EUROPEAN COMMISSION'S AGENDA FOR A MILLENNIUM ROUND TO RESUME MAI-TYPE NEGOTIATIONS THROUGH THE WTO.
8 July, 1999
From: Olivier Hoedeman <paxaran@antenna.nl>
Forwarded: press release by DGI of the European Commission.
The EC has today launched its final proposal for what should be
the EU's position on a WTO Millennium Round (available on the DG1
website). This proposal will now be discussed by the EU
governments, who will take a final decision, probably in
mid-October. On 19th of July the first discussions on the
proposal will take place when the EU's foreign affairs ministers
meet in Brussels.
The fact that there is now for the first time a formal proposal
brings us into a crucial stage of the campaign against the
proposed WTO Millennium Round. The proposal includes all the new
issues that have been mentioned over the last months, such as
expanding the WTO's powers to investment, public procurement and
competition policy.
yours sincerely,
Olivier Hoedeman
Here's the Commission's version of what the proposal is about:
Brussels, 8 July 1999
COMMISSION SETS OUT
MILLENNIUM ROUND PRIORITIES
The full text of the Communication which sets out the European
Commission's proposals for the New Round of multilateral trade
negotiations has been released today and can be found on our
Website at: http://europa.eu.int/comm/dg01/dg1newround.htm The EU Approach to the New Round in pdf
format. The press release below explains the background:
The European Commission today set out its proposals for the
agenda of the Millennium Round of global trade talks to be
launched this November in Seattle. The Communication –
which was requested by the Council of Ministers last month –
lays out both the case for a comprehensive round and proposed
European Union (EU) priorities.
A comprehensive round is the best mechanism for breaking down the remaining barriers to trade. It will improve the European economy, foster economic growth worldwide, and ensure the successful management of globalisation. The Communication stresses the need to achieve greater market access by reducing tariffs and non-tariff barriers and improving market access in the services sector. It also emphasises the importance of developing new rules governing trade and investment, trade and competition, and rules aimed at facilitating trade.
Negotiations in all these areas
should take full account of the needs of developing countries and
the objective of sustainable development. The Communication
will now be sent to Member States and the European Parliament.
Sir Leon Brittan, Vice President of the Commission, said:
“Europe was the first to champion a Millennium Round back in
March 1996 – and we have progressively persuaded more and
more of our trading partners to follow our lead – often in
the face of reluctance and procrastination.”
“Comprehensive global trade talks offer opportunities which
the narrow sectoral approach never can. A new round offers
benefits not only to Europe, but to all members of the World
Trade Organisation. Better trade rules and more market access are
good for business, good for growth, and good for jobs.”
“Our approach aims at cutting tariffs across the board, and
taking special account of the interests of the developing
countries.
"There can be no justification for developed countries
maintaining high tariff peaks in sectors such as textiles.
This has gone on too long and must be a major target in the New
Round.”
The Communication argues that a comprehensive Round offers the
best way to take account of the trade interests of all WTO
Members. It sets out an ambitious agenda for the Millennium Round
- which should among other things include further liberalisation
and rule-making in the fields of agriculture and services,
non-agricultural tariffs, investment, competition, trade
facilitation, and trade and environment.
The Commission proposes a fourfold agenda. First, to secure
further trade liberalisation and market access, creating better
conditions for competitiveness. Second, to promote the further
strengthening of the WTO system so that it becomes a truly
universal instrument for the management of global trade. Third,
to take into account the continued need for special and
differential treatment for developing countries in order to
promote their development. Fourth, to ensure that the WTO
continues to address issues of concern to the broader public,
such as environment, health and social concerns.
The Communication argues that the new round should provide
benefits for developing countries, particularly the least
developed countries. The WTO must ensure that future trade
liberalisation and rule making cater for the interests and
concerns of developing countries. In particular, the EU has
proposed that all developed countries implement, no later than
the end of the Round, duty free access for essentially all
products from the least developed countries. The Communication
also pushes for improved and more effective technical assistance
and increased capacity building, including closer co-operation
between the WTO, the IMF and the
World Bank.
On the environment, the Communication argues that a central
benchmark of the new round should be the WTO's overall objective
of sustainable development. Trade and environment policies should
play a mutually supportive role in favour of sustainable
development.
The Communication sets out a number of specific issues to be
addressed in the negotiations to clarify the relationship between
trade rules and environmental measures and to improve their
interface. The Communication also stresses how important it
is to work with civil society – and the importance in the
new round of explaining to the public the benefits of the
multilateral system.
The Communication suggests further steps that could be taken to
improve WTO transparency.
The Communication calls for the establishment of a multilateral
framework of rules governing international investment, with the
objective of securing a stable and predictable climate for
investment worldwide, while avoiding the mistakes that led to the
failure of the investment negotiations in the OECD (MAI).
The Communication also calls for the development of a framework
of rules on trade and competition. The need for such a
multilateral framework has also increased as a result of the
globalisation of business activities which means that a framework
of common rules and principles would reduce unnecessary costs for
business arising from the application of different competition
laws to the same international transactions.
The EU has been at the forefront of efforts to launch a
comprehensive Millennium Round of trade talks. Sir Leon Brittan
first called for this in 1996, and EU Member States have
unanimously supported it. Over the period 1995-97, the volume of
global trade has increased by almost 8% annually, far outpacing
the growth in world GDP."
European Commission, DG I Information Unit
Email: eis@dg1.cec.be
WWW: http://europa.eu.int/comm/dg01
Fax: +32-2-296-9854
[ends]
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