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L'înformâtion et les sèrvices publyis pouor I'Île dé Jèrri

World Trade Organisation: Extension to Jersey

A formal published “Ministerial Decision” is required as a record of the decision of a Minister (or an Assistant Minister where they have delegated authority) as they exercise their responsibilities and powers.

Ministers are elected by the States Assembly and have legal responsibilities and powers as “corporation sole” under the States of Jersey Law 2005 by virtue of their office and in their areas of responsibility, including entering into agreements, and under any legislation conferring on them powers.

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A decision made on 9 October 2019

MINISTERIAL DECISION REFERENCE:    MD-ER-2019-0053

DECISION SUMMARY TITLE:  WTO EXTENSION

DECISION SUMMARY AUTHOR:

David Walwyn

IS THE DECISION SUMMARY PUBLIC OR EXEMPT?  

PUBLIC

REPORT TITLE:   WTO Extension

REPORT AUTHOR OR NAME OF PERSON GIVING REPORT: 

N/A

IS THE REPORT PUBLIC OR EXEMPT

N/A

DECISION AND REASON FOR THE DECISION:

Decision:

To make a formal request through the official channel to the UK Government requesting that the UK extends the territorial extent of its membership of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to Jersey.

 

Reason:

Territorial extension of the UK’s WTO membership to Jersey has been a longstanding objective of the Government of Jersey.

 

In practice, this will involve the extension of the obligations and benefits arising under the Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization and the following multilateral agreements to Jersey.

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1947

Marrakesh Protocol to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994

Agreement on Agriculture

Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures

Agreement on Textiles and Clothing

Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade

Agreement on Trade-Related Investment Measures

Agreement on Implementation of Article VI of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994

Agreement on the Implementation of Article VII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994

Agreement on Preshipment Inspection

Agreement on Rules of Origin

Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures

Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures

Agreement on Safeguards

General Agreement on Trade in Services

Agreement on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights

Understanding on Rules and Procedures governing the settlement of disputes

Trade Policy Review Mechanism

 

The Government of Jersey, with the support of the Law Officers’ Department, has engaged in a detailed compliance exercise in relation to these Agreements, in close consultation with the Department for International Trade and colleagues in Guernsey.  The outcome of this exercise is that both the Government of Jersey and UK Government Agree that no amendment is required to domestic legislation or practice in order to give effect to the obligations in the Agreements referred to above. Jersey has committed to maintaining compliance with these Agreements going forward.  

The Government has held detailed discussions with the Department for International Trade to agree the arrangements through which they will work together and ensure that Jersey’s trading interests will be advanced through extension and that its existing constitutional position will be respected and protected by the UK Government. The Brexit Ministerial Group has confirmed its agreement to these arrangements.  

The Council of Ministers (COM) approved the substantive arrangement that sets out the relationship between the Government of Jersey and the UK Government by which extension will be handled, and with it the extension of the UK’s WTO membership on the 10.07.2019. The Council delegated the agreement to the final version of the text to the Minister for External Relations and/or the Chief Minister, which was duly given on 24 September by MER.

Therefore, by the signing of this Ministerial Decision, the Minister for External Relations fulfils the requests of BMG,  and COM to send to the UK Government a letter of extension, formally requesting the UK to extend its membership of the World Trade Organisation to Jersey.

RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS: 

There are no direct resource implications from the signing of the MD.

Going forward the servicing of Jersey’s input into the UK and WTO will be an on-going government obligation.

ACTION REQUIRED:  On signature of this MD to write through the official channel to the UK Government to request formal extension of WTO membership to Jersey.

SIGNATURE:

 

 

SENATOR IAN GORST

POSITION:

 

 

MINISTER FOR EXTERNAL RELATIONS

 

 

DATE SIGNED 

EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE DECISION (if different)

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