WORLD TRADE ORGAN1ZATION
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DU COMMERCE
ORGANIZACION MUNDIAL DEL COMERCIO
To:
From:
CTE Members
Ambassador Alejandro Jara
Chairman of the
Committee on Trade and Environrnent
Number of pages (including this one): 5
Fax No: see attached list
Date: 20 February 2002
Ref:
COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT
Communication from the Chairman
Informal consultations on
Friday, 1 March 2002
3h30 p.m.
I would like to invite your delegation to participate in an informal consultation of the
Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE) as a whole on Friday 1 March 2002 at 3h30
p.m. Centre William Rappard. The purpose of the consultation is for Members to provide
input on the work programme and schedule of meetings for the CTE, as well as the Special
Sessions.
In order to structure the debate and facilitate the discussions at the informal, I have
drafted the attached questions to help Members in their reflection on the issues before us.
For clarifications on the attached questions, Members may contact Ms. Sabrina Shaw,
Secretary of the CTE (739-5482) or Ms. Doaa Abdel Motaal, Secretary of CTE Special
Session (739-5875).
Ambassador Alejandro Jara
Chairman
Committee on Trade and Environment
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The Secretariat proposes the following schedule of meetings: 21-22 March (a one- day
meeting ot the CTE followed by one day for the Special Session), 11-14 June (a two day meeting of
the Special Session followed by two days for the CTE. The Special Session would need to take place
first to avoid overlap with the meetings of other negotiating bodies), and 8-11 October (a two day
meeting of the CTE followed by two days for the Special Session).
The dates must be seen as tentative, however, since the WTO Conference Office is in the process of
coordinating a calendar for all WTO meetings this year with the objective of avoiding clashes
between negotiating bodies.
Questions for Members to consider for the CTE
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As set out in the CTE Report for 2001, should the "thematic cluster" approach of market
access and the linkages between the multilateral environmental and trade agendas be kept (see
attached draft Schedule of meetings for the CTE in 2002)?
Is there a need to include the three issues of "particular action" in paragraph 32 of the Doha
Declaration at each meeting?
On Paragraph 32(i), should discussions on trade liberalization continue to be approached
sector by sector sector as has been past practice (i.e. agriculture, energy, fisheries, forestry,
textiles and clothing, leather, nonferrous metals, environmental goods and services)?
How should the MEA Information Session be structured? One suggestion is to focus the next
MEA Information Session on technical assistance and capacity building, as well as
procedures for regular information exchange between MEA and WTO Secretariats
How should paragraph 33, which has two aspects, be approached? Should Members and
intergovernmental agencies as well as the WTO Secretariat be invited to report as appropriate
on their technical assistance and capacity building activities; and to share expertise and
experience on environmental reviews at the national level?
How should Paragraph 51 be approached? Should Members be invited by the Chair to
identify and debate developmental and environmental aspects of the negotiations?
Should paragraphs 33 and 51 be included as standing items in the CTE agenda at each
meeting?
Questions for Members to consider for CTE Special Sessions
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Based on the consultations Mr. Rodriguez has held with Members, it appears that Members
prefer to hold Special Sessions back-to-back with the regular meetings of relevant bodies.
This would certainly facilitate the participation of capital-based officials. Could Members
agree that the Chair be given the flexibility to call for more meetings of the Special Session
(beyond the three that would be held back-to-back with the CTE) if the need arises, bearing in
mind the need to keep the overall number of meetings to a minimum and to avoid overlap
with the meetings of other negotiating bodies?
Since paragraph 31 contains only three subparagraphs, can paragraph 31 feature on each of
the meetings of the CTE Special Sessions in its entirety?
Is there a need to structure the work of the CTE Special Sessions by, for instance, deciding on
different phases of work (a study phase, in which members could submit and debate
proposals, and a negotiations phase, in which members could negotiate the final outcome)?
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DRAFT
Work Programme and Schedule of Meetings for the Regular CTE in 2002
1. In the 2001 Report of the Committee on Trade and Environment (WT/CTE/6), the CTE
agreed to hold three meetings in 2002 to continue to deepen its analysis of all items on
its work programme based on the thematic clusters of market access and the linkages
between the multilateral environmental and trade agendas.
2. Paragraph 32 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration instructs the CTE, in pursuing work
on all items on its agenda within its current terms of reference, to give particular
attention to:
(i)
the effect of environmental measures on market access, especially in relation
to developing countries, in particular the least-developed among them, and
those situations in which the elimination or reduction of trade restrictions and
distortions would benefit trade, the environment and development;
(ii) the relevant provisions of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of
Intellectual Property Rights; and
(iii) labelling requirements for environmental purposes.
3. In paragraph 33, Ministers recognize the importance of technical assistance and capacity
building in the field of trade and environment to developing countries, in particular the
least developed among them; and also encourage that expertise and experience be
shared with Members wishing to perform environmental reviews at the national level. A
report shall be prepared on these activities for the Fifth Session.
4. Paragraph 51 sets out that the CTE shall, within its mandate, act as a forum to identify
and debate developmental and environmental aspects of the negotiations, in order to
help achieve the objective of having sustainable development appropriately reflected.
Schedule
5. In pursuing these objectives, the following schedule of meeting is proposed. The
proposal to give particular attention to the issues identified in paragraph 32 of the Doha
Ministerial Declaration at each meeting, while allowing Members to address all the
other items on the work programme, as well as paragraphs 33 and 51.
6. The CTE meeting of 21 March will address:
 Issues identified in paragraph 32 of the Ministerial Declaration;
 Items relevant to the market access cluster:
Item 2: the relationship between environmental policies relevant to trade and
environmental measures with significant trade effects and the provisions of
the multilateral trading system;
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Item 3: the relationship between the provisions of the multilateral trading system and:
(a) charges and taxes for environmental purposes;
(b) requirements for environmental purp@s relating to products, including
standards and technical regulations, packaging, labelling and
recycling; and
Item 4: the provisions of the multilateral trading system with respect to the
transparency of trade measures used for environmental purposes and environmental
measures and requirements which have significant trade effects.
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7.
Paragraph 33; and
Paragraph 51
At a meeting on 13-14 June, the CTE will hold:
 An MEA Information Session. The CTE will then address:
 Items related to the cluster on linkages between the multilateral environmental and
trade agendas:
Item 1: the relationship between the provisions of the multilateral trading system and
trade measures for environmental purposes, including those pursuant to
multilateral environmental agreements;
Item 5: the relationship between the dispute settlement mechanisms in the multilateral
trading system and those found in multilateral environmental agreements;
Item 7: the issue of exports of domestically prohibited goods.
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8.
Issues identified in Paragraph 32 of the Ministerial Declaration;
Paragraph 33; and
Paragraph 51
On 8-9 October, discussion in the CTE will address:
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Issues identified in Paragraph 32 of the Ministerial Declaration:
Item 9: the work programme envisaged in the Decision on Trade in Services and the
Environment;
Item 10: input to the relevant bodies in respect of appropriate arrangements for
relations with intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations referred to in
Article V of the WTO;
Other Items;
Paragraph 33;
Paragraph 51; and
Report of the CTE in 2002
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DRAFT
Work Programme and Schedule of Meetings for CTE Special Sessions in 2002
CTE Special Sessions will be convened back-to-back with each meeting of the regular
CTF, and at each meeting paragraph 31 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration will be taken up
in its entirety. Paragraph 31 states that:
“With a view to enhancing the mutual supportiveness of trade and environment, we
agree to negotiations, without prejudging their outcome, on:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
the relationship between existing WTO rules and specific trade obligations
set out in multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), negotiations shall be
limited in scope to the applicability of such existing WTO rules as among
parties to the MEA in question. The negotiations shall not prejudice the WTO
rights of any Member that is not a party to the MEA in question;
procedures for regular information exchange between MEA Secretariats and
the relevant WTO committees, and the criteria for the granting of observer
status;
the reduction or, as appropriate, elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers to
environmental goods and services.”
The first meeting of the CTE Special Session will take place on 22 March, the second
on 11-12 June, and the third on 10-11 October. Additional meetings may be called for by
the Chairman as necessary, keeping in mind the need to keep the overall number of meetings
to a minimum and to avoid overlap with the meetings of other negotiating bodies.