This article examines the Permanent Group of Experts (PGE) that has been established by the Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM Committee) under Article 24.3 of the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (SCM Agreement). World Trade Organization (WTO) Members have been actively engaged in the election process of the experts since 1996, and they often refer to the PGE as an example of a consulting or assisting body in the context of rulemaking. However, very little is known about the reality of the PGE except for the fact that the body has never been consulted or utilized. The article hopes to contribute to deepening understanding of the PGE and its process for the election of experts by describing the past experience in the SCM Committee. It draws practical lessons from the experience for the future decision making of the WTO bodies, including the importance of gradual and wider participation in the process as well as the need for careful institutional building in rulemaking.
Journal of World Trade