. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/MIN(01)/ST/76
11 November 2001
(01-5669)
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Fourth Session
Doha, 9 - 13 November 2001Original:  English
POLAND
Statement by H.E. Mr Janusz Kaczurba
Under-Secretary of State
Ministry of Economy
The delegation of Poland wishes to extend its deepest gratitude to the Emir, His Highness
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and to the people of Qatar for the generous hospitality in hostingthis Conference.
Poland, a founding and active Member of the World Trade Organization, fully supports
further liberalization and strengthening of the mu ltilateral trading system through the commencement
of a new round.
We are of the opinion that a successful conclusion of the Ministerial Conference at Doha is
particularly needed at the present time in order to alleviate recessionary trends and enhance global
political confidence.
For my country, an open and WTO-based trade regime has been in recent years an essential
engine of growth.  It provided also major systemic support for economic and structural policies.
True, such wide exposure to external competition may cause, as it did, economic dislocations
and difficulties experienced by many local businesses.  However, for as long as such competition
respects multilaterally agreed rules, we recognize its intrinsic value for greater efficiency of the
national economy as a whole.
External trade and investment have played a major role in making Poland better prepared for
the advanced stage of negotiations for accession to the European Union, which will hopefully
coincide with WTO negotiations.
The membership in the European Communities will undoubtedly encourage our further
economic and trade interaction with WTO partners.
Poland supports discussion on development aspects of world trade including in particular the
difficult situation of the least-developed countries, which must be properly  addressed within the
framework of a comprehensive round.
We are aware that there is a basis for frustration of a large number of WTO Members over the
implementation of the Marrakesh commitments .  Such frustrations, however, shall not be properly
alleviated through reluctance or outright opposition  to new trade initiatives, but rather through a
dialogue and compromise implied in the initiative of the next negotiating exercise and in the action
plan proposed by Council Chairman and Director-General.WT/MIN(01)/ST/76
Page 2
Further liberalization of agricultural trade has to take into consideration various non-trade
concerns mentioned in official positions taken by many WTO Members.  Consequently we would
expect that the final negotiating mandate  will be balanced so as to take both trade and non-trade
aspects on board.
Poland supports further liberalization of trade in services constituting the mast dynamic part
of the world economy.  It is important to continue the work on uniformization and better transparency
of the system of concessions of WTO Members under GATS.
We support actions aimed at facilitation of access of developing and the least-developed
countries to  pharmaceuticals far treatment of HIV/AIDS and other pandemic diseases.
Provisions of  the TRIPS Agreement contain flexibilities which could facilitate reaching this
objective.  However, it is also necessary to safeguard  fundamental principles of patent protection in
order to maintain the necessary incentives for further research activities related to pharmaceuticals.
Poland supports negotiations on a multilateral agreement on transparency in public
procurement.  We intend to undertake preparations for accession of Poland to the WTO Agreement on
Government Procurement next year.
Poland supports the idea to clarify and improve the WTO Agreements.  This will permit a
better functioning of procedures and improve their transparency.
My delegation supports clarification of procedures concerning implementation of
DSB decisions and speaks out in favour of removing inconsistencies between Articles 21 and 22 of
the Understanding.
In our opinion, trade and environmental policies should be mutually supportive in achieving
sustainable and balanced development.  This objective would be well served by a better clarification
of interrelationships between  trading principles of the WTO and trade policy provisions contained in
multilateral agreements on environment.  However, we are against using environmental regulations
for trade protectionism .
In the possible future negotiations on trade aspects of international investment we shall
support initiatives aimed at working out a WTO agreement in this field.  Poland will opt for a narrow
definition of investments, which would not cover  portfolio investments and investments in the sphere
of intellectual property rights. We shall be against provisions which might encourage monopolistic
position, tax evasion or competition distorting practices by investors in the host markets.
We are in favour of elaborating a uniform legal framework for protecting competition.  WTO
will be the best forum for commenc ing negotiations in this sphere.
A future global agreement regulating competition principles should be based on adherence to
rules of transparency, non-discrimination and national treatment .
Poland welcomes continuous enlargement of the WTO as a testimony to the vitality of
multilateral trading system.  The accession of the People' s Republic of China yesterday has been a
spectacularly momentous step.  We shall be pleased to welcome the Russian Federation, Ukraine and
other candidates as soon as they complete their accession negotiations.  We hope that this will happenbefore long.
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