Notification requirements

This section of the Handbook on Notification Requirements covers the notification obligations under the AGREEMENT ON AGRICULTURE. It consists of the following five parts:

PART 1 | OVERVIEW OF NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
PART 2 | LISTING OF THE NOTIFICATION OBLIGATIONS
PART 3 | RELEVANT DOCUMENT(S) CONCERNING GUIDELINES AND FORMATS
PART 4 | LIST OF NOTIFICATIONS SINCE 1995
PART 5 | TEXT OF THE AGREEMENT

For Members which acceded pursuant to Article XII of the Marrakesh Agreement, their respective Protocols of Accession may contain notification obligations in addition to those set out in the WTO Agreements, and may govern the deadlines for the submission of their initial notifications.

PART 1 | OVERVIEW OF NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

INTRODUCTION

Requirements and formats for notification under the Agreement on Agriculture are listed in documents G/AG/2 and G/AG/2/Add.1 and cover five areas:

• Market access, with respect to tariff and other quotas, and special safeguard provisions;
• Domestic support, including the Current Total Aggregate Measurement of Support (AMS), and new or modified exempt measures;
• Export subsidies; including notifications concerning anti-circumvention provisions;
• Export prohibitions or restrictions; and
• Follow-up to the Decision on Measures Concerning the Possible Negative Effects of the Reform Programme on Least-Developed and Net Food-Importing Developing Countries.

As the notification requirements are largely dependent on the specific commitments as set out in each Member's schedule along with the actions taken by each Member, they differ from Member to Member (as indicated in document G/AG/W/24 and Part 4 of this Handbook). In many cases only a limited number of notification requirements will apply for a particular Member.

WHAT MUST BE NOTIFIED?

• Market access, with respect to tariff and other quotas, and special safeguard provisions;
• Domestic support, including the Current Total Aggregate Measurement of Support (AMS), and new or modified exempt measures;
• Export subsidies; including notifications concerning anti-circumvention provisions;
• Export prohibitions or restrictions; and
• Follow-up to the Decision on Measures Concerning the Possible Negative Effects of the Reform Programme on Least-Developed and Net Food-Importing Developing Countries.

WHICH MEMBERS MUST NOTIFY?

In many cases only a limited number of notification requirements will apply for a particular Member. This is because they largely depend on the specific commitments as set out in each Member's Schedule, as well as on the actions that may be taken by that Member in any given implementation year.

For information on Members' notifications obligations, see Members' commitments.

WHEN TO NOTIFY?

Some notification requirements are periodic. They are to be regularly submitted to the Committee on Agriculture in line with the frequency and deadlines established in G/AG/2. Some notification requirements are ad hoc, meaning that they become due only where a specific measure is introduced, or about to be introduced.

For information on when to notify, see Members' commitments.

HOW TO NOTIFY?¹

For comprehensive information on how to notify measures under each pillar of the Agreement on Agriculture, please consult the relevant parts of the Handbook on agriculture notifications, a practical guide for Member governments' officials on how to notify measures to the WTO.

The Secretariat has also developed a self-training module which acts as a useful e-learning tool to assist Members in preparing notifications in the area of agriculture.

Mock examples for each notification requirement can be found in the Handbook on agriculture notifications. Page numbers are provided below to allow easy access to the relevant mock notifications.

MARKET ACCESS

• Administration of tariff and other quota commitments – Table MA:1 (Pg. 8-14) Volume of imports under tariff and other quotas – Table MA:2 (Pg. 15-21)

• Special safeguard measures:
  ▶ Volume-based – Tables MA:3 (Pg. 22-28)
  ▶ Price-based – Table MA:4 (Pg. 29-35)

• Special safeguard provisions – Table MA:5 (Pg. 36-39)

DOMESTIC SUPPORT

• Total Aggregate Measurement of Support – Table DS:1 and, as appropriate, Supporting Tables DS:1 to DS:9 (Pg. 42-93)

• New or modified exempt domestic support measures – Table DS:2 (Pg. 94-98)

EXPORT SUBSIDIES

• Budgetary outlays and quantity reduction commitments – Table ES:1 and Supporting Tables ES:1 and ES:2 (Pg. 101-114)
• Total exports – Table ES:2 (Pg. 115-122)
• Total volume of food aid – Table ES:3 (Pg. 123-126)

EXPORT RESTRICTIONS

• Export prohibitions and restrictions – Table ER:1 (Pg. 127-129)

FOLLOW-UP OF THE DECISION ON MEASURES CONCERNING THE POSSIBLE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE REFORM PROGRAMME ON LEAST-DEVELOPED AND NET FOOD-IMPORTING DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

• Monitoring of the Follow-up to the NFIDC Decision – Table NF:1 (Pg. 131-134)

In addition, Members can request the Secretariat assistance for preparing notifications by sending their enquiries to agnotifenquiries@wto.org.

PART 2 | LISTING OF THE NOTIFICATION OBLIGATIONS

PART 3 | RELEVANT DOCUMENT(S) CONCERNING GUIDELINES AND FORMATS

Notification Requirements and Formats G/AG/2 and G/AG/2/Add.1.

List of "Significant Exporters" for the purposes of the notification requirements in respect of Export Subsidy Commitments G/AG/2/Add.1.

Notification Obligations: Agriculture – Note by the Secretariat G/AG/W/24.

PART 4 | LIST OF NOTIFICATIONS SINCE 1995

Notifications submitted since 1995 can be found in the that are regularly prepared by the Secretariat and reflect Members' compliance with their regular notification obligations.

All notifications can also be searched through the .

PART 5 | TEXT OF THE AGREEMENT

Agreement on Agriculture LT/UR/A-1A/2.

Notes

¹ All notifications, regardless of their subject content or the requirement under which they are being submitted, must be directed to the administrator of the Central Registry of Notifications (CRN), as indicated in document WT/INF/25/Rev.2. Notifications may be submitted through online submission systems, as electronic attachments to emails or on paper. As it may be practice, a copy of the notification may be sent to the Secretariat unit substantially handling the notification.

² Reverse notification of "any measure which ... ought to have been notified" is provided for in Article 18.7.

³ All notifications, regardless of their subject content or the requirement under which they are being submitted, must be directed to the administrator of the Central Registry of Notifications (CRN), as indicated in document WT/INF/25/Rev.2. Notifications may be submitted through online submission systems, as electronic attachments to emails or on paper. As it may be practice, a copy of the notification may be sent to the Secretariat unit substantially handling the notification.