UKRAINE'S PARLIAMENT RATIFIES ITS WTO PROTOCOL OF

UNCLAS KYIV 000729

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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