Seminar on the GATS and E-commerce

Data:

Qua, 07/11/2018 – 08:30 – Sex, 09/11/2018 – 13:30

Local:

Rua Itapeva, 474, 6º andar

Sala:

Auditório EESP/FGV

SEMINAR ON THE GATS (GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TRADE IN SERVICES) AND E-COMMERCE

Sao Paulo, 7-9 November 2018

8.30 a.m. – 1.30 p.m.

Rua Itapeva, 474, 6^th floor – auditorium EESP/FGV

Programme

WTO Staff Members conducting the seminar:

	Mr Martin Roy is Counsellor in the Trade in Services and Investment Division of the WTO. With the WTO since 2002, he has been involved in          various functions relating to negotiations, technical assistance, dispute settlement, and policy research. He is the Secretary to the WTO’s Council        for Trade in Services in Special Session.
	Ms Lee Tuthill is a Senior staff member of the WTO responsible for telecommunications, computer services and e-commerce. In these areas      she covers policy developments, regulatory reforms, market trends, new business and trade models and practices, including analysis of how they  relate to the GATS framework and the process of liberalization.

Wednesday, 7 November

8h30-13h30

Official Opening

Key Trends in Trade in Services

• Key trends and evolution of trade in services
• Role of services in global value chains
• Relevance of services for e-commerce
• Overview of barriers to trade in services
• Brazil and trade in services
• Q&A and discussion

Coffee break

The GATS: key concepts, schedules of commitments and state of negotiations

• Legal architecture of the GATS
• Definitions and scope of application of the GATS: modes of supply
• Most-Favoured-Nation Treatment and MFN exemptions
• Conditional and unconditional obligations
• Market access, national treatment, additional commitments
• Overview of Brazil’s schedule of specific commitments
• Q&A and discussions
• Practical exercises

Thursday, 8 November

8h30-13h30

The GATS: key concepts, schedules of commitments and state of negotiations

• Overview of Brazil’s schedule of specific commitments (continuation)
• Practical exercises (continuation)

The GATS and WTO discussions/negotiations on e-commerce

• Technology and commercial trends in e-commerce.
• Digitally-enabling and –enabled services
• How the GATS applies to e-commerce and digital trade
• Issues raised in the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce and in the context of the Ministerial Joint Statement on Electronic Commerce
• E-Commerce in Regional Trade Agreements
• Possible outcomes and issues for consideration
• Q&A and discussions

Coffee Break

Interactive exercise on e-commerce

Friday, 9 November 2018

8h30-13h30

Negotiations on Domestic Regulation (GATS Article VI:4)

• Overview of relevant GATS provisions
• State of play of negotiations
• Q&A and discussions

Coffee Break

Regional Trade Agreements and trade in services

• General trends in services RTAs and relevance for the region
• Key conditions under GATS Article V on Economic Integration Agreements
• Motivations for services RTAs
• Differences between GATS and RTA approaches to trade in services: key features
• Levels of market access bound in services RTAs
• Implications and challenges
• Q&A and discussions

Closing session

The organization will send a confirmation e-mail to the candidates whose registration were approved by 31 October 2018.