is
attached to this press communiqué. All the items on the agenda were
covered.
The Group analyzed the results of the Quito Ministerial Meeting and its
implications for its work. The Group further designed a work program for
the coming months taking into account the new Ministerial mandates. The
Group also discussed non- tariff measures and agreed on a methodology to
continue working on this subject at the next meeting.
The Tripartite Committee reported to the Group on the status of, and
inputs to, the Hemispheric Data Base (HDB) and informed that the
information submitted will be compiled and incorporated into a new version
of the HDB-PC CD-ROM, for distribution in the near future. The Committee
also reported on subregional technical workshops that have been held on
the Toolkit for Negotiators. The NGAG requested that the Tripartite
Committee make available to the Group the Excel files that they are
producing for the NGMA with some minor alterations.
The Group acknowledged receipt of the civil society contributions
forwarded by the Committee of Government Representatives on the
Participation of Civil Society to the NGAG. The delegations agreed to give
all due attention to these contributions.
The Group’s next meeting will be held in Panama City from February 16-21,
2003.
FTAA – NEGOTIATING GROUP ON AGRICULTURE
Twenty-Second Meeting
Panama, December 17-19, 2002
AGENDA
1) Approval of the Agenda
2) General Issues:
a) NGMA report of the last meeting
b) Contributions forwarded by the Committee of Government
Representatives on the Participation of Civil Society
c) Follow up of List of Tasks
d) Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures
e) Follow up on the process of the exchange of offers
f) Presentation by the Tripartite Committee on the preparation of
Excel trade and tariff files and on the Hemispheric Data Base (HDB)
3) Follow up of the TNC and Ministers meeting of Quito
4) NGAG Work Plan
5) Non Tariff Measures
6) Other Issues:
a) Report from the 22nd meeting
b) Draft agenda for the 23rd meeting of the NGAG
Tentative distribution of the time
(Note: the distribution of time among the different agenda items is
only notional and will be adjusted according to the progress made
during the meeting)
TUESDAY 17:
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Informal contacts between those delegations that wish to discuss
issues of negotiation that are established in FTAA.TNC/20/Rev.1 and
the Ministerial Declaration of Quito
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
1) Approval of the Agenda
2) General Issues:
a) NGMA report of the last meeting
b) Contributions forwarded by the Committee of Government
Representatives on the Participation of Civil Society
c) Follow up of List of Tasks
d) Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures
3) Follow up of the TNC and Ministers meeting of Quito
WEDNESDAY 18:
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Continuation: Follow up of the TNC and Ministers meeting of Quito
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
4) NGAG Work Plan
THURSDAY 19:
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Continuation: NGAG Work Plan.
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
5) Non Tariff Measures
FRIDAY 20:
6) Other Issues:
a) Report from the 22nd meeting
b) Draft agenda for the 23rd meeting of the NGAG
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