The Committee on Safeguards approved some changes to the existing safeguards notifications format at its  April 26, 2021, meeting. 

Under the provisions of the Safeguards Agreement, member countries initiating safeguards investigations must notify the World Trade Organization (WTO) on decisions issued during and at the end of the inquiry, such as the initiation of the investigation, the imposition of provisional measures, the findings of the investigation, and the final decision of the inquiry. In practice, such notifications are significant as they enable affected countries to participate in the investigations timely and protect their interests in export markets.