148. In response to Canada's questions on costs, the representative of the European Communities said that costs could be understood in two ways: as costs related to the register itself at the WTO Secretariat level; or costs at national level. His delegation believed that the costs at the level of the WTO Secretariat would simply be the cost of maintaining a list of notified names received, which was negligible compared to the numerous daily notifications and communications already received by the WTO Secretariat now. As to the costs at national level, it would basically be the cost of a click because Members did not need to set up a register at national level, did not need to change their law, did not need to maintain procedures that they would not currently be obliged to maintain, and did not need to have debates if they currently did not provide for such debates in case of disputes related to GIs. The proposal in TN/C/W/52 was not inventing a new TRIPS system for GIs. For the cost of a click, the protection of GIs would be facilitated and the mandate fulfilled.
149. Regarding Chile's intervention, he underlined that no change of law would be required in any Member as a consequence of the TN/C/W/52 proposal.
