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AGREEMENTONIMPORTLICENSINGPROCEDURESMembers,HavingregardtotheMultilateralTradeNegotiations;DesiringtofurthertheobjectivesofGATT1994;Takingintoaccounttheparticulartrade,developmentandfinancialneedsofdevelopingcountryMembers;Recognizingtheusefulnessofautomaticimportlicensingforcertainpurposesandthatsuchlicensingshouldnotbeusedtorestricttrade;RecognizingthatimportlicensingmaybeemployedtoadministermeasuressuchasthoseadoptedpursuanttotherelevantprovisionsofGATT1994;RecognizingtheprovisionsofGATT1994astheyapplytoimportlicensingprocedures;DesiringtoensurethatimportlicensingproceduresarenotutilizedinamannercontrarytotheprinciplesandobligationsofGATT1994;Recognizingthattheflowofinternationaltradecouldbeimpededbytheinappropriateuseofimportlicensingprocedures;Convincedthatimportlicensing,particularlynon-automaticimportlicensing,shouldbeimplementedinatransparentandpredictablemanner;Recognizingthatnon-automaticlicensingproceduresshouldbenomoreadministrativelyburdensomethanabsolutelynecessarytoadministertherelevantmeasure;Desiringtosimplify,andbringtransparencyto,theadministrativeproceduresandpracticesusedininternationaltrade,andtoensurethefairandequitableapplicationandadministrationofsuchproceduresandpractices;Desiringtoprovideforaconsultativemechanismandthespeedy,effectiveandequitableresolutionofdisputesarisingunderthisAgreement;Herebyagreeasfollows:Article1GeneralProvisions1.ForthepurposeofthisAgreement,importlicensingisdefinedasadministrativeprocedures1usedfortheoperationofimportlicensingregimesrequiringthesubmissionofanapplicationorotherdocumentation(otherthanthatrequiredforcustomspurposes)totherelevantadministrativebodyasapriorconditionforimportationintothecustomsterritoryoftheimportingMember.1Thoseproceduresreferredtoaslicensingaswellasothersimilaradministrativeprocedures.2.MembersshallensurethattheadministrativeproceduresusedtoimplementimportlicensingregimesareinconformitywiththerelevantprovisionsofGATT1994includingitsannexesandprotocols,asinterpretedbythisAgreement,withaviewtopreventingtradedistortionsthatmayarisefromaninappropriateoperationofthoseprocedures,takingintoaccounttheeconomicdevelopmentpurposesandfinancialandtradeneedsofdevelopingcountryMembers.23.Therulesforimportlicensingproceduresshallbeneutralinapplicationandadministeredinafairandequitablemanner.4.(a)Therulesandallinformationconcerningproceduresforthesubmissionofapplications,includingtheeligibilityofpersons,firmsandinstitutionstomakesuchapplications,theadministrativebody(ies)tobeapproached,andthelistsofproductssubjecttothelicensingrequirementshallbepublished,inthesourcesnotifiedtotheCommitteeonImportLicensingprovidedforinArticle4(referredtointhisAgreementastheCommittee),insuchamannerastoenablegovernments3andtraderstobecomeacquaintedwiththem.Suchpublicationshalltakeplace,wheneverpracticable,21dayspriortotheeffectivedateoftherequirementbutinalleventsnotlaterthansucheffectivedate.Anyexception,derogationsorchangesinorfromtherulesconcerninglicensingproceduresorthelistofproductssubjecttoimportlicensingshallalsobepublishedinthesamemannerandwithinthesametimeperiodsasspecifiedabove.CopiesofthesepublicationsshallalsobemadeavailabletotheSecretariat.(b)Memberswhichwishtomakecommentsinwritingshallbeprovidedtheopportunitytodiscussthesecommentsuponrequest.TheconcernedMembershallgivedueconsiderationtothesecommentsandresultsofdiscussion.5.Applicationformsand,whereapplicable,renewalformsshallbeassimpleaspossible.Suchdocumentsandinformationasareconsideredstrictlynecessaryfortheproperfunctioningofthelicensingregimemayberequiredonapplication.6.Applicationproceduresand,whereapplicable,renewalproceduresshallbeassimpleaspossible.Applicantsshallbeallowedareasonableperiodforthesubmissionoflicenceapplications.Wherethereisaclosingdate,thisperiodshouldbeatleast21dayswithprovisionforextensionincircumstanceswhereinsufficientapplicationshavebeenreceivedwithinthisperiod.Applicantsshallhavetoapproachonlyoneadministrativebodyinconnectionwithanapplication.Whereitisstrictlyindispensabletoapproachmorethanoneadministrativebody,applicantsshallnotneedtoapproachmorethanthreeadministrativebodies.7.Noapplicationshallberefusedforminordocumentationerrorswhichdonotalterbasicdatacontainedtherein.Nopenaltygreaterthannecessarytoservemerelyasawarningshallbeimposedinrespectofanyomissionormistakeindocumentationorprocedureswhichisobviouslymadewithoutfraudulentintentorgrossnegligence.8.Licensedimportsshallnotberefusedforminorvariationsinvalue,quantityorweightfromtheamountdesignatedonthelicenceduetodifferencesoccurringduringshipment,differencesincidentaltobulkloadingandotherminordifferencesconsistentwithnormalcommercialpractice.2NothinginthisAgreementshallbetakenasimplyingthatthebasis,scopeordurationofameasurebeingimplementedbyalicensingprocedureissubjecttoquestionunderthisAgreement.3ForthepurposeofthisAgreement,thetermgovernmentsisdeemedtoincludethecompetentauthoritiesoftheEuropeanCommunities.9.Theforeignexchangenecessarytopayforlicensedimportsshallbemadeavailabletolicenceholdersonthesamebasisastoimpo