WTO In Brief
US Favours ‘End-Use’ Over ‘Process’ Approach In Environmental Goods Talks
In a 3 July submission to the WTO Negotiating Group on Market Access and the Committee on Trade and Environment, the US advocated the need for the WTO to come up with its own list defining the scope of environmental goods subject to negotiations by the time the Group agrees on modalities for the overall market access talks. While the exact date for agreeing to modalities remains under discussion, it will likely fall sometime between March and May 2003. The US paper (TN/MA/W/3, searchable at http://docsonline.wto.org) was largely supportive of environmental product classification previously undertaken by the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum and highlighted in an earlier submission by New Zealand (TN/E/W/6). In particular, the US agreed with the APEC ‘end-use’ approach of including primarily goods used to clean the environment or to contain or prevent pollution. Broadening the list of environmental goods for inclusion in market access talks to include products made in an environmentally sound manner would "pose difficulties of definition," the US argued. "Moreover, such a process risks prolonged discussions that could pit one Member’s views that are based on their own environmental conditions, priorities, and values against those of another," the US said. The Market Access Negotiating Group missed its last scheduled meeting on 5 July due to the disagreement over a modalities deadline, but could meet again before the end of July if there is a breakthrough on that question.
ICTSD reporting.