WORLD TRADE WT/MIN(96)/ST/3
9December 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-5174)
Original: English MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Singapore, 9-13December 1996
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
Statement byH.E. Mr.Enda Kenny, Minister forTourism
andTrade ofIreland onbehalf ofthePresidency
oftheCouncil oftheEuropean Communities
Onbehalf ofthePresidency oftheEuropean Union, Iwould liketocongratulate youonyour
election asChairman oftheConference. Through you,Iwould liketothank theSingapore Government
foritsexcellent organization ofthisConference andforitswarm hospitality.
Ourthanks alsogototheDirector-General, Mr.Ruggiero, andhisstafffortheirveryeffective
work inmaking thenewOrganization anoperating reality andinpreparing forthisConference.
SirLeonBrittan,Vice-PresidentoftheEuropeanCommission,isaddressingyouonthepriorities
fortheWTO asviewed bytheEuropean Union. FortheEuropean Union, theWTO isthebedrock
ofthemultilateral trading system. Itprovides theessential framework ofruleswithin which totrade.
TheEuropean Union, fromtheexperience ofitsowninternal market, knows howimportant anagreed
framework ofrules istotheflowofgoods andservices. Italsorecognizes thattrade liberalization
isanessential feature ofourefforts topromote sustainable growth, increase living standards andprovide
employment forallourpeople. Ourhost,Singapore, provides anexcellent example ofsuccess inthis
area.
This firstMinisterial Conference oftheWTO offers anopportunity toassess howthe
commitments wehaveentered intoduring theUruguay Round havebeenimplemented. Italsoallows
ustoconsider thelaunch ofnewinitiatives designed toconsolidate ourOrganization andensure that
itreflects thenewrealities ofaglobalized world economy.
TheEuropean Union hascontributed actively tothepreparation ofthisConference. Themain
thrust oftheproposals wehavemade hasbeentoensure thatthecommitments weallentered intoin
theMarrakesh Agreement arefullyimplemented, inaccordance withtheagreed timetables, andthat
theOrganization iswellplaced tocome toterms withthechallenges thatfaceitasthenewmillennium
approaches.
TheEuropean Union fullyagrees withtheDirector-General 'sinsistence ontheneedforthe
WTO topursue itswork inthegeneral framework ofapolitical vision. FortheEuropean Union, this
vision must encompass certain keyelements.
TheWTO mustremain committed tofurther liberalization onthebasis ofgenerally accepted
andstrengthened rules. Thisisalready given concrete expression inthecommitments tofurther reviews
andnegotiations contained indifferent partsoftheMarrakesh Agreement. TheEuropean Union looks
./.WT/MIN(96)/ST/3
Page2
forward tofurther practical expression ofthiscommitment inthenegotiations which arecurrently taking
placeaimedatfurtherliberalizationinthekeysectorsofinformationtechnologyandtelecommunications.
TheWTO mustensure thattrade liberalization benefits allitsMembers, inparticular theleast
developed. TheEuropean Union attaches particular importance totheplanofaction forthe
least-developed countries which theConference isasked toendorse. Inthisrespect, theCouncil of
Ministers oftheEuropean Union hasveryrecently adopted afurther elaboration which willbecirculated
toyou.
TheWTO mustcontinue toaimforuniversal membership oftheOrganization. TheConference
should therefore indicate thepriority thatshould beattached totheaccession process fornewmembers,
whomustdemonstrate theirwillingness tocomply fullywiththeWTO 'srulesandtoprovide appropriate
andeffective market access commitments.
TheWTO must giveconcrete expression initsrules tothecommitment tosustainable
development contained inthepreamble totheMarrakesh Agreement. TheEuropean Union isstrongly
oftheopinion thattheWTO mustmake further efforts toensure thattradeandenvironmental policies
aremutually supportive.
TheWTO mustensure thatitsrulesarestrictly applied sothatregional integration issupportive
ofthemultilateral system embodied intheWTO.
TheWTO mustalsoposition itself toremain relevant tothenewchallenges presented bythe
process ofglobalization. IntheviewoftheEuropean Union, itistherefore essential thattheWTO
bewilling toaddress, inanopenspirit, thenewissues which arerelevant tothebroader mandate given
toitbytheMarrakesh Agreement.
Tobesuccessful, theWTO must demonstrate itsrelevance topolitical leaders, tobusiness
andtoconsumers. AsMinisters, wehaveaparticular responsibility togetacross tothepublic ineach
ofourcountries thecontribution thattrade liberalization hasmade, andshould continue tomake, to
increasing living standards worldwide.
Themessage from Singapore must beoneofconfidence inthisnewOrganization wehave
created. Theprogress thathasbeenmade inthepasttwoyears hasbeenimpressive, notleastinthe
effective waythattheOrganization hascontributed toresolving disputes.
Aswelookforward tothenewmillennium, wemustensure thatthespirit oftheMarrakesh
Declaration iskeptalivewithitsaspiration towards aprogressively more opentrading environment
leading toincreased trade, investment, employment andincome growth throughout theworld. The
WTO cancontribute toabetter world forall,based onthepursuit through trade oftheobjective of
sustainable development. Itismyhope, andthatofmyEuropean Union colleagues, thatwewillkeep
thisvision before usaswediscuss andnegotiate overthecoming week.
Finally might Iendbyrecommending toallthatweapproach thismeeting inthespirit ofthe
shared values oftheSingaporean people, whoseek"Consensus, notConflict".