Issues covered by the WTO’s committees and agreements

AGRICULTURE

Self-training module on Notification Requirements under the Agreement on Agriculture (1)

This training module has been developed by the Secretariat to serve as an e-learning tool to enhance members' understanding of agriculture notifications. The Handbook(2) on Notification Requirements under the Agreement on Agriculture, together with the training module, should equip government officials responsible for agriculture notifications with the knowledge and expertise to prepare their notifications and to review those submitted by other members.


  

In June 1995, the Committee on Agriculture adopted detailed notification requirements and formats contained in document G/AG/2.(3) These requirements establish a common minimum set of information to be provided by members in their agriculture notifications using the prescribed formats, reflecting the Committee’s oversight functions under Article 18 of the Agreement on Agriculture to review and monitor the implementation of members' obligations, with notifications forming the basis of its Review Process.

In light of members' obligations emanating from the ministerial outcomes reached in the negotiations,  and with a view to ensuring their effective implementation, the Committee adopted modifications to the 1995 notification requirements and formats in the areas of export competition and TRQ administration, as set out in G/AG/2/Add.2 dated 16 December 2024 and G/AG/2/Add.3 dated 25 March 2025, respectively.

The scope of the notification requirements in the field of agriculture covers the following five distinct areas:

Market access, in relation to:

  • tariff rate quotas (TRQs)
  • special safeguard (SSG) actions

2. Domestic support, in relation to:

  • the Current Total Aggregate Measurement of Support (AMS)
  • the introduction of a new domestic support measure, or modification of an existing measure, for which an exemption from reduction commitments is claimed

3. Export competition

4. Export prohibitions or restrictions

5. Implementation of the Decision on Measures Concerning the Possible Negative Effects of the Reform Programme on Least-Developed and Net Food-Importing Developing Countries (NFIDC Decision).

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

Some notification requirements are periodic. The concerned notifications are to be regularly submitted to the Committee on Agriculture in line with the frequency and deadlines established in G/AG/2 and its addenda. Others are ad hoc, with notifications becoming due only when a specific measure is introduced, or is about to be introduced.  An overview of various notification obligations is provided in this pdf.

As part of its monitoring functions, the Committee reviews members’ implementation of their commitments on the basis of notifications (see also G/AG/1). To strengthen the effectiveness of the Review Process undertaken by the Committee on Agriculture, members have regularly recognized the need to improve the timeliness and completeness of notifications in accordance with the adopted procedures and formats. The training module has been prepared by the WTO Secretariat in response to these needs. Its content has been organized into six sections covering the above-mentioned notification requirements, with test questions included under each section.

1. Notification requirements in relation to tariff rate quotas (Table MA:1 and Table MA:2) - Notification Handbook (page 7-23)

2. Notification requirements in relation to special safeguards (Table MA:3 to MA:5) Notification Handbook (page 24-40)

3. Notification requirements in relation to domestic support (Table DS:1 and Table DS:2) - Notification Handbook (page 41-98)

4. Notification requirements in relation to export competition (Table EC:1) - Notification Handbook (page 99-116)

5. Notification requirements in relation to export prohibitions or restrictions (Table ER:1) - Notification Handbook (page 117-120)

6. Notification requirements in relation to the NFIDC Decision(4) (Table NF:1) - Notification Handbook (page 121-126)

> Test summary


Notes:
1. This training module has been prepared under the Secretariat?s own responsibility and is without prejudice to the positions of members or to their rights or obligations under the WTO. back to text
2. The revised Handbook in three WTO official languages is available on the WTO website. back to text
3. Subsequently, the Chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture established a list of significant exporters in G/AG/2/Add.1 in accordance with the notification requirements in respect of export subsidy commitments. back to text
4. Implementation of the Decision on Measures Concerning the Possible Negative Effects of the Reform Programme on Least-Developed and Net Food-Importing Developing Countries. back to text