Post Date : 00-06-23
The Chairman of the Committee on Trade and Environment in Special Session(CTESS), Ambassador Manuel A. J. Teehankee, circulated a report(TN/TE/20) to the Trade Negotiations Committee(TNC) on April 21, 2011. The report provides an update of progress made in the CTESS since his last report(TN/TE/19) to the TNC in March 2010 and aims at bringing the negotiation to a successful conclusion on all three parts of the mandate in Paragraph 31 of the Doha Declaration.

According to the Chair’s report, the progress of the negotiation is as follows:

PARAGRAPH 31(i) and (ii)
Paragraph 31(i) and 31(ii) are combined in the format of a draft Ministerial Decision. The text of this draft is derived from Members’ textual proposals and inputs of Members during the recent intensive process of consultations and discussions held in the CTESS. While the draft is not an agreed text nor in its complete or final form, there are still some outstanding issues that need further consultation or engagement in an open-ended session, for instance, whether the STO needs to be defined or its features listed; whether information exchange sessions may not only be held in the CTE, but also in other relevant WTO committees; how to grant observer status; how to establish technical assistance and capacity building to assist developing members in strengthening the relationship between trade and environment regimes; and the relationship between existing WTO rules and STOs in MEAs.

PARAGRAPH 31(iii)
The format of an outcome under Paragraph 31(iii) is still open although stated options and components have become clearer. Based on a review of all proposals on the table and the views of Members expressed in consultations on the structure of outcome, there are four areas that need to arrive at a draft outcome and modalities. These are: (i)preambular language; (ii)coverage; (iii)treatment of tariffs and non-tariff barriers, including special and differential treatment; (iv)cross-cutting and development elements. With respect to coverage, the report summarizes the potential structures of outcome on coverage based on all approaches on table, including: (i) hybrid approach; (ii)alpha beta combined approach; (iii) core list/common list with complementary list/development list; (iv) identification through request & offer; (v) identification through integrated-project approach. Moreover, this report compiles environmental goods in submissions made by Members so far by order of their HS heading at 6 digit level. However, issues concerning the identification of environmental goods and the coverage of reduction or elimination of tariff still require further discussion and deliberation among Members.

In recognizing the importance of trade liberalization to reduce the cost of goods for environmental protection, Taiwan will continue to actively participate in future talks and looks forward to working with other Members in seeking to achieve a meaningful and balanced outcome.