Processing and circulation Processing and circulation of notifications: the of notifications: the experience of the experience of the

SecretariatSecretariatSpecial Meeting on Procedures

for Information Exchange

Geneva, 2 November 2004

Notification from Member

Central Registry of Notifications

Trade and Environment Division

Document Management System

Notification issued and circulated

The life-cycle ofa notification

Notifications from Members

Central Registry of Notifications

Trade and Environment Division

Checking, typing and Formatting of the

notification

Ready for transfer toDocument

Management System

Trade & Environment Division

CRN

TranslationsDocument

ManagementSystem

Printing + posting on theWTO website

Distribution

TBT Committee

Stressed the importance of transmitting notifications to the Secretariat electronically

Stressed the importance to reduce the time for circulation of notifications

Notification from Member

Central Registry of Notifications

Trade and Environment Division

Document Management System

Notifications issued

Average: 2 working daysAverage: 2 working daysDelays?

Notifications made under Article 10.7 Notifications made under Article 10.7 (agreements on issued related to technical (agreements on issued related to technical

regulations, standards and conformity regulations, standards and conformity assessment procedures)assessment procedures)

Statements on implementation and administration of Statements on implementation and administration of the TBT Agreement (Art. 15.2)the TBT Agreement (Art. 15.2)

The same process is The same process is followedfollowed

Notifications issued: some figures

365

460

794648

669 611538

581

794

274

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

(J an-

J un)

January-June 2004: 274 new notifications

333 including corrigenda, addenda, revisions

1995- June 2004: 5734 new notifications circulated

Number of notifications submitted per Member

10

1312

10

89

89

2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

1 2 to 5 6 to 20 21 to 30 31 to 50 51 to 100 101 to

200

201 to

300

more

than 300

Number of

Members

Number of Notifications

1995 to 30 June 2004

Notifications issued – where do they go?

Circulated to Missions in Geneva

Posted on the WTO website

Electronic circulation of TBT notifications

Notifications issued – where do they go?

Circulated to Missions in Geneva

Posted on the WTO website

Electronic circulation of TBT notificationsElectronic circulation of TBT notifications

Electronic circulation of TBT Notifications

• Notifications sent once a week to an automatic mailing list

• Only in the original language in which they were submitted

New

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Processing and circulation Processing and circulation of notifications: the of notifications: the experience of the experience of the

SecretariatSecretariat

Special Meeting on Procedures for Information Exchange

Geneva, 2 November 2004

Thank you for your attention