Bridges Trade BioRes • Volume 5 • Number 8 • 29th April 2005

NAMA Negotiations Threaten Environment, NGO Says

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WTO Members have presented 72 notifications that challenge environmental and health standards, according to environmental group Friends of the Earth International (FOEI). According to a briefing released by the non-governmental organisation on 18 April, more than thirteen WTO Members have presented notifications as part of Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) negotiations describing other countries’ social, environmental or health regulations as non-tariff barriers (NTBs) that affect their exporters. The regulations referred to concern mineral products, automobiles, chemicals, electronics, environmental goods, fertilisers, fish and fish products, food, footwear, forest/wood products, mineral products and petroleum oils, textiles and leather goods.

Under paragraph 16 of the Doha mandate, the NAMA negotiations aim to reduce both tariffs and ‘non-tariff barriers’ (NTBs) facing non-agricultural goods. The notification of NTBs by Members is the first part of the “identification, examination, categorization, and ultimately negotiation” process on NTBs mandated by the WTO’s July Package (WT/L/579). FOEI fears that Members might come under pressure to eliminate some of these regulations “during or as a result of WTO negotiations.” FOEI described the “challenges” to the laws as “a breath-taking and shameful attack on social and environmental standards worldwide,” noting that some of the legislation identified pertained to national standards, measures to promote local economic development, labelling and certification requirements, and restrictions on foreign investment. To date there has been little discussion in the Negotiating Group on NAMA on whether these regulations constitute NTBs since the talks have been focusing on the overall tariff-reduction formula (see BRIDGES Weekly, 27 April 2005).

FOEI’s Analysis of Notifications of NTBs can be accessed here.

Information on NAMA negotiations can be accessed here.

“Environmental laws lined up for removal by new trade talks,” FOEI PRESS RELEASE, 18 April 2005.