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BRAZIL, US GIVE BIOFUELS A BOOST
BRAZIL, US GIVE BIOFUELS A BOOST The US and Brazil — the world’s two top ethanol producers — on 9 March agreed to advance cooperation on the research and development of biofuels. The agreement described biofuels as a potential "transformative force in the region to diversify energy supplies, bolster economic growth, advance social agendas, and improve the…
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WTO INTERIM PANEL RULING FAVOURS EU IN RETREADED TYRES DISPUTE WITH BRAZIL
WTO INTERIM PANEL RULING FAVOURS EU IN RETREADED TYRES DISPUTE WITH BRAZIL A WTO dispute panel appears to have made a preliminary ruling in favour of the EU’s complaint against Brazil’s import restrictions on ‘retreaded tyres.’ According to Brazilian newspapers, a confidential interim report circulated to the two parties on 12 March ruled that Brasilia’s policy…
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ENVIRONMENT AT THE WTO: MEMBERS DISCUSS INFORMATION EXCHANGE WITH MEAS
ENVIRONMENT AT THE WTO: MEMBERS DISCUSS INFORMATION EXCHANGE WITH MEAS A recent meeting of the special (negotiating) session of the WTO Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE) focused on the relatively less contentious agenda item of procedures for information exchange between multilateral environmental agreement (MEA) secretariats and relevant WTO committees. Informal talks continued on liberalisation…
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WTO BODY DEBATES PUBLIC, PRIVATE FOOD SAFETY STANDARDS
WTO BODY DEBATES PUBLIC, PRIVATE FOOD SAFETY STANDARDS The debate on the pros and cons of private-sector standards related to food safety continues at the WTO. With regard to government standards and schemes, Members recently discussed, among other, Australia’s stringent new risk management measures on imported shrimp. Meeting in both formal and informal settings at the beginning…
- In Brief
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New, Binding Measures to Target Illegal Fishing
A UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) meeting has set the stage for the introduction of new rules targeting illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing (IUU). Meeting in the Committee on Fisheries in Rome from 5-9 March 5, governments from 131 countries agreed to negotiate a new international agreement that will establish strict controls in ports…
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EU Adopts Climate Energy Goals
The EU Spring Summit, chaired by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, has adopted binding targets on carbon emission reductions and renewable energy. Meeting from 8-9 March, the leaders of the 27 EU member states agreed to a package based on the new energy strategy the European Commission launched in January (see Bridges Trade BioRes, 19 January…
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Marine Protection to Expand in Shipping Hotspot
The Mediterranean countries are planning to take action to protect marine mammals in the Strait of Gibraltar, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes. The Scientific Committee of the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic Area (ACCOBAMS) has come up with new proposals to protect whale and…
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NGOs Accuse Japan of Pushing Toxics in Bilateral Trade Agreements
On 12 March, non-governmental group the Basel Action Network (BAN) issued a complaint targeting Japan with regard to bilateral trade agreements it is negotiating with developing countries. According to BAN, Japan has included provisions that would reduce tariffs on toxic waste, including pharmaceutical waste and waste oils containing PCBs, meaning the country could more easily…
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US Rice Contamination Crisis Continues
Unauthorised genetically modified material has again contaminated US rice. According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), seed of CL131 — an approved GM rice variety — contains “trace levels of genetic material not yet approved for commercialisation.” The unauthorised genetic material in question is LLRICE601, developed by Bayer CropScience. The discovery of trace levels…
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Mali Meeting Advocates Food Sovereignty
A number of civil society organisations recently convened in countryside outside Sélingué, Mali, for a World Forum on Food Sovereignty. Dubbed Nyéléni 2007, the event brought together more than 500 representatives of peasant and family farmers, fisher-folk, indigenous peoples, rural workers, migrants, pastoralists, women, youth, environmentalists, and consumers from more than 80 countries in late…
- 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 12-21…
- 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 for review by the BRIDGES staff to Malena Sell. THE SPS AGREEMENT AND BIOSAFETY. By Melvin Spreij (FAO, March 2007). This legal paper includes a general introduction to the WTO, its objectives, functions…