1. The government acting on behalf of the separate customs territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu notes that discussions on "the relationship between the provisions of the multilateral trading system and trade measures for environmental purposes, including those pursuant to multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs)" in the Committee on Trade and Environment have been ongoing for years. The government recognizes the importance of improving policy coherence between trade and environment. In our view, a consensus among WTO Members on the issue could more easily be reached step by step. The negotiation mandate set out by the ministers in paragraph 31(i) of the Doha Declaration clearly aims at a certain part of the overall relationship between WTO rules and trade measures taken for environmental purposes. The government believes that the mandate is an appropriate first step in the right direction.