Copyright 1995 NLCIFT



Title:DECISION CONCERNING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES



            DECISION CONCERNING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES


     Ministers recommend that the Council for Trade in Services
at its first meeting shall adopt the decision set out below.


             WORKING PARTY ON PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

     The Council for Trade in Services,

     Recognizing the impact of regulatory measures relating to
professional qualifications, technical standards and licensing on
the expansion of trade in professional services,

     Desiring to establish multilateral disciplines with a view
to ensuring that, when specific commitments are undertaken, such
regulatory measures do not constitute unnecessary barriers to the
supply of professional services,

     Decides as follows:

1.   The work programme foreseen in Article VI, paragraph 4 on
domestic Regulations should be put into effect immediately.  To
this end, a Working Party shall be established to examine and
report, with recommendations, on the disciplines necessary to
ensure that measures relating to qualification requirements and
procedures, technical standards and licensing requirements in the
field of professional services do not constitute unnecessary
barriers to trade.

2.   As a matter of priority, the Working Party shall make
recommendations for the elaboration of multilateral disciplines
in the accountancy sector, so as to give operational effect to
specific commitments.  In making these recommendations, the
Working Party shall concentrate on:

     -    developing multilateral disciplines relating to market
          access so as to ensure that domestic regulatory
          requirements are:  (a) based on objective and
          transparent criteria, such as competence and the
          ability to supply the service;  (b) not more burdensome
          than necessary to ensure the quality of the service,
          thereby facilitating the effective liberalization of
          accountancy services;

     -    the use of international standards and, in doing so, it
          shall encourage the cooperation with the relevant
          international organizations as defined under Article
          VI, paragraph 5(b), so as to give fully effect to
          Article VI, paragraph 5;

     -    facilitating the effective application of Article VI,
          paragraph 6, of the Agreement by establishing
          guidelines for the recognition of qualifications.

     In elaborating these disciplines, the Working Party shall
     take account of the importance of the governmental and non-
     governmental bodies regulating professional services.