Proposed resolution (February, 2011) [SUPERSEDED]: Change 9.1 [dcl.pre] paragraph 1 as follows:
simple-declaration:
...The
optional attribute-specifier-seq in a
simple-declaration appertains to each of the entities declared
by the declarators; it shall not appear if the optional
of the init-declarator-list is omitted...
The grammar for declarations includes the following two nonterminals: An attribute-specifier followed by a semicolon could thus
be parsed as either an attribute-declaration or as a
simple-declaration that omits the optional
decl-specifier-seq and init-declarator-list, and the
current wording does not disambiguate the two. (There doesn't seem
to be a compelling need for attribute-declaration as a
separate nonterminal, given that simple-declaration can
accommodate that form.)
simple-declaration:
attribute-declaration:
attribute-specifier ;