Trade facilitation

Norway submitted in October 2005 together with New Zealand and Switzerland a follow up paper (TN/TF/W/67 -attached) to our previous paper on “standardization” (TN/TF/W/36).  The aim of the follow up paper was to present alternative options for regulating the use of standardized documents.  This was the first so called second generation papers to the working group on trade facilitation.  

The Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong in December 2005 adopted a Text where they recalled and reaffirmed the mandate and the modalities as contained in Annex D of the Decision adopted by the General Council on 2 August 2004 (both text are attached).  Annex E, attached to the report from Hong Kong, is a report from the negotiating group and was was agreed by the group before the start of the Conference.  It was therefore not subject to negotiations during the Ministerial Conference.   

Norway in cooperation with New Zealand and Switzerland forwarded in May 2005 a proposal to the negotiating group on trade facilitation related to standardization.  The document was prepared in order to respond to the need expressed among our constituence about the number of different documents required for export, transit and import of goods, and the language problems it involves. Our contribution give further details.  We have also included the statement held when we introduced our paper in the negotiating group.

Norway forwarded in June 2005 a paper on Nordic border co-operation.  This is an area where Norway together with Sweden and Finland has an extensive and valuable experience.  The cooperation has been developed over a number of years and has resulted in an efficient cooperation with our neighbours.  The intention with the paper has been to contribute to further thinking on cross border co-operation that has proved very efficient for a small country like our own.  We have also included the statement held when the document was introduced in the negotiating group.