12. The representative of the European Communities said that the obligations under Article 70.8 and 70.9 were fundamental and among the first to apply in time under the Agreement, namely as of 1 January 1995, as confirmed by two panels and one Appellate Body report; most provisions of the Agreement had not applied until 1 January 1996. After more than three years, it was highly unsatisfactory that such a high degree of uncertainty still existed concerning the legal situation in the countries potentially concerned. This was greatly detrimental to the economic operators who had relied on their eligibility for the benefits of these provisions. He supported a systematic review of the implementation of these obligations along the same lines as the reviews already undertaken in the Council.
