In opening the workshop, WTO Market-Access Director Heinz Opelz said that one reason why
the harmonization work programme, launched in 1995, has not yet been completed was
"the enormous technical complexities deriving form the realities of globalization and
related multi-country production in goods".He said that the WTO work
programme is "the first ever attempt to create systematic and all-embracing
non-preferential rules of origin." Thus, "drafting the architecture of
harmonized rules of origin has turned out to be a very complicated and difficult
task".
Presentations
were given by Mr. Eki Kim of the WTO Secretariat and by two origin experts from the World
Customs Organization: Deputy Director of Tariffs and Trade Affairs Miroslaw Zielinski and
Technical Officer Hiroshi Imagawa.
The
topics of the workshop concerned the overall architecture of the harmonized rules of
origin and product-specific rules of origin of agricultural products, textiles and
machinery. Many delegations actively participated in the discussions.
A
two-week meeting of the Committee on Rules of Origin (formal, informal and plurilateral)
will take place from 3-14 April 2000 to continue work on the Harmonization Work Programme.
More
information (http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/roi_e/roi_e.htm) |
