WORLD TRADE S/C/N/229

19 February 2003
ORGANIZATION
(03-1048)

Council for Trade in Services Original: English

NOTIFICATION PURSUANT TO ARTICLE V.7(a) OF THE

GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TRADE IN SERVICES

The following notification has been received from the delegations of Antigua and Barbuda,
Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia,, St. Vincent
and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.

____________

1. Member notifying:

Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and
Nevis, Saint Lucia,, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.

2. Notification under:

Article V.7(a) of the General Agreement on Trade in Services

3. Date of entry into force: 1 July 1997

Duration: Indefinite

4. Agency responsible for enforcement of the measure:

The governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana,
Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and
Trinidad and Tobago and the CARICOM Secretariat.

5. Complete description of the measure indicating the modes of supply covered, the effect
on trade in services (e.g., restrictions/liberalization measures) and the impact of the
measure on commitments in the Member's schedule and Article II (MFN) exemption
list, if relevant:

To further the development of existing arrangements to liberalise barriers to trade in services

under the Revised Treaty, the objective of the Arrangement is to remove, as outlined in the
Programme of Schedules, all barriers to the Right of Establishment, the Provision of Services,
the Movement of Capital and Movement of Community Nationals, and to thereby facilitate
trade among the 12 countries. This is intended to enhance the international competitiveness
of the Parties' enterprises, increase the level of transparency in trading arrangements,
encourage innovation and reduce compliance costs for business.

Member States of CARICOM have negotiated their Schedules of Commitments and lists of
MFN exemptions during the Uruguay Round. The Provisional Application of the Revised
Treaty does not imply any modification or amendment in these lists. None of the provisions
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of the Revised Treaty is aimed at raising the level of restrictions on trade in services in respect
of any other WTO Member.

Subject to the provisions of the Arrangement, the basic principle is that all barriers affecting
national treatment of service providers who are community nationals (natural and juridical)
must be removed by 31 December 2005.

6. Members specifically affected, if any:

None

7. The texts are available from:

WTO Secretariat

CARICOM Secretariat

The governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana,
Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and
Trinidad and Tobago.

__________