Bridges Weekly Trade News Digest • Volume 5 • Number 41 • 4th December 2001

EC Says Mixed Result For Developing Countries At Doha


On 29 November, Director General of the EC Commission Directorate for Trade, Peter Carl, briefed civil society and business representatives on the outcome of the WTO Doha negotiations held last month in Qatar. Carl said that market access was the biggest interest area for developing countries in Doha, followed distantly by technical assistance and WTO reform. On the latter issue, Carl noted that many developing countries remain opposed to increased openness of the WTO to civil society. With regard to forthcoming negotiations, he said that the talks would be taxing on the human resources of all Members, in particular developing countries. He said that one idea being discussed in terms of technical assistance by the EC to African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries was for the EC to help establish ACP regional offices in Geneva that would match regional groupings of ACP countries that are expected to begin negotiating free trade agreements with the EC under the new ACP-EU Cotonou Agreement. Many NGOs are concerned that this could be an excessive burden on ACP delegates, who would be responsible for negotiating trade arrangements with both the EC and the WTO.

”Commission briefs civil society organisations and business representatives on the outcome of the WTO Ministerial in Doha,” EUROSTEP, 30 November 2001.

EC Stresses Importance Of Trade Promotion Authority

At the annual meeting of the European Institute transatlantic seminar on trade and investment in Washington, EC representative to the WTO Carlo Trojan highlighted the importance of granting Trade Promotion Authority to the US President for future trade negotiations. “There is a general perception outside the United States — whether it is true or not — that without Trade Promotion Authority there are no trade negotiations,” he said. “We in the EU do consider that the US should have TPA as soon as possible so we can engage in real negotiations,” he added. Some US trade officials have expressed concern that without TPA, the new trade round launched at the Fourth Ministerial Conference in Doha would be of little effect. On 6 December, the US House of Representatives will vote on the TPA bill, which if passed would allow the US President to negotiate trade deals which Congress can only adopt or reject, but not amend. “World trade deal depends on Congress,” UPI, 28 November 2001.

Export Credit Environmental Reviews To Be Implemented Despite US Opposition

In spite of US refusal to accept what it regards as a weak agreement, export credit agencies from Europe, Japan and Canada have decided to implement new international rules for environmental reviews of their lending initiatives — the biggest source of government financing for large infrastructure projects in the developing world — following approval of the rules by 24 of the 26 countries involved. While the US has advocated establishing such rules for almost five years after implementing national requirements for environmental reviews which US companies claim have put them at a competitive disadvantage, it opposes the voluntary nature of the agreement. The US also regards recommendations for public discussions as falling far short of its calls for allowing public discussion of a project’s environmental impacts before any government support is approved.

”Agencies plan to ignore US over new rules,” FT, 3 December 2001.