WORLD TRADE WT/MIN(98)/ST/90
20May1998
ORGANIZATION(98-2114)
Original: English MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Second Session
Geneva, 18and20May1998
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
Statement Circulated bytheRight Honourable Margaret Beckett MP,
President oftheBoard ofTrade,
OnBehalf ofthePresidency oftheCouncil oftheEuropean Communities
TheEuropean Union remains strongly committed totheprimacy ofthemultilateral trading
system andtomaintaining themomentum ofmultilateral trade liberalization. TheEuropean Union
iscommitted totheWorld Trade Organization asthefoundation ofthemultilateral trading system with
itsclear framework ofrules anddisciplines andaneffective system fortheresolution ofdisputes.
TheSecond Ministerial Conference provides uswiththeopportunity toassess thestateof
implementation oftheWTO agreements since ourlastmeeting inSingapore andtolookforward to
future activities. Thisweekwearealsocelebrating the50thAnniversary ofthemultilateral tradesystem.
Thisprovides anidealopportunity tohighlight toawideaudience thecontributions which theoriginal
General Agreement onTariffs andTrade andthesubsequent WTO Agreements havemade toworld
growth anddevelopment andtounderline thebenefits ofcontinued tradeliberalization forraising living
standards andjobcreation.
Theachievements since ourlastmeeting inSingapore have been veryencouraging, with
Agreements toeliminate tariffs oninformation technology products by2000, andtoliberalize financial
services andtelecommunication services. Allofthese liberalizing Agreements contribute tocutting
business costs, improving economic efficiency andbenefiting consumers inallMember countries.
Todemonstrate ourcommitment tothemultilateral trading system andinrecognition ofthe
benefits itprovides forall,theEuropean Union considers thatthisConference provides auseful
opportunity forallWTO Members toadopt atrade pledge. Recognizing theinterlinkages between
openness, economic growth andcontinued liberalization, weseethisasintheinterests ofallWTO
Members. Thisshould taketheformofacommitment tokeepourmarkets open, toresist protectionist
pressures, andtocontinue theprocess ofmultilateral liberalization.
Atthesame time, thesuccess oftheWTO, andprospects forfurther consolidation and
strengthening ofthemultilateral trade system, depend verymuch onthefullimplementation ofthe
range ofcommitments negotiated during theUruguay Round andsigned atMarrakesh. Thatiswhy
weattach particular importance tothefullimplementation ofthesecommitments byallWTO Members
within theagreed timescales.
Weappreciatethattheparticularconcernsofsomedevelopingcountriesregardingimplementation
havetobefullyrecognized. TheEuropean Union istherefore ready towork constructively withany
country which requires technical orother assistance inadvance oftheendofspecified transitional
periods, soastoensure fullandtimely implementation. Weinvite other developed andadvanced
developing countries tomake thissame commitment toproviding technical andother assistance.
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TheEuropean Union attaches particular priority totheintegration oftheLeast-Developed
Countries intothemultilateral trading system. Wearedetermined toensure fullimplementation of
thecommitments made attheHigh-Level Meeting which tookplace lastOctober; toimprove market
access forproducts fromLLDCs andtoputinplace anintegrated framework forbetter trade-related
technical assistance. Earlier thisyear, theEuropean Union further extended access forimports from
LLDCs. Butwearecommitted todomore andwecallonother WTO member countries joinusin
working toward theprovision ofduty-free access forproducts from these countries.
TheEuropean Union iscommitted tomaintaining themomentum ofmultilateral liberalization.
Thisisessential ifwearetosecure continued global economic growth, increased jobcreation, prosperity
forthebenefit ofall,including consumers, andsustainable development. TheEuropean Union sees
thebestprospect forachieving these objectives through acomprehensive wide-ranging approach from
2000. Weinvite thisConference toagree tosetintrainthorough andwide-ranging groundwork so
astoprepare forournextmeeting inthelatter partof1999. Thisgroundwork should cover thebuilt-in
agenda, work ontrade andenvironment, thesubjects ontheSingapore work programme (investment,
procurement, competition, tradefacilitation), industrial tariffs andmatters notyetincluded inthefuture
work programme. Weconsider thatwork inallWTO forashould alsobeintensified tothisend.The
WTO General Council should bemandated tooversee thisprocess andsetinhandassoonaspossible
preparation forthedecisions which willneedtobetaken atournextmeeting onthescope andmodalities
offuture broad based, comprehensive multilateral negotiations.
TheWTO hastobeseentotakeaccount ofcurrent developments ininternational trade.
Electronic commerce isincreasingly relevant totheexpansion oftrade. Further work needs tobedone
inordertoallowtheWTOtoadoptacomprehensiveapproachtothisissue.TheEuropeanUnionrecently
submitted apaper setting outproposed elements fortheWTO 'swork programme, including an
understanding thatnocustoms duties willbeapplied. TheEuropean Union believes thatthetrade-related
aspects -services, trade facilitation, government procurement andintellectual property rights -must
beprogressed inparallel withwork inother fora.
Onother significant issues, theEuropean Union attaches importance tomaking progress in
thenegotiations under wayforaccession totheWTO. Theinclusion ofallofthesecountries, including
China, Russia, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, would greatly strengthen themultilateral system. We
must allretain asourobjective thesuccessful completion ofthese negotiations ontherightterms so
astoachieve ouraimofglobal membership oftheWTO.
Againstthebackgroundofglobalizationandtheincreasingcomplexityofthetradingenvironment,
theEuropean Union isveryaware oftheimportance ofensuring thatthegeneral public isengaged
inactive dialogue onthebenefits oftradeliberalization andoftherules-based multilateral tradesystem
interms ofjobs, growth andprosperity. TheEuropean Union wishes tousethismeeting tostarta
process tohelpachieve thisendandwillactively cooperate toensure thattheimportance oftheWTO 's
work iscommunicated tothewider public. Wearealsocommitted togreater understanding ofthe
WTO 'sactivities andtomore transparency, consistent withitsroleasanegotiating forum for
governments.TheEuropeanUnionalsoattachesimportancetothelanguageintheSingaporeDeclaration
oncorelabour standards.
TheWTO hasavitalroletoplayincreating abetter world forall.Wehopeandexpect that
theoutcome ofourdiscussions herewillcontribute further inturning thisvision intoareality.
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