Copyright 1995 NLCIFT



Title:DECISION ON NEGOTIATIONS ON BASIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS


     DECISION ON NEGOTIATIONS ON BASIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS


     Ministers, meeting on the occasion of the conclusion of the
Uruguay Round,

     Decide as follows:

1.   Negotiations shall be entered into on a voluntary basis with
a view to the progressive liberalization of trade in
telecommunications transport networks and services (hereinafter
called "basic telecommunications") within the framework of the
General Agreement on Trade in Services.

2.   Without prejudice to their outcome, the negotiations shall
be comprehensive in scope, with no basic telecommunications
excluded a priori.

3.   A Negotiating Group on Basic Telecommunications (NGBT) is
established to carry out this mandate.  The NGBT shall report
periodically on the progress of these negotiations.

4.   The negotiations in the NGBT shall be open to all
governments and the European Community signing the Final Act of
the Uruguay Round which announce their intention to participate.  
To date, the following governments have announced their intention
to take part in the negotiations:

     Australia, Canada, Finland, Hungary, Japan, Korea, Mexico,
     New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United States.

Further notifications of intention to participate shall be
addressed to the depositary of the Agreement Establishing the
MTO.

5.   The NGBT shall hold its first negotiating session no later
than one month from the date of this Decision.  It shall conclude
these negotiations and make a final report no later than 30 April
1996.  The final report of the NGBT shall include a date for the
implementation of results of these negotiations.

6.   Any commitments resulting from the negotiations, including
the date of their entry into force, shall be inscribed in the
schedules annexed to the General Agreement on Trade in Services
and be subject to all the provisions of the Agreement.

7.   Commencing immediately and continuing until the date
(referred to in paragraph 5 above) of implementation of the
results of these negotiations, it is understood that no
participant shall apply any measure affecting trade in basic
telecommunications in such a manner as would improve its
negotiating position and leverage.  It is understood that this
provision shall not prevent the pursuit of commercial and
governmental arrangements regarding the provision of basic
telecommunications services.

8.   The implementation of paragraph 7 above shall be subject to
surveillance in the NGBT.  Any participant may bring to the
attention of the NGBT any action or omission which it believes to
be relevant to the fulfilment of paragraph 7.   Such
notifications shall be deemed to have been submitted to the NGBT
upon their receipt by the Secretariat.