Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
ADMINISTRATION OF THE AGREEMENT

Article 18.1: Joint Commission

1. The Parties hereby establish a Joint Commission (“Commission”) composed of relevant representatives of the Parties at the Ministerial level or their designees.

2. The Commission shall:

• (a) supervise the implementation of this Agreement;
• (b) review the general functioning of this Agreement;
• (c) oversee the further elaboration of this Agreement;
• (d) supervise the work of the bodies referred to in Annex 18.1 and any other bodies established under this Agreement;
• (e) without prejudice to Chapters Eleven (Trade and Environment), Twelve (Trade and Labour) and Nineteen (Dispute Settlement), explore the most appropriate ways to address any difficulty that may arise in relation to a matter covered by this Agreement; and
• (f) consider any other matter that may affect this Agreement.

3. The Commission may:

• (a) adopt interpretive decisions concerning this Agreement which shall be binding on panels established under Article 19.6 (Referral to a Dispute Settlement Panel);
• (b) take any other action in the exercise of its functions as the Parties may determine;
• (c) further the implementation of the objectives of this Agreement by approving any revision of:
  • (i) a Party’s Schedule to Annex 2.1 (Tariff Elimination) to accelerate and broaden the scope of the elimination of customs duties; and
  • (ii) the specific rules of origin established in Annex 3.4 (Product Specific Rules of Origin);
• (d) consider any amendment or modification to the rights and obligations under this Agreement; and
• (e) establish the amount of remuneration and expenses to be paid to dispute settlement panellists pursuant to Rule 33 (Remuneration and Payment of Expenses) of Annex 19.9 (Rules of Procedure).

4. At the request of the Committee on the Environment established under Article 11.14 (Committee on the Environment), the Commission may revise Annex 1.5 (Multilateral Environmental Agreements) to include a Multilateral Environmental Agreement (“MEA”), to include amendments to an MEA or to remove an MEA listed in that Annex.

5. The revisions referred to in subparagraph 3(c) and paragraph 4 are subject to the completion of any necessary domestic procedure of each Party and take effect on a date determined by the Parties.

6. The Commission may establish and delegate responsibilities to committees, subcommittees, working groups or other bodies. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, the committees, subcommittees, working groups and other bodies shall work under a mandate recommended by the Coordinators referred to in Article 18.2 and approved by the Commission.

7. The committees, subcommittees, working groups and other bodies shall inform the Commission, sufficiently in advance, of their schedule of meetings and the agenda of those meetings. The committees, subcommittees, working groups and other bodies shall submit summaries to the Commission.

8. The Commission shall establish its rules and procedures. All decisions of the Commission shall be taken by mutual consent.

9. Committees, subcommittees, working groups and other bodies shall determine their own rules and procedures. All decisions of these bodies shall be taken by mutual consent.

10. Committees, subcommittees, working groups and other bodies may make recommendations to the Commission for its consideration. The recommendations shall be made by mutual consent.

11. The Commission, committees, subcommittees, working groups and other bodies may seek the advice of a non-governmental person or group, including by inviting an expert to participate in meetings.

12. The Commission shall normally convene once a year, or at the written request of a Party. Unless otherwise decided by the Parties, sessions of the Commission shall be held alternately in the territory of each Party or by any technological means available.

Article 18.2: Coordinators

1. Each Party shall appoint a Coordinator and notify the other Party of the appointment within 60 days following the entry into force of this Agreement.

2. The Coordinators shall jointly:

• (a) monitor the work of the bodies referred to in Annex 18.1 and any other bodies established under this Agreement, including communications relating to successors to those bodies;
• (b) recommend to the Commission the establishment of bodies that they consider necessary to assist the Commission;
• (c) coordinate preparations for Commission meetings;
• (d) follow up on any decision taken by the Commission, as appropriate;
• (e) receive notifications on behalf of the Commission and information provided under this Agreement and, as necessary, facilitate communications between the Parties on any matter covered by this Agreement; and
• (f) consider any other matter that may affect the operation of this Agreement as mandated by the Commission.

3. The Coordinators shall meet as often as necessary by any technological means available.

4. Either Party may, at any time, request in writing that the Coordinators hold a special meeting. The meeting shall take place within 30 days of receipt of the request.

ANNEX 18.1
COMMITTEES, SUBCOMMITTEES, WORKING GROUPS,
OTHER BODIES AND CONTACT POINTS

1. The Committees established are the:

• (a) Committee on Trade in Goods (Article 4.8);
• (b) Committee on the Environment (Article 11.14);
• (c) Trade and Gender Committee (Article 13.4); and
• (d) Committee on SMEs (Article 14.3).

2. The Subcommittee established is the Subcommittee on Trade in Agricultural Goods (Article 4.8.4).

3. The Working Group established is the Working Group on Rules of Origin and other Customs-Related Market Access Issues (Article 5.12).

4. The other body established is the Labour Ministerial Council (Article 12.7).

5. Contact points are established by:

• (a) Chapter Seven (Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures), Article 7.4 (Sanitary and Phytosanitary Contact Points);
• (b) Chapter Eight (Technical Barriers to Trade), Article 8.8 (Contact Points and Committee on Trade in Goods);
• (c) Chapter Eleven (Trade and Environment), Article 11.10 (National Contact Point); and
• (d) Chapter Twelve (Trade and Labour), Article 12.8 (National Mechanisms).