Public
FTAA.ngag/com/23
February 21, 2003
Original: English-Spanish
Translation: non FTAA Secretariat
FTAA - NEGOTIATING GROUP ON AGRICULTURE
Twenty-Third Meeting
Panama, February 17-20, 2003
PRESS COMMUNIQUE
The Twenty-third Meeting of the Negotiating Group on Agriculture (NGAG)
took place in Panama City, Panama from February 17-20, 2003. The following
delegations attended: Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Chile,
Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada,
Guatemala, Guyana, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and
Tobago, United States, and Venezuela.
The NGAG agreed on the agenda, which is
attached to this press communiqué. All the items on the agenda were
covered.
The work of the Group covered: (1) the exchange of tariff offers among all
delegations during non-plenary sessions on February 16-17, 2003; (2) the
methodology of notification and counter-notification on non tariff
measures; (3) sanitary and phytosanitary measures; (4) export subsidies;
and (5) other practices that distort trade in agricultural products,
including those which have an equivalent effect to agricultural export
subsidies.
The Tripartite Committee presented the following reports: (i) a matrix
comparing similar texts from the Chapters of the NGAG and the NGMA; (ii)
the status of, and inputs to, the Hemispheric Data Base (HDB); and (iii)
the status of the Excel files containing trade and tariff information
requested by the NGAG.
The Group informed that it received no additional contributions from the
Committee of Government Representatives on the Participation of Civil
Society.
The Group’s next meeting will be held in Puebla, Mexico from March 17-21,
2003.
FTAA – NEGOTIATING GROUP ON AGRICULTURE
Twenty-Third Meeting
Panama, February 17-20, 2003
AGENDA
1. Approval of the Agenda
2. General Issues:
- Comparative matrix of texts from NGMA and NGAG
- Notification and counter-notification of SPS
- Hemispheric Data Base (HDB)
- Contributions forwarded by the Committee of Government
Representatives on the Participation of Civil Society
- Status on tariff negotiations 3. Methodology of notification and counter-notification on non
tariff measures
4. Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures
5. Export subsidies
6. Other practices that distort trade in agricultural products,
including those which have an equivalent effect to agricultural
export subsidies
7. Other Issues
- Letter from the Chair of the Consultative Group on Smaller
Economies to the NGAG
- Draft Agenda for the next meeting
- Report from 23rd meeting of NGAG
- List of tasks
TENTATIVE DISTRIBUTION OF 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)
SUNDAY 16 AND MONDAY 17 (in the morning): Exchange of tariff offers
MONDAY 17:
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
1. Approval of the Agenda
2. General Issues:
- Comparative matrix of texts from NGMA and NGAG
- Notification and counter-notification of SPS
- Hemispheric Data Base (HDB)
- Contributions forwarded by the Committee of Government
Representatives on the Participation of Civil Society
- Status on tariff negotiations 3. Methodology of notification and counter-notification on non
tariff measures
TUESDAY 18:
4. Export Subsidies
WEDNESDAY 19/THURSDAY 20:
5. Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures
FRIDAY 21:
6. Other practices that distort trade in agricultural products,
including those which have an equivalent effect to agricultural
export subsidies
7. Other Issues
- Letter from the Chair of the Consultative Group on Smaller
Economies to the NGAG
- Draft Agenda for the next meeting
- Report from 23rd meeting of NGAG
- List of tasks
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