WORLD TRADE WT/GC(97)/ST/2
16December 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-5512)
Original: English General Council
10December 1997
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
Commission oftheEuropean Communities
Statement byMr.IanWilkinson
Minister, Deputy Permanent Representative
1. Ithank theChairman oftheTrade Policy Review Body forhisintroduction. Ithank alsothe
Director-General forhisreport, andforallthework thatheandtheWTO Secretariat havedone to
ensure thecontinuing effective implementation oftheMarrakesh agreements andSingapore Ministerial
Decisions.
2. Theconventional wisdom asweleftthesuccessful Singapore Ministerial Meeting wasthat
1997 would beaquiet year. Ithas,however, been eventful andhasyielded some remarkable
achievements. Ithasalsobeenayearofconsolidation.
3. Wesuccessfully concluded theTelecoms negotiations, andputinplace anagreement on
Information Technology.
4. Welookforward tofurther endofyearcelebration withtheconclusion ofagood agreement
onFinancial Services.
5. Itisworth recalling herethattheagreements Members haveworked sohardtoreach in1997
areallofquite fundamental importance notjustbecause ofthesectoral interests which stand togain
from further liberalization, butbecause these sectors provide thevitalinfrastructure onwhich our
economies aresoincreasingly dependent. Ifthatinfrastructure isnotbased onliberal open market
principles, weallloseout-producers, service providers andconsumers.
6. Wealsoheldavitally important high-level meeting ontrade-related assistance fortheLeast
Developed Countries which hasgiven arenewed sense ofurgency andclearer orientation totheWTO ’s
roleinassisting thepoorest countries. Wewelcome theinitiatives announced byanumber ofcountries
toimprove market-access toLDCexports andrenew theinvitation tootherWTO Members tocontribute
tothiseffort.
7. Wewilljoinwithothers inensuring thatfollow-up action isvigorous andsustained.
8. Againstthebackgroundofhigh-profileachievementsmoreroutineworkhasofcoursecontinued.
Progress onaccession negotiations -wemayattimes feelfrustrated atwhatseems alackofurgency
butwehavenochoice buttocontinue ourefforts tobuild agenuinely world organization -butnot
attheriskofdiluting thelevelofspecific commitments andobligations wehavestriven toestablish.
./.WT/GC(97)/ST/2
Page2
9. 1997hasalsoseencompletion ofthethree-year review oftheTBTAgreement, aswellasthe
major review provided forintheAgreement onTextiles andClothing. Itisamatter ofregret that
itwasnotpossible toreach consensus ontheterms ofthereport andpossible conclusions tobesubmitted
totheGeneral Council. Butavigorous, wide-ranging debate hasleftnooneinanydoubt about the
continuing sensitivity andimportance ofthissector totheeconomies ofmany WTO Members.
Iwould liketonoteinpassing thattheCommunity iscontent withthework sofarinthenew
Working Groups onInvestment andonCompetition. Recent developments intheinternational economy
show howimportant ithasbecome tomake progress. Likewise, wehavemade agood startonthe
work ontransparency ingovernment procurement andontrade facilitation.
10. Work onenvironmental issues hasbeenlowkeyinthecurrent year, butthisremains anissue
oflegitimate public concern andtheWTO needs tomeetthechallenge.
11. WTO Dispute Settlement remains oneofthepillars ofthemultilateral trading system. Wemust
allsubscribetoitsauthority.TheCommunityhasbeenthesubjectofhighlysensitivepanelandAppellate
Body findings. Weremain committed tothesystem -weinvite others toconfirm thestrength oftheir
owncommitment.
12. Activity onthisscale andonsomany levels isaclear indication theWTO initsthirdyear
ofimplementation ofMarrakesh isaliveandwell.
Butthere isnoroom forcomplacency. Public andprofessional perception oftheWTO is
changing. There areserious misconceptions about thenature ofthisIntergovernmental Organization
anditscapacity tograpple withfundamental social environmental andeconomic problems. Thevery
heartoftheWTO, liberalization andexpansion ofinternational trade, hasinsome quarters beencalled
intoquestion. Allofusmustremain vigilant anddemonstrate thattradeliberalization isnotincompatible
withwider social, environmental goals. Itisnotincompatible withmeasures toprotect life,health,
orsafety andsoundness ofourfinancial system. TheChairman oftheTPRB wasright torefer to
therisksfortheinternational economy andtheopenmultilateral trading system, inparticular ofrecent
turmoil insome economies andfinancial markets. None ofusisimmune. Continued tradeliberalization
istheonlysustainable strategy fortheinternational economy.