各成员还应设立咨询点,对其他成员、贸易经营者或个人提出的问题,提供准确、权威的答复。另外,通过世界贸易组织的贸易政策审查机制对各成员的贸易政策进行定期监督,也是保证透明度的一种方式。
为了更好地监督各成员方履行有关的通知义务,《关于通知程序的部长决定》要求秘书处成立一个通知登记中心(central registry of notifications),该登记中心的任务主要是:(1)将各成员方所通报的有关措施的情况,诸如该措施的目的、其适用的贸易范围及其所依据的通知要求等记录在案;(2)对各成员方的通知措施与义务进行参照对比;(3)每年通知各成员方下一年度内应履行的常规通知义务;(4)对尚未履行常规通知义务的成员应提请其注意;(5)在任何有权得到有关通知情况的任何成员索要其他成员方的通知资料时,应使其能够获得该通知的信息内容。
二、透明度原则的适用
(一)透明度原则在货物贸易领域的适用
GATT第10条第1款是有关“公布内容”的规定:Laws, regulations, judicial decisions and administrative rulings of general application, made effective by any contracting party, pertaining to the classification or the valuation of products for customs purposes, or to rates of duty, taxes or other charges, or to requirements, restrictions or prohibitions on imports or exports or on the transfer of payments therefor, or affecting their sale, distribution, transportation, insurance, warehousing inspection, exhibition, processing, mixing or other use, shall be published promptly in such a manner as to enable governments and traders to become acquainted with them. Agreements affecting international trade policy which are in force between the government or a governmental agency of any contracting party and the government or governmental agency of any other contracting party shall also be published. The provisions of this paragraph shall not require any contracting party to disclose confidential information which would impede law enforcement or otherwise be contrary to the public interest or would prejudice the legitimate commercial interests of particular enterprises, public or private.