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US Takes Next Step in EU Biotech Challenge
US Takes Next Step in EU Biotech Challenge The US on 19 June announced it would request the establishment of a WTO dispute settlement panel to examine its complaint against the EC’s continued de facto moratorium on the approval of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), after the US-EC consultations had proven inconclusive (see BRIDGES Trade BioRes, 15 May…
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EU Cap Reform Deal Hoped to Spur AG Negotiations, NGOs Sceptical
EU Cap Reform Deal Hoped to Spur AG Negotiations, NGOs Sceptical After a 16-hour negotiating marathon — and concluding more than a year of heated internal debate — EU farm ministers, on 26 June in Luxemburg, finally agreed on a compromise deal outlining the future of the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). While trading partners such as…
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Whaling Commission More Split than Ever
Whaling Commission More Split than Ever On 19 June the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) ended in Berlin and left the 51 members in deep disagreement over the objectives of the Commission. During the one-week long conference member countries discussed proposals on whale sanctuaries, whaling quotas and a conservation committee. No Go For Whale Sanctuaries…
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New WTO Proposal from Chile on Fisheries Subsidies
New WTO Proposal from Chile on Fisheries Subsidies Chile — a member of the “Friends of Fish” group, which also includes the US, Argentina, Iceland, New Zealand, Norway and Peru — presented a new proposal to the WTO Negotiating Group on Rules (18-19 June) on possible approaches to improved disciplines on fisheries subsidies (TN/RL/W/115). The paper identifies…
- In Brief
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Brazil, Indonesia Act to Preserve Forests
Earlier this month, the Brazilian government announced that mahogany could only be logged if a sustainable management plan was in place. Such a plan will probably include a clause that only old trees can be harvested and only in such a way that other trees are not destroyed. At the same time it was announced…
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Climate Change Negotiations Address Future of Kyoto Protocol
Climate change negotiators met in Bonn, Germany, from 4-13 June for their biannual meetings on scientific, technological and implementation issues under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Their talks focused heavily on preparations for the entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol to UNFCCC, including discussions on the role of forestry activities under…
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Regional Biodiversity Forum Considers Trade Linkages
During the third Regional Session of the Global Biodiversity Forum for South Asia in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which was held from 16-18 June 2003, participants discussed various issues at the intersection of sustainable development and biodiversity. Themes included; trade and intellectual property rights on access to genetic resources and genetically modified organisms; sustainable development and livelihoods;…
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In Brief
In Brief BIOSAFETY PROTOCOL TO ENTER INTO FORCE The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety — a protocol under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) — will enter into force on 11 September this year. On 13 June, the island state of Palau became the 50th country to ratify the Protocol, thus triggering entry into force 90 days…
- Events
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Events
For a more comprehensive list of events in trade and sustainable development, please refer to ICTSD’s web calendar. Please bear in mind that dates and times of WTO meetings are often changed, and that the WTO does not always announce the important informal meetings of the different bodies. Coming up in the next two weeks 29 June…
- Resources
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Resources
If you have a relevant resource (books, papers, bulletins, etc.) you would like to see announced in this section, please forward a copy or review by the BRIDGES staff to Marianne Jacobsen. "COMMUNITY, FARMERS’ AND BREEDERS’ RIGHTS IN AFRICA: TOWARDS A LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR SUI GENERIS LEGISLATION". By Patricia Kameri-Mbote (2003). The paper analyses international and…