99-4394  MORE PRESS RELEASE 
PRESS/TE/030 
13 October 1999 
 WTO COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND ENVIRO NMENT ADOPTS ITS 1999 REPORT AND 
ITS WORK PROGRAMME AND SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS FOR 2000  
 
 At the WTO Committee on Trade and Envir onment's meeting on 12 October, Members 
adopted the attached Report on the work of the CTE in 1999.  The Chairman, Ambassador Istvàn 
Major (Hungary) will present this Report to the Ge neral Council at its mee ting on 4 November 1999.  
Members also adopted the attached work programme and schedule of meetings for 2000.   At this meeting of the CTE, Members addressed the following subjects: services and the environment, relations between intergovernmental  and non-governmental organizations,  and the 
thematic clusters of market access and the linka ges between the multilateral environment and trade 
agendas.  It was agreed to extend intergovernmental  observer status to the Islamic Development Bank 
and the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre.   A detailed report on the 12 October meeting will be issued separately.  
 PRESS/TE/030 
Page 2/3 
 
  MORE WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
WT/CTE/4 
12 October 1999 
 (99-4414) 
 
 
REPORT (1999) OF THE COMMIT TEE ON TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT 
 
The Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE) continued to analyze the work programme set out in the Marrakesh Ministerial Decision on Trade and Environment following the cluster approach, 
under the themes of market access and the linkages between the multilateral environment and trade 
agendas.  Discussions in the CTE took place under the Chairmanship of Ambassador Chak Mun See 
(Singapore), followed by the Chairmanship of Ambassador István Major (Hungary).  
The CTE held three meetings in 1999 (see attach ed Annex).  The 18-19 February meeting addressed 
those items of the work programme re levant to the theme of market access, items 2, 3, 4 and 6.  The 
discussions focused primarily on the sectors of agri culture and fisheries, while there were also 
discussions on energy, forestry, non-ferrous metals, textiles and clothing, leather and environmental 
services. The sectoral discussions and the working papers submitted by Members highlighted areas 
where the removal of trade restrictions and distor tions can be both environm entally and economically 
beneficial. 
The focus of the meeting held on 29-30 June  was on those items related to the multilateral 
environment and trade agendas, including items 1, 5, 7 and 8.  On 29 June, the CTE held an 
Information Session with five Secretariats of  Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) 
relevant to the work of the CTE in order to in form Members on the trade -related developments in 
these agreements. Presentations and papers were provided by the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora;
  the Montreal Protocol on Substances that 
Deplete the Ozone Layer;  the United Natio ns Framework Conventi on on Climate Change;   the 
Intergovernmental Forum on Forests;  and the International Tr opical Timber Organization.  This 
meeting illustrated how trade-related measures fu nction in MEAs and helped to deepen the 
understanding of the MEA relationship to the multilate ral trading system.  The 12-13 October meeting 
focused on Items 9 and 10, reviewed both thematic cl usters, and adopted this report of the CTE to the 
General Council. 
The CTE extended observer status to the following international intergovernme ntal organizations in 
1999:  the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas;  the Islamic 
Development Bank;  the South Pacific Forum;  th e Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre;  
and the United Nations Framewor k Convention on Climate Change. 
In 1999, the WTO Environmental Database (EDB ) was updated by the Secretariat in document 
WT/CTE/W/118.  The EDB was established in 1998 in fulfilment of the recommendation in the 1996 
Report of the CTE to the Singapore Ministerial Conference (WT/CTE/1) to compile and update 
annually all environment-relate d notifications to the WTO. 
A High-Level Symposium on Trade and Environment was held on 15-16 March 1999.  Participation 
included senior level representatives from trade, envir onment, and development ministries as well as 
other government agencies of WT O Members which deal with ma tters related to sustainable 
development.  Participation included repres entation from approximately 130 environment, 
development, consumer and industry NGOs as well as academia, from developed and developing 
countries.  The Symposium included presentations by the Director-General of the WTO, the PRESS/TE/030 
Page 4  
  MORE Executive Secretary of UNEP, and representatives fr om the World Conservation Union (IUCN), the 
World Bank and UNCTAD.  This meeting provided a forum for a useful exchange of views and 
information between the trade and environment communities.  Funding from donor governments provided for the participation of representatives from least-developed Member countries and developing country NGOs. 
In continuation of last year's initiative, the S ecretariat organized regional seminars on trade and 
environment for government officials from developing and least-developed countries in Zimbabwe 
and Djibouti in 1999.  The objective of these seminars  was to raise awareness on the linkages between 
trade, environment and sustainable development and to enhance the dialogue between policymakers 
from Ministries of both trade and environment in WTO Member Governments.  
Pending the future work programme of the WTO, th e CTE agreed to hold three meetings in 2000 and 
to continue to deepen the analysis of all items on the work programme based on the thematic clusters 
with the objective of fulfilling the mandate of the CTE. PRESS/TE/030 
Page 5 
 
  MORE ANNEX 
Work Programme and Schedule of Meetings for 1999 
 
1. The 1998 Report of the Committee on Trade and Environment (WT/CTE/3) sets out that the CTE will advance the analysis of all the items on its  work programme based on the "cluster approach" 
under the themes of market access and the linkages between the multilateral environment and trade 
agendas.  The contribution of Members, includi ng where possible their national experience, on the 
items of the work programme should enrich th ese discussions and move forward the process of 
fulfilling the tasks mandated in the terms of reference of the CTE.  Time will be allotted for Members, 
if they so wish, to return to Item s discussed at the previous meeting. 
 
2. The CTE meeting of 18-19 February will address those Items relevant to the theme of market 
access, including:   Item 2:  the relationship between environmenta l policies relevant to trade and environmental 
measures with significant trade effects and the provisions of the multilateral trading 
system; 
Item 3:  the relationship between the provisions of the multilateral trading system and:   (a) charges and taxes for environmental purposes;   (b) requirements for environmental purposes relating to products, including 
standards and technical regulations, packaging, labelling and recycling; 
Item 4:  the provisions of the multilateral tradin g system with respect to the transparency of 
trade measures used for environmental purposes and environmental measures and 
requirements which have significant trade effects;  and 
Item 6:  the effect of environmental measures on market access, especially in relation to 
developing countries, in particular to  the least developed among them, and 
environmental benefits of removing trade restrictions and distortions. 
 
3. At a meeting on 29-30 June the CTE will discu ss the Items related to the linkages between the 
multilateral environment and trade agendas, including:   Information session with selected Secretariats  of Multilateral Environmental Agreements; 
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 multilate ral environmental agreements; 
Item 7:  the issue of exports of domestically prohibited goods;  and 
Item 8:  the relevant provisions of the Agre ement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual 
Property Rights. 
 4. On 12-13 October, the CTE's discussions will include:   Items under the market access cluster (Items 2, 3, 4 and 6); 
Items under the linkages between the multilateral envir onment and trade agendas cluster (Items 1, 5, 7  
  and 8); PRESS/TE/030 
Page 6  
  MORE 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 arrangeme nts for relations with 
intergovernmental and non-govern mental organizations referred to in Article V of the 
WTO;  and 
adoption of the 1999 Report of the CTE 
__________PRESS/TE/030 
Page 7 
 
  END COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT 
Work Programme and Schedule of Meetings for 2000 
 
 1. The 1999 Report of the Committee on Trade and Environment (WT/CTE/4) sets out that the CTE will continue to analyse all the items on its work programme based on the "cluster approach" 
under the themes of market access and the linkages between the multilateral environment and trade 
agendas.  Pending the future work programme of the WTO and building on the contribution of 
Members, including where possible their national e xperience, on the items of the work programme, 
the following tentative schedule of meetings is prop osed.  At each meeting, time will be allotted for 
Members, if they so wish, to return to Items discussed at the previous meeting. 
 2. The CTE meeting of 29 February-1 March w ill address those Items relevant to the theme of 
market access, including:  
 Item 2:  the relationship between environmenta l policies relevant to trade and environmental 
measures with significant trade effects and the provisions of the multilateral trading system; 
Item 3:  the relationship between the provisions of the multilateral trading system and: 
  (a) charges and taxes for environmental purposes; 
  (b) requirements for environmental purposes relating to products, including 
standards and technical regulations, packaging, labelling and recycling; 
Item 4:  the provisions of the multilateral tradin g system with respect to the transparency of 
trade measures used for environmental purposes and environmental measures and 
requirements which have significant trade effects;  and 
Item 6:  the effect of environmental measures on market access, especially in relation to 
developing countries, in particular to  the least developed among them, and 
environmental benefits of removing trade restrictions and distortions. 
 3. At a meeting on 5-6 July the CTE will discuss the Items related to the linkages between the 
multilateral environment and trade agendas, including:  
 Information session with selected Secretariats  of Multilateral Environmental Agreements; 
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 multilate ral environmental agreements; 
Item 7:  the issue of exports of domestically prohibited goods;  and Item 8:  the relevant provisions of the Agre ement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual 
Property Rights. 
 4. On 24-25 October, the CTE's discussions will include:   Review of the two thematic clusters of market a ccess (Items 2, 3, 4 and 6) and the linkages between 
the multilateral environment and trad e agendas (Items 1, 5, 7 and 8); 
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 arrangeme nts for relations with 
intergovernmental and non-govern mental organizations referred to in Article V of the 
WTO;  and 
adoption of the 2000 Report of the CTE