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TNC Reports Scant Progress; Draft Text For Cancun To Be Released Shortly
The WTO Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC) met from 14-15 July for its last session prior to the fifth WTO Ministerial meeting to be held from 10-14 September in Cancun, Mexico. The TNC heard reports from the chairs of five negotiating bodies established under it, and considered the general status of negotiations with a view to…
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Services: Chair Jara Reports On Post-Doha Process, Developing Countries Disappointed
In a report presented to the Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC) on 14 July, Ambassador Alejandro Jara, Chair of the special (negotiating) session of the WTO Council for Trade in Services (CTS), wrapped up the work under the mandate of the Doha Declaration undertaken by the CTS, as well as its subsidiary bodies, since the last…
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WTO Market Access Group Deliberates Negotiating Approach
WTO Members used a 9 - 11 July meeting of the WTO Negotiating Group on Non-agricultural Market Access (NAMA) to advance further reactions to the NAMA Chair’s draft paper outlining how the market access negotiations might be structured. Chair Pierre-Louis Girard had submitted his ‘Draft Elements of Modalities’ (TN/MA/W/35, available at http://docsonline.wto.org) on 16 May…
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Progress On S&D Slow, Discussions Continue
Heads of Delegations met on 2, 4, & 9 July to review the latest drafting of language aimed at strengthening WTO provisions on special and differential treatment (S&D) for developing countries. With a "Friend of the Chair" group — comprising Brazil, Kenya, Bangladesh, the US, EU and Norway — assisting General Council Chair, Ambassador Pérez…
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DSU Update: EU-Sugar; US-Cotton; Australia-Fruit; US-Steel
Cairns group trio to launch complaint against EU sugar subsidies. Brazil, the world’s largest sugar producer and exporter, has announced its intent to challenge EU sugar subsidies at the WTO. Joined by Australia and Thailand, Brazil will request an arbitration panel at the next meeting of the dispute settlement body (DSB) on 21 July. Brazil is…
- In Brief
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Report Urges Public Participation To Save Environment
DISCUSSION ON NEW EU CHEMICALS LEGISLATION PICKS UP SPEED The review and consultation period on proposed European chemicals legislation, which ended on 10 July 2003 (see BRIDGES Trade BioRes, 5 March 2003), attracted a large number of comments from a wide range of stakeholders. Termed REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restrictions of Chemicals), the legislation, which…
- WTO in Brief
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Process On Implementation Issues Finds New Spark
KEY DEVELOPING COUNTRIES SUBMIT PAPER ON SINGAPORE ISSUES Twelve developing countries — Bangladesh, Cuba, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe — submitted a paper in early July on the four Singapore issues of investment, competition, government procurement and trade facilitation (WT/GC/W/501, searchable at http://docsonline.wto.org).…
- 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. If you would like to submit an event, please email events@ictsd.ch. Coming Up: 17 - 25July 14-18 July, Geneva, Switzerland: SEVENTH SESSION OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE OF THE STOCKHOLM CONVENTION. For further information, contact: Interim Secretariat for the…