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EU Releases Reform Plan For Sugar
On 22 June, the EU’s executive European Commission released a new market reform plan for the sugar sector, which is set to significantly change asystem that has been in place for 40 years. The proposal includes a two-step, 39 percent cut in the guaranteed price of white sugar; compensation…
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Services Cluster Underway, Talks On Benchmarks Forthcoming
A two-week ‘cluster’ of services meetings got underway at the WTO on 20 June with the regular meetings of the Council for Trade in Services and its subsidiary bodies. Sources report that despite many developing countries’ continued advocacy for more emphasis on the rule-making aspect of the services negotiations — which are the primary focus…
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LDCs Adopt Common Position for Hong Kong
Least-developed countries (LDCs) recently adopted a common negotiating position in the Doha round WTO talks ahead of the global trade body’s December Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong. LDC trade ministers met in Livingstone, Zambia, on 27 June, to deliberate on bargaining positions and strategy in the ongoing multilateral trade negotiations. The ‘Livingstone Declaration’ articulates…
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EU Adopts New GSP Scheme
EU member states agreed on 23 June to a new system of trade preferences for poor countries, which places particular emphasis on poorly diversified economies that are dependent on a handful of export products. It expands the number of products that can receive preferential market access and establishes clear thresholds beyond which countries will ‘graduate’…
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WTO Cotton Sub-Committee: African Group Urges Response To New Proposal
The WTO Sub-committee on Cotton held its fourth meeting on 22 June 2005. At the gathering, African countries expressed disappointment at the lack of written responses to their latest proposal calling for major reforms in the trade of cotton, circulated prior to the group’s 29 April meeting (see BRIDGES…
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NGO Registration For Hong Kong Ministerial Conference
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) wishing to attend the WTO’s Sixth Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong from 13-18 December 2005 may apply for WTO accreditation online at https://meetings.wto.org/NGO/PreRegistration/ngohome.aspx?Language=E. The deadline for registration requests is 29 July 2005 (midnight, GMT). Additional information on NGO registration and participation at the Ministerial…
- In Brief
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In Brief
FOOD FROM CLONED ANIMALS ON WAY TO US SUPERMARKETS? A four-year risk assessment by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has shown that cloned animals and their offspring are as safe for human consumption as conventional animals. This could potentially soon lead to the lifting of a US moratorium on the commercial use of such…
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In Brief
FOOD FROM CLONED ANIMALS ON WAY TO US SUPERMARKETS? A four-year risk assessment by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has shown that cloned animals and their offspring are as safe for human consumption as conventional animals. This could potentially soon lead to the lifting of a US moratorium on the commercial use of such…
- WTO in Brief
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WTO In Brief
GROSER PAPER HIGHLIGHTS KEY ISSUES FOR ‘JULY APPROXIMATIONS’ On 27 June, Chair Tim Groser of the WTO agriculture negotiations circulated a ten-page paper outlining key issues requiring focused work before the end of July, asking delegates for further guidance. Members are aiming to agree on a set of "July approximations" that would serve as a…
- 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 us. Coming Up: 30 June - 6 July 29 June - 1 July, New York, USA: ACHIEVING THE INTERNATIONALLY AGREED DEVELOPMENT GOALS, INCLUDING THOSE CONTAINED IN THE MILLENNIUM…
- Resources
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Resources
STRENGTHENING INSTITUTIONS AND CAPACITIES IN THE AREA OF COMPETITION AND CONSUMER PROTECTION POLICIES IN LATIN AMERICA: CASES OF BOLIVIA, COSTA RICA, EL SALVADOR, HONDURAS, GUATEMALA, NICARAGUA AND PERU. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), June 2005. This report addresses two main issues: the role of competition and consumer protection policies in promoting development,…