REPORT (2022) OF THE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT
Table of
Contents
1
Introduction.. 2
2 Matters related to the
Administration, Implementation, and
Operation of the Agreement. 2
2.1 Selection of the
Committee's Next Chair 2
2.2 Procedures for the
Circulation, Derestriction and Translation of GPA-related
Documents. 3
2.3 Enhancing
Information-sharing in the Committee. 3
2.4 Decision Items considered
by the Committee and Future Work Mandated by the
GPA 2012. 3
2.5 Consultations and Dispute
Settlement 4
3 Accessions to the Agreement,
Observership in the Committee and Secretariat Technical Assistance. 4
3.1 Accessions to the
Agreement 4
3.1.1 Circulation by Brazil of
Revised Market Access Offers. 4
3.1.2 Circulation by North
Macedonia of a Revised Market Access Offer 5
3.1.3 Other Accessions. 5
3.2 Observership in the
Committee. 7
3.3 Secretariat Technical Assistance
Relevant to Accessions. 7
4 The Committee's Agreed Work
Programmes. 7
4.1 Active Work Programmes. 7
4.1.1 Work Programme on
Sustainable Procurement 8
4.1.2 Work Programme on
Collection and Reporting of Statistical Data. 8
4.1.3 Work Programme on SMEs. 8
4.1.4 Other Work Programmes. 8
5 Notifications Under the
Agreement. 9
5.1 Reporting of Statistics. 9
5.2 Thresholds in Appendix I
to the GPA 2012 as Expressed in National Currencies. 9
5.3 Domestic Legislation
Relevant to the Agreement 10
5.4 Notifications Relating to
the Appendices to the GPA 2012. 11
5.4.1 Modifications and
Rectifications to Coverage (Appendix I) 11
5.4.2 Modifications of
Information on the Procurement System Listed in Appendix II,
III or IV. 11
1. This Annual Report is issued
pursuant to Article IV:8 of the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World
Trade Organization and Article XXI:3 of the Agreement on Government Procurement
(GPA) as amended by the Protocol Amending the Agreement on Government
Procurement, done at Geneva on 30 March 2012 (the "Agreement"
or "GPA 2012").[1],[2]
2. This Report covers the period since
the Committee's previous Annual Report (2021)[3],
i.e. from the beginning of November 2021 to the beginning of December 2022.
The Committee had tentatively planned meetings for 9 March, 15 June, and 19
October 2022, but did not proceed with any of them. The meetings did not take
place because of ongoing discussions about the selection of the Committee's
next Chair. As of 8 December 2022, the Committee had not reached a
consensus on the Committee's next Chair.
3. Despite the particular circumstances
related to the selection of the Committee's next Chair, during the reporting
period revised market access offers were circulated with respect to accessions
to the Agreement, notably those of Brazil and North Macedonia. In addition, the
Dominican Republic joined the Committee as an observer, making it the first Caribbean
Member to do so, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
(EBRD) became an international intergovernmental organization observer to the
Committee. Further, during the reporting period, a number of Parties made
important and timely notifications under the GPA 2012.
4. The remaining sections of this
Report deal with the work undertaken by the Committee during the reporting
period, particularly on (i) matters related to the administration,
implementation, and operation of the Agreement (ii) accessions to the
Agreement, (iii) the Committee's agreed Work Programmes, and
(iv) notifications made pursuant to the Agreement.
[1]
The following 48 WTO Members are covered by the Agreement: Armenia; Australia;
Canada; the European Union, with its 27 member States (all of which are
covered by the Agreement, as one party); Hong Kong, China; Iceland;
Israel; Japan; the Republic of Korea ("Korea"); Liechtenstein;
the Republic of Moldova; Montenegro; Netherlands with respect to
Aruba; New Zealand; Norway; Singapore; Switzerland; the Separate Customs
Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu ("Chinese Taipei");
Ukraine; the United Kingdom; and the United States.
[2]
Thirty-six WTO Members/WTO Observers have Observer status in the Committee on
Government Procurement. They are Afghanistan; Albania; Argentina; the Kingdom
of Bahrain; Belarus; Brazil; Cameroon; Chile; China; Colombia; Costa Rica; Côte
d'Ivoire; the Dominican Republic; Ecuador; Georgia; India; Indonesia; Jordan;
Kazakhstan; the Kyrgyz Republic; Malaysia; Mongolia; North Macedonia; Oman;
Pakistan; Panama; Paraguay; the Philippines; the Russian Federation; the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Seychelles; Sri Lanka; Tajikistan; Thailand; Türkiye;
and Viet Nam. Five international intergovernmental organizations, namely the
EBRD, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the International Trade Centre
(ITC), the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and
the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), also have
observer status in the Committee.