| Level | Series |
| Reference Number (click to see whole series/group) | 16A21 |
| Extent | 60 files |
| Title | COMMITTEE ON INVISIBLE EXPORTS (COIE): LIBERALISATION OF TRADE IN SERVICES COMMITTEE (LOTIS) |
| Date | 5 Nov 1981 - 31 May 1988 |
| Admin History | The Liberalisation of Trade in Services (LOTIS) Committee was established in late 1981 - early 1982, as part of the wider work of the Committee on Invisible Exports (COIE), later the British Invisible Exports Council (BIEC).
The terms of reference of the Committee included to monitor international developments in the liberalisation of trade in services and to comment on such developments and to keep the Bank of England informed of these developments through COIE. Objectives of LOTIS included assessing the UK's national interest in relation to any official negotiations on the liberalisation of trade in services; identifying UK service industries likely to be affected; advising government on negotiations in relation to the UK's position; maintaining contacts with Organisation for Economic Co-operation and development (OECD), EEC (European Economic Community) and GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade). In addition, LOTIS was also keen to make contact with similar bodies overseas.
As part of its work, LOTIS consulted the main institutions concerned with international trade in services, to try and identify the major problems involved with trade in services. Examples of issues identified were access to markets, barriers to trans-border data flows, exchange controls, fiscal discrimination, government procurement policies, impediments to establishments, restrictions such as lack of availability of skills, regulatory and administrative barriers.
Membership of the Committee was made up of representatives from the shipping industry, insurance, banking and consultancy. (information taken from file 16A21/1 and 3).
In May 1985, LOTIS convened a meeting in Brussels to which representative bodies from the service industries of the European Communities were invited. The purpose of the meeting was to exchange views on the question of liberalising trade in services, and to explore the suggestion that there should be a private sector forum in the Member States to which the European Commission could turn for appropriate advice. Three further meetings took place, with active co-operation of the Commission, in Dec 1985, Apr and Jul 1986. At the Apr 1986 meeting, it was agreed that the group should be known as the European Community Services Group. (information taken from file 16A21/41). |
| Description | These files cover the work of LOTIS Committee, including monitoring developments in trade in services, liaising with other institutions carrying out related work at home and abroad, researching the situation of trade in services in other countries, seeking views from the private sector, communicating with the Department for Trade and Industry (DTI) and GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) officials.
Material covered in the files includes correspondence; agenda and minutes of LOTIS meetings; notes of meetings held between LOTIS and other institutions, for example meetings held at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI); papers produced by other organisations, for example the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI); correspondence between a variety of institutions, including the Treasury (HMT), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Bank; papers relating to the work of LOTIS, for example background papers in preparation for meetings and papers detailing the Committee's objectives; correspondence between LOTIS and private banks; notes of visits, for example LOTIS visit to the OECD or visits to other countries; copies of published papers on a variety of topics relating to the work of the Committee; questionnaires on topics such as obstacles to international trade, and answers from bodies such as the British Bankers Association (BBA) and the Stock Exchange; notes relating to conferences and meetings, national and international, on the subject of invisible exports.
Examples of topics covered include impediments to trade in shipping; views from the legal profession on liberalisation; obstacles to UK Service Trades, including views sought from different sectors and analysis of obstacles sector by sector; discussion of international trade in services, for example trade in services in the United States (US) and Sweden.
From April 1986 onwards, a number of files also include minutes and papers of the European Community Services Group (ECSG). |
| Related Material | EID7/42, 48; 7A1, 6A375, 6A400-3 |
| Original Reference | COIE133 |
| BIEC133 |
| YearOpen | 2016 |