71

2. Subject to the provisions of paragraph 5 of this Article, a commodity control agreement is an inter-governmental agreement which involves: {a) The regulation of production or the quantitative control of exports or imports of a primary commodity and which has the purpose or might have the effect of reducing, or preventing an increase in, the production of, or trade in, that commodity ; or (b) The regulation of prices. 3. The Organization shall, on the request of a Member, a study group or a commodity conference, decide whether an existing or proposed inter-governmental agreement is a commodity control agreement within the meaning of paragraph 2 of this Article. 4. (a) Commodity control agreements shall be subject to all the provisions of this Chapter. (b) Other inter-governmental commodity agreements shall be subject to the provisions of this Chapter other than those of Section C. If, however, the Organization decides that an agreement which involves the regulation of production or the quantitative control of exports or imports is not a commodity control agreement within the meaning of paragraph 2 of this Article, it shall prescribe the provisions of Section C, if any, to which that agreement shall conform. 5. The Organization may decide that an existing or proposed intergovernmental agreement which has the purpose of securing the co-ordinated expansion of aggregate world production and consumption of a primary commodity is not a commodity control agreement even though the agreement contains provision for the future application of minimum prices. However, any such agreement shall be deemed to be a commodity control agreement and shall conform to all the provisions of Section C from the date on which its minimum price provisions become operative. 6. The Members undertake not to enter into any new commodity control agreement, unless it has been recommended by a conference called in accordance with Article 56. If, in an exceptional case, there has been unreasonable delay in the proceedings of the study group or of the commodity conference, Members substantially interested in the production or consumption of, or trade in, a particular primary commodity, may proceed by direct negotiation to the conclusion of an agreement, provided that it conforms to the other provisions of this Chapter.