89. The representative of Argentina said the proposal made by the EC that the WTO's budget initially cover the costs and be reimbursed implied that the EC had already made some calculations. The argument that under the proposed EC system it would be possible to recoup all the costs was not a valid one. Argentina did not want to incur any additional costs. The WTO had other examples of notifications systems, such as under the SPS Agreement, which did not involve major costs. There was therefore no reason why the notification system for GIs for wines and spirits should cost more. Argentina was still in the initial stage of setting up a register of geographical indications, which had already resulted in high costs for its national administration. Hence, it was unthinkable for Argentina's Government to extend this current incipient system to a universal system of reviewing a massive number of GI notifications. The elaborate system proposed by the European Communities merely responded to the structure of protection which had been prevalent in the EU member States for many years. These member States benefited from administrative structures, both at Community and national levels, which was far beyond what Argentina had.
