ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN SERVICES
TO THE GENERAL COUNCIL (2024)

Since its Annual Report of 2023 to the General Council^[1], the Council for Trade in Services held four formal meetings, on 7 December 2023, 27 March, 4 July and 2 October 2024.^[2]

During the period covered by this Report, the Council addressed the following matters.

1  NOTIFICATIONs MADE TO THE COUNCIL PURSUANT TO GATS ARTICLES III:3, V:7 and VII:4

1.1.  The Council took note, altogether, of the following notifications:

a._    Notifications pursuant to Article III:3 of the GATS

Hong Kong, China                    (_S/C/N/1144; _S/C/N/1145; _S/C/N/1172; _S/C/N/1173);

New Zealand                           (_S/C/N/1142; _S/C/N/1143);

Philippines                              (_S/C/N/1168);

Russian Federation                  (_S/C/N/1156; _S/C/N/1157);

South Africa                            (_S/C/N/1146 - _S/C/N/1151);

Switzerland                             (_S/C/N/1160; _S/C/N/1161);

Ukraine                                   (_S/C/N/1152; _S/C/N/1153; _S/C/N/1163; _S/C/N/1166; _S/C/N/1167; _S/C/N/1170).

b._    Notifications pursuant to Article V:7 of the GATS

Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu,

Kinmen and Matsu                                        (_S/C/N/544/Add.3/Rev.1);

Türkiye                                                           (_S/C/N/1154);

China and Nicaragua                                               (_S/C/N/1155);

China and Cambodia                                               (_S/C/N/1159);

United Kingdom                                                      (_S/C/N/1056/Add.1);

New Zealand and the European Union                     (_S/C/N/1162);

Republic of Korea and Israel                                   (_S/C/N/1164);

Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia,

Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia,

Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam (_S/C/N/1165);

        Ukraine and Canada                                         (_S/C/N/1169);

        Iceland and the Republic of Moldova                                 (_S/C/N/1171);

        Norway and the Republic of Moldova                                (_S/C/N/1171/Add.1).

The agreements notified in these documents were referred to the Committee on Regional Trade Agreements for consideration.

c._    Notifications pursuant to Article VII:4 of the GATS

Russian Federation (_S/C/N/1158).

1.2.  At the meeting held in March, the Council took note of the updated Secretariat Note containing a statistical account of the notifications made under relevant GATS provisions.[3]

1.3.  The low number of Article III:3 notifications, particularly on the part of developed Members, was noted at all meetings covered by this Report.