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Initial Response to the Issuance of the Report by the Chairman on Elements Required for the Completion of the Services Negotiations

May 28, 2008
Government of Japan

  1. The Report by the Chairman on Elements Required for the Completion of the Services Negotiations was issued on May 26.
  2. While Japan is now looking closely into individual issues in the report, it seems that further discussions are necessary on certain issues such as guidance for contents of the next offers, on which proposals from the various Members are put in brackets. Regarding the other issues, we consider the Report as reasonable, as is in line with the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration in 2005.
  3. Members are preparing for a successful "Signaling Conference," where relevant Ministers will signal improvements in the coming offers, in parallel with a services text to be agreed at the timing of establishment of the modalities in Agriculture and NAMA so that significant progress in the services negotiations will be achieved. Japan will work vigorously to ensure signals at the Conference which positively address our requests.
  4. Japan will actively participate in coming negotiations to further pursue sufficient outcomes in the services, within the framework of the approaching vertical and/or horizontal negotiations.
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