UKRAINE'S PARLIAMENT RATIFIES ITS WTO PROTOCOL OF

UNCLAS KYIV 000729 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/UMB, EB/TPP/BTA, EB/TPP/MTA STATE PLEASE PASS TO USTR FOR KLEIN/BURKHEAD USDOC FOR 4201/DOC/ITA/MAC/BISNIS USDOC FOR 4231/ITA/OEENIS/NISD/CLUCYK GENEVA FOR USTR E.O.: 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD WTRO PGOV UP SUBJECT: UKRAINE'S PARLIAMENT RATIFIES ITS WTO PROTOCOL OF ACCESSION ¶1. The Ukrainian Rada (parliament) on April 10 ratified Ukraine's protocol of accession to join the WTO. The ratification followed approval of the protocol by the WTO's General Council on February 5. Out of the 450 total Members of Parliament (MPs) in the Rada, 411 voted in support of the accession protocol, with most Party of Regions and all Lytvyn Bloc MPs joining the ruling coalition to create a super-majority and to pass the bill in a single reading. Only the Communists opposed the measure. ¶2. All that now remains is for President Yushchenko to sign the protocol of accession into law. Once that is done, Ukraine will notify the WTO Secretariat that it has completed its ratification procedures, and 30 days later will officially become a WTO member. ¶3. The Rada also passed five draft laws that are part of the final legislative package agreed to during multilateral negotiations as being necessary to bring Ukraine's trade regime into full compliance with WTO rules. The following laws were adopted on April 10: -- Draft Law "On Introduction of Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine in the Sphere of Intellectual Property" (to bring Ukraine's treatment of geographical indications in line with WTO rules (TRIPS Articles 16, 17, 22, 24)); -- Draft Amendment to the Law "On Insurance" (to eliminate remaining limitations on reinsurance by foreign service suppliers) (Note: A short amendment was made to this law on the Rada floor before final passage. End Note); -- Draft Amendment to the Law "On Standards, Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment Procedures" (to bring Ukraine's conformity assessment system into compliance with WTO rules by providing for alternative methods of conformity assessment); -- Draft Amendment to Article 16 of the Law of Ukraine "On Foreign Economic Activity" (to bring Ukraine's import licensing procedures fully in line with WTO rules); and -- Draft Amendment to Several Laws of Ukraine (to bring Ukraine's Trade Remedies Laws into compliance with WTO rules),including: -- Amendment to the Law "On Protection of Domestic Commodity Producers Against Subsidized Imports" -- Amendment to the Law "On Protection of Domestic Commodity Producers Against Dumped Imports" -- Amendment to the Law "On Special Measures in Regard to Imports into Ukraine" ¶4. The other five draft laws that make up the final legislative package have also been submitted to the Rada and are making their way through the appropriate Committees. Deputy Prime Minister Hryhoriy Nemyrya said at a public conference on April 9 that the GOU had wanted the protocol of accession and the entire legislative package to be voted on together, but Rada procedures made this difficult. Post will send an updated legislative tracking chart to Washington by email. TAYLOR