GATT/AIR/UNNUMBERED 10 JULY 1989

SUBJECT: INTEGRATED DATA BASE

1. THE NEXT MEETING OF THE INFORMAL ADVISORY GROUP, WHICH IS OPEN TO ALL CONTRACTING PARTIES, WILL BE HELD ON MONDAY, 17 JULY AT 10 A.M. IN ROOM E.

2. THE PURPOSE OF THE MEETING IS (I) TO RECEIVE PROGRESS REPORTS ON THE WORK DONE IN NATIONAL CAPITALS FOR THE PREPARATION OF INITIAL SUBMISSIONS TO THE INTEGRATED DATA BASE, (II) TO GIVE A SUMMARY OF THE ANSWERS RECEIVED THUS FAR TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE CIRCULATED IN AN INFORMAL NOTE BY THE SECRETARIAT ON 25 MAY 1989, (III) TO GIVE A PROGRESS REPORT ON THE PROGRAMMING WORK DONE BY THE SECRETARIAT FOR PROCESSING THE SUBMISSIONS AND ON THE TESTS CARRIED OUT ON THE BASIS OF THE INITIAL SUBMISSIONS RECEIVED FROM DELEGATIONS, (IV) TO REVIEW ANY DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED BY DELEGATIONS IN CODING PARTICULAR ELEMENTS OF THEIR SUBMISSIONS USING THE AGREED FORMATS (DOCUMENTS IDB/W/1/REV.1, IDB/W/2/REV.1 AND IDB/W/3/REV.1) AND (V) TO CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION OF THE NATURE OF THE OUTPUT WHICH DELEGATIONS ARE LIKELY TO REQUEST FROM THE INTEGRATED DATA BASE ONCE IT IS OPERATIONAL.

3. AT THE MEETING OF THE INFORMAL ADVISORY GROUP ON 8 MAY 1989 SEVERAL DELEGATIONS INDICATED THEIR SUPPORT FOR A PROPOSAL TO ORGANIZE IN GENEVA A TECHNICAL SEMINAR FOR EXPERTS FROM CAPITALS, ALONG THE LINES OF THE ONE ORGANIZED LAST YEAR, TO EXAMINE IN DETAIL TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF COUNTRIES' SUBMISSIONS, AND TO DISCUSS AND ANSWER TECHNICAL QUESTIONS RELATED TO DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED IN CAPITALS IN PREPARING THE SUBMISSIONS. PROVIDED THIS PROPOSAL CONTINUES TO HAVE BROAD SUPPORT, DELEGATIONS MAY WISH TO AGREE ON A DATE FOR THE SEMINAR.

4. ANOTHER TOPIC WHICH COULD BE DISCUSSED IS THE USE OF SIMPLIFIED SUBMISSIONS TO THE INTEGRATED DATA BASE IN ORDER TO BROADEN AND UPDATE THE FACTUAL DATA BASE FOR THE TARIFF NEGOTIATIONS.

5. DELEGATIONS ARE REMINDED THAT INITIAL SUBMISSIONS OF TARIFF LINE DATA ON IMPORTS, TARIFFS AND QUANTITATIVE RESTRICTIONS - INTEGRATED AND IN MACHINE READABLE FORM - ARE EXPECTED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS INITIAL SUBMISSION, WHICH MAY BE BASED ON PARTIAL IMPORT DATA FOR 1988 OR ON CONSTRUCTED IMPORT DATA, IS TWOFOLD: TO EVALUATE PROCEDURES IN NATIONAL CAPITALS FOR ASSEMBLING THE DATA, AND TO ALLOW THE SECRETARIAT TO EVALUATE ITS WORK TO DATE ON THE COMPUTER PROGRAMMES FOR THE INTEGRATED DATA BASE.

6. DELEGATIONS ARE ALSO REMINDED THAT THOSE CONTRACTING PARTIES WHICH HAVE NOT YET INDICATED THEIR INTENTION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE INTEGRATED DATA BASE ARE ENCOURAGED TO DO SO AT AN EARLY DATE.

A. DUNKEL

89-1021