COMMON ISSUES

I

Tariff Elimination

1

Eliminate CEPT-AFTA tariffs on all identified products

Coordinating Committee on the Implementation of the CEPT Scheme for AFTA (CCCA)

ASEAN 6:  2007

CLMV:  2012

II

Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs)

2

Establish the Database of ASEAN NTMs to ensure transparency[1]

CCCA and Senior Officials Meeting - ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (SOM AMAF)

30 June 2004

3

Establish clear criteria to identify measures that are classified as barriers to trade

30 June 2005

4

Establish a clear and definitive work programme for the removal of the barriers.

31 December 2005

5

Adopt the WTO Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures and develop implementation guidelines appropriate for ASEAN.

31 December 2004

III

Rules of Origin

6

Improve the CEPT Rules of Origin by:

Task Force on CEPT Rules of Origin (ROO-TF)

31 December 2004

-          making it more transparent, predictable and standardised taking into account the best practices of other Regional Trade Agreements including the rules of origin of the WTO; and

-          adopting substantial transformation as alternative criteria for conferring origin status.

IV

Customs Procedures

7

Extend the application of the ASEAN Harmonised Tariff Nomenclature (AHTN) for extra-ASEAN trade.

Expert Committee on Customs Matters (ECCM)

on-going

8

Develop a simplified, improved and harmonised customs declaration form.

31 December 2005

9

Ensure full implementation of the Green Lane System for CEPT Products, or similar systems, at entry points of all Member States.

31 December 2004

10

Develop implementation guidelines, as appropriate, for Member States which are not members of the WTO to fulfill the obligations of the WTO Agreement on Customs Valuation

31 December 2004

11

Adopt service commitment (client charter) by ASEAN customs authorities.

31 December 2004

12

Develop the Single Window approach, including the electronic processing of trade documents at national and regional levels

Inter-Agency Task Force on Single Window

31 December 2005

V

Standards and Conformance

13

Accelerate the implementation/ development of sectoral Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRAs), as appropriate

ASEAN Consultative Committee on Standards and Quality (ACCSQ)

beginning 1 January 2005

14

Encourage domestic regulators to recognise test reports issued by testing laboratories which are already accredited by National Accreditation Bodies in ASEAN that are signatories to ILAC and APLAC MRA

on-going

15

Set clear targets and schedules for harmonisation of standards, wherever required; where international standards are not available, and when requested by industry, align national standards among Member States.

31 December 2005

16

Harmonise and/or develop, wherever appropriate, technical regulations for national application.

31 December 2010

17

Ensure compliance with the requirements, rights and obligations of WTO Agreements on Technical Barriers to Trade and the Application of Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary Measures

on-going

18

Explore development of ASEAN policy on standards and conformance to further facilitate the realisation of the ASEAN Economic Community.

beginning 2005

VI

Logistics Services

19

Expedite the development of integrated transport logistics services within ASEAN through:

Senior Transport Officials Meeting (STOM)

beginning 2005

-          Promotion of efficient door-to-door cargo transport and cross-border transport facilitation through the expeditious implementation of the ASEAN Framework Agreement on the Facilitation of Goods in Transit, and the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Multimodal Transport;

-          Improvement of land transport network infrastructures and services to achieve better inter-connectivity, inter-operability and inter-modality with the national, regional and international maritime and air transport gateways;

-          Strengthening intra-ASEAN maritime and shipping transport services; and

-          Establishment of enabling and conducive policy environment for increased private sector involvement and/or public-private partnerships in the development of transport infrastructure and the provision and operation of transport logistics facilities and services.

VII

Outsourcing and Industrial Complementation

20

Identify and develop specialisation of production processes, research and development (R&D), and testing facilities based on comparative advantages of individual Member States

Working Group on Industrial Cooperation (WGIC), with inputs from the private sector

on-going

21

Develop guidelines to promote outsourcing arrangements among Member States, as applicable.

VIII

ASEAN Integration System of Preferences

22

Endeavour to expand the coverage of the ASEAN Integration System of Preferences (AISP) Scheme by including products in the priority integration sectors

CCCA

on-going

IX

Investments

23

Accelerate the opening up of sectors currently in the Sensitive List (SL) by transferring these sectors into the Temporary Exclusion List (TEL) under the Framework Agreement on the ASEAN Investment Area, using the ASEAN-X formula.

Coordinating Committee on Investment (CCI)

beginning 2004

24

Reduce restrictive investment measures in the SL

beginning 2004

25

Complete the progressive elimination of restrictive investment measures in the TEL

on-going[2]

26

Identify programmes and activities to promote investments in ASEAN

31 December 2005

27

Promote manufacturing processes across different ASEAN countries to take advantage of their comparative strengths through:

-          the establishment of a network of ASEAN free trade zones to facilitate outsourcing activities

beginning 2005

-          undertaking more efficient joint ASEAN facilitation and promotion measures to promote FDI

on-going

28

Promote and facilitate joint/cross border investments in manufacturing activities through:

on-going

-          special incentives, where appropriate, to be given by CLMV for investments from ASEAN

-          special measures, where appropriate to be given by ASEAN 6 to promote and facilitate relocation of investment to CLMV countries especially for labour intensive manufacturing activities

X

Trade and Investment Promotion

29

Intensify intra- and extra ASEAN joint promotion efforts regularly

CCI; ASEAN Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASEAN-CCI); relevant Industry Clubs/ Associations and AMAF

on-going

beginning 2005

30

Organise regular private sector initiatives to undertake:

CCI;

ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC);

and ASEAN-CCI

on-going

beginning 2005

-          more efficient joint ASEAN facilitation and promotion measures to promote FDI ASEAN selling-buying missions; and

-          promotional activities to assist CLMV countries

31

Undertake more effective joint ASEAN facilitation in promotion measures and develop new sources of inward foreign direct investments, particularly from potential countries such as the People’s Republic of China, India and the Republic of Korea

on-going

XI

Intra-ASEAN Trade and Investment Statistics

32

Establish an effective system to monitor intra-ASEAN trade and investment through:

Working Group on Statistics; Working Group on Foreign Direct Investment Statistics; and CCCA

on-going

-          provision of updates to the ASEAN Secretariat of the latest trade (goods and services) and investment statistics

-          preparation of consolidated industry profile, by the respective associations, which among other matters, cover information such as production capacity and product range

XII

Intellectual Property Rights

33

Expand the scope of ASEAN intellectual property rights cooperation beyond trademarks and patents by including cooperation in copyrights information exchange and enforcement

ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC)

31 December 2004

XIII

Movement of Business Persons, Skilled Labour, Talents and Professionals

34

Develop an ASEAN Agreement to facilitate the movement of business persons, including the adoption of an ASEAN Travel Card, taking into account Member States’ domestic laws and regulations.

Directors-General of Immigration Departments and Heads of Consular Affairs Division of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs (DGICM)

31 December 2005

35

Develop an ASEAN Agreement to facilitate the movement of experts, professionals, skilled labor and talents, taking into account Member States’ domestic laws and regulations

Coordinating Committee on Services (CCS)

31 December 2005

36

Accelerate completion of MRAs to facilitate free movement of experts, professionals, skilled labor and talents in ASEAN, taking into account Member States’ domestic laws and regulations

31 December 2008

XIV

Facilitation of Travel in ASEAN

37

Harmonise procedures for the issuance of visas to international travelers

DGICM

31 December 2004

38

Provide visa exemption for intra-ASEAN travel by ASEAN nationals

2005

XV

Human Resource Development

39

Develop and upgrade skills and capacity building through joint trainings and workshops.

Senior Labour Officials Meeting (SLOM)

on-going

SPECIFIC ISSUES

XVI

Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary (SPS) and TBT Measures

Fisheries Quality and Safety Management System

40

Develop and apply fisheries quality management system that ensure food safety and support competitive position of ASEAN fisheries products on world markets though the implementation, validation, verification of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) -based systems and improved laboratories practices, and adapting quality and safety management systems so that they may be applied to small enterprises in ASEAN

SOM AMAF; ASEAN Sectoral Working Group on Fisheries; and ACCSQ

2005-2006

Compliance with international good practices and standards

41

Implement the Codex Code of Practice of Good Animal Feeding and Recommended International Code of Practice for Control of the Use of Veterinary Drugs and the Codex Guidelines for the Establishment of a Regulatory Programme for Control of Veterinary Drug Residues in Foods in ASEAN in order to reduce potential hazards in terms of chemical contamination, mycotoxins and veterinary drugs

SOM AMAF ASEAN Task Force on Codex

2004-2006

42

Prioritise international standards related to fisheries that would be significant for ASEAN trade value and those with potential for ASEAN trade in the future and set specific targets and schedules for harmonisation in ASEAN

ASEAN Working Group on Fisheries

2004-2008

43

Formulate guidelines for the use of chemicals in aquaculture and measures to eliminate the use of harmful chemical.

SOM AMAF

2004-2006

Promote and strengthen the compliance of fisheries industry to the regional and international requirements

44

Promotion of HACCP, Good Aquaculture Practice (GAP), Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) for fishery industry, especially SMEs.

Joint efforts between SOM AMAF, ASEAN Expert Group on Food Safety (AEGFS), and ACCSQ Prepared Foodstuff Product Working Group (PFPWG)

on-going

Strengthening Testing Facilities in ASEAN and Recognition of Testing Result and Product Certification by regulators

45

Establishment of ASEAN Reference Testing Laboratories for fisheries products (Microbiology, mycotoxin, pesticide residues; Veterinary Drug Residues; Heavy Metals etc)

Joint efforts between SOM AMAF and ACCSQ

2007

46

Recognition by ASEAN Domestic Regulators for test reports issues by ASEAN Reference Testing Laboratories and those already accredited by national accreditation bodies who are signatories to ILAC, APLAC MRA

beginning 2005

Harmonisation of sector specific technical regulatory regime in ASEAN

47

Identify and prioritise SPS and TBT Measures related to fisheries products for harmonisation in ASEAN

SOM AMAF

2004-2005

48

Harmonise identified SPS and TBTs measures including harmonisation of import and export, labeling require­ments and marking of compliance.

2005-2009

Development and Implementation of MRAs in selected fisheries products

49

Development and Implementation of MRAs in selected fisheries products

Joint efforts between SOM AMAF and ACCSQ

2005-2010

XVII

Research and Development (R&D)

50

Strengthen and develop cooperation among ASEAN Member Countries in research and development programme and share technical knowhow in the field of aquaculture, capture fisheries, and post harvest technology and inland water management.

SOM AMAF

on-going

51

Conduct regional workshops and seminars on fisheries research and development

52

Exchange of experts

XVIII

Human Resource Development (HRD)

53

Establish short-term and long-term training programmes for fisheries and fisheries-related workers from ASEAN Member Countries within available resources

SOM AMAF

on-going

XIX

Information

54

Encourage establishment of an ASEAN Early Warning System on Hazards and Outbreaks

SOM AMAF

on-going