135th Session of the Trade Committee - Agenda

1.    Meeting the Doha deadlines

The Chair will present a short note which lays out the key DDA deadlines and the issues of substance that will need to be addressed and resolved in order for those deadlines to be met. The document also contains a brief description of the Trade work underway that will contribute to meeting those deadlines.

2.    Consultation between Russia and the Trade Committee

This consultation responds to the OECD Council mandate of 1997, which states that the most appropriate way to extend co-operation with Russia in the trade area is to hold informal meetings on a regular basis with the Trade Committee and its Working Party.

For the present consultation, it is proposed to organise the discussion as follows:

-- Introductory statement by the Russian delegation on recent trade and trade policy developments in Russia.
-- Exchange of views on the state of play in Russia's accession to the WTO
-- Selected trade policy issues on the international trade agenda: A Russian perspective.
-- Ongoing and future OECD trade-related activities involving Russia.

The Secretariat has prepared a short issues paper, which provides some background notes on the four proposed items for discussion. Russia may also submit a short note providing its views on OECD future trade-related activities.

3.    Consolidated report on Regional Trade Agreements and the multilateral trading system

In response to the mandate given by the Trade Committee at its meeting on 13-14 February 2001, the Secretariat has prepared a report on the relationship between regional trade agreements and the multilateral trading system. The study consolidates papers comparing rule-making provisions in RTAs with those in the WTO in respect of ten issue areas (services, labour mobility, investment, competition policy, trade facilitation, government procurement, intellectual property rights, contingency protection, environment and rules of origin).

4.    Programme of Work and Budget 2003-2004

The Secretariat will inform Delegates of the state of play of preparations for the Secretary-General's submission of the Programme of Work and Budget 2003-2004 to the Council.

5.    Organisation of outreach events in 2003

A room document will be presented which, subject to the outcome of the Budget Committee and Council discussions and decisions, lays out plans for the organisation of outreach events in 2003, including some specific suggestions for topics and objectives.

6.    Assessment of civil society organisation (CSO) consultation

Delegates will have the opportunity to discuss and assess the Trade Committee's fourth annual informal consultations with civil society organisations (CSOs) to be held on 28 October.

7.    Recent important developments in trade and trade policy

As at each Trade Committee meeting, Delegates are invited to share information and discuss recent developments in policies or practices that may significantly affect trade relations or the functioning of the multilateral trading system.

8.    Work in progress

The Secretariat will update Delegates on developments in ongoing work. The Chairman of the Working Party of the Trade Committee and the Secretariat are at the Trade Committee's disposal to answer any questions that Delegates may wish to raise.

9.    Trade policy message to Ministers from the Chairman of the Trade Committee

Delegates will be informed of the process foreseen for the preparation of the annual trade policy message to Ministers from the Chairman of the Trade Committee, the content of which could be a focus for discussion at the 2003 Ministerial Council Meeting, to take place on 29-30 April 2003.