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WT/CTE/M/62  
 
20 March 2017  
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Committ ee on Trade and Environment   
 
REPORT OF THE MEETIN G HELD ON 14 AND 15 NOVEMBER  2016  
NOTE BY THE SECRETAR IAT1  
 
The Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE Regular) met on 14 and 15 Nov ember 2016, 
chaired by the Permanent Representative of Chile, Ambassador  Héctor Casanueva. The Committ ee 
adopted the Airgram, WTO/AIR/CTE/4 , issued on 2 1 October  2016.  The latest list of documents 
of the Committee was circulated on 29 February 2016 in document WT/CTE/INF/ 5/Rev.12 . The 
Report of the last CTE  meeting, held on 30 June 2016 , is contained in WT/CTE/M/61 .  
 
 
_______________  
 
 
Contents  
1   PARAGRAPH 32(I) OF T HE DOHA MINISTERIAL DECLARATION  ................................ .. 4 
1.1   Fisheries  ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  4 
1.2   Fossil Fuel Subsidies Reform  ................................ ................................ .........................  6 
1.3   The International Organization for Standardization's work on carbon footprint  ....................  8 
2   OTHER ITEMS ON THE C TE'S WORK PROGRAMME (ITEMS 1, 2, 3(A), 4 , 5, 7, 9, 
AND 10)  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  8 
2.1   Item 1  ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................  8 
2.1.1    Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora 
(CITES)  ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................  8 
2.1.2    Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)  ................................ ................................ ....11 
2.1.3    MEAs dealing with chemicals and wastes (the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm 
(BRS) Conventions)  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 12 
2.1.3.1    Presentations by the BRS Secretariat (UNE P) ................................ ........................... 12 
2.1.3.2    Presentation by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization 
(UNIDO)  ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................... 14 
2.1.3.3    Presentation by Chil e ................................ ................................ ............................. 15 
2.1.3.4    Presentation by Canada  ................................ ................................ ......................... 16 
2.1.3.5    Presentation by Chinese Taipei  ................................ ................................ ............... 17 
2.1.4    United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)  ............................. 17 
2.1.4.1    Presentation by Chile  ................................ ................................ ............................. 17 
                                                
1 This document h as been prepared under the Secretariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the positions of Members or to their rights and obligations under the WTO.  WT/CTE/M/62  
 
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  2.1.4.2    Presentation by Chinese Taipei  ................................ ................................ ............... 18 
2.1.4.3    Joint Proposal on "Deepening the understanding of the relationship between the 
climate change and trade regimes"  ................................ ................................ ...................... 18 
2.2   Item 4  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... 20 
3   OTHER BUSINESS  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 21 
3.1   Discussion on environmental provisions i n RTAs  ................................ ............................. 21 
3.1.1    Presentation by Canada  ................................ ................................ ............................ 21 
3.1.2    Presentation by New Zealand  ................................ ................................ .................... 22 
3.1.3    Presentation by the WTO Secretariat  ................................ ................................ .......... 23 
3.2   Other briefings  ................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 24 
3.2.1    Briefing on the Environmental  Goods Agreement (EGA)  ................................ ................ 24 
3.2.2    Briefing on the MIKTA Workshop on "The WTO and Agenda  2030"  ................................ .24 
3.2.3    Briefing by UNEP  ................................ ................................ ................................ .....24 
4   DATE OF NEXT MEETING ................................ ................................ ............................  25 
ANNEX 1: ITEMS OF TH E CTE WORK PROGRAMME  ................................ ..........................  26 
ANNEX 2: PARTS OF TH E DOHA MINISTERIAL D ECLARATION THAT RELA TE  TO 
THE WORK  OF THE CTE  ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 27 
 
 
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  ACRONYMS  
 
APEC Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation  
Basel Convention  Basel Convention on the Control of Transbo undary Movements of 
Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposa l 
BRS Conventions  Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions  
CBD Convention on Biological Diversity  
CEPA Canadian Environmental Protection Act  
CETA Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement  
CITES  Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild 
Fauna and Flora  
CoP Conference of the Parties  
CTE Committee on Trade and Environment  
EDB WTO Environmental  Database  
EGA Environmental Goods Agreement  
EPR Extended Producer Responsibility  
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations  
FFSR Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform  
FTA Free Trade Agreement  
GEF Global Environment Facility  
GHG Greenhouse Gas  
INDC  Intended Nationally Determined Contribution  
ISO International Organization f or Standardization  
IUU fishing  Illegal, unreported and unregulated  fishing  
LDC Least developed country  
MC Ministerial Conference  
MEAs  Multilateral Environmental Agreements  
MIKTA  Mexico, Indonesia, Korea, Turkey and Australia  
Montreal Protocol  Montrea l Protocol  on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer  
NGO Non-governmental organization  
OECD  Organi sation for Economic Co -operation and Development  
PIC Prior Informed Consent  
POPs Persistent Organic Pollutants  
PSMA  Port State Measures Agreement  
Rotte rdam Convention  Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for 
Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade  
RTA Regional Trade Agreement  
SDGs  Sustainable Development Goals  
SOFIA  State of World Fisheries and Aquacul ture 
SPS Sanitary and phytosanitary  
Stockholm Convention  Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants  
TBT Technical barriers to trade  
TFA Trade Facilitation Agreement  
TMB Technical Management Board  
TPR Trade Policy Review  
TPRM  Trade Policy Review Mechanism  
UN United Nations  
UNCTAD  United Nations Conference on Trade and Development  
UNEP  United Nations Environment Programme  
UNFCCC  United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change  
UNIDO  United Nations Industrial Development Organizatio n 
WEEE  Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment  
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  1  PARAGRAPH 32(I) OF T HE DOHA MINISTERIAL DECLARATION  
"The effect of environmental measures on market access, especially in relation to 
developing countries, in particular the least -developed among them , and those 
situations in which the elimination or reduction of trade restrictions and distortions 
would benefit trade, the environment and development."  
1.1  Fisheries  
1.1.  The representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)  
presented the 2016 edition of the State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA)2, providing an  
overview of the current and future perspectives of the fisheries and aquaculture sector. She 
highlighted the important role this sector played in food security a s a source of food, nutrition, 
income and livelihoods for hundreds of millions of people around the world.  
1.2.  With capture fishery production relatively static since the late 1980s, aquaculture had been 
responsible for the impressive growth in the supply of fish for human consumption. A milestone 
was reached in 2014 when the aquaculture sector's contribution to the supply of fish for human 
consumption overtook that of wild -caught fish for the first time. It was expected that aquaculture 
would overtake total c apture fisheries (including fish not for human consumption) by 2021. Fishery 
and aquaculture were particularly important for provid ing diversified and nutritious food. In 2013, 
fish accounted for about 17%  of the global population's intake of animal protei n and this role was 
even more important in Africa for low -income food -deficit countries, where the per capita 
consumption was lower than the world average, but the share of fish in animal protein intake was 
much higher. Fish and fishery products continued to be one of the most traded food commodities 
worldwide with more than half of fish exports by value originating in developing countries, and 
with net fish exports of developing countries higher than those of the other major agricultural food 
commodities c ombined.  
1.3.  The key issues, constraints and challenges facing the fisheries and aquaculture sector were 
highlighted and the status of fish stocks was presented, showing a slight improvement in the state 
of certain fish stocks due to improved fisheries manage ment. The sustainable development of the 
sector was important in view of one of the world's greatest challe nges: how to feed more than 
9.7 billion people by 2050. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were particularly important, 
with several SDGs directly relevant to fisheries and aquaculture and to the sustainable 
development of the sector. One goal expressly focused on the oceans (SDG 14 "Conserve and 
sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development"). In 
particular, SDG target 14.6 focused on the need to prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies 
which contributed to overcapacity and overfishing and to Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated 
(IUU) fishing , and also underlined the key function of WTO in the fisheries subsidi es negotiations. 
In this respect, the FAO representative highlighted the role that FAO could play in the negotiation 
process and presented the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 
FAO and the United Nations Environment Programme (UN EP) joint statement and roadmap of 
July 2016 for the elimination of harmful fisheries subsidies , urging countries that had still not 
signed up to this initiative to do so.  
1.4.  The representative of New Zealand  welcomed the publication of the SOFIA 2016 report and 
considered that both the report and the presentation were directly relevant to the CTE and work of 
the WTO more broadly given the multitude of trade linkages. Since the presentation of the last 
SOFIA report in 2014, it was alarming to note that global stock status had deteriorated and that 
almost one third of the global stocks were overfished. Fish remained the most traded food 
commodity, worth close to US$148 billion in 2014, with developing countries accounting for over 
54% of exports by value.  The s ector also made a critical contribution to food security, especially 
for Pacific Island countries.  
1.5.  New Zealand noted that the report identified some of the major issues affecting trade in 
fisheries products and served as a useful reminder of the role of th e CTE and the WTO in 
contributing to a sustainable and wealth -creating sector. Agenda 2030 for sustainable 
                                                
2 The presentation is available in document RD/CTE/97/Rev.1.  WT/CTE/M/62  
 
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  development featured strongly in the SOFIA report. New Zealand believed that there were many 
WTO linkages, particularly SDG target 14.6 on the prohib ition of harmful fis heries subsidies by 
2020. Although the 10th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC10) failed to make a contribution to its 
implementation, other progress took place on the trade and environment front  in 2016 . He 
highlighted in particular the en try into force of the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA) on 
5 June 2016 with the 30th ratification. New Zealand called on other Members to join this important 
instrument to ensure global coverage and effectiveness in the fight against IUU fishing. Trade 
instruments were one among other  policy tools in the fight against IUU fishing and it was 
important to ensure consistency with WTO rules. New Zealand looked forward to the 2018 SOFIA 
report, where it hoped to see improved sustainability outcomes and positi ve progress in the 
implementation of SDG targets.  
1.6.  The representative of Peru stated that Peru and Argentina were holding consultations to 
submit a joint proposal for the WTO fisheries subsidies  negotiations . His delegation  aimed to 
achiev e a multilateral o utcome at the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference ( MC11 ). The idea was to 
adapt the Trade Facilitation Agreement's (TFA) approach to target 14.6 of the SDGs. In particular, 
the negotiations should consider the following elements: (i) the establishment of disci plines on 
eliminating subsidies that contributed to IUU fishing and on prohibiting  certain forms of subsidies 
which  contributed to overcapacity and  overfishing ; (ii) the acceptance by all Members of these 
disciplines in accordance with SDGs  together with s ome flexibilities to respond to the specificities 
of these negotiations; (iii)  an advisory mechanism that would enable international organizations, 
such as FAO, UNCTAD and UNEP to be involved ; and (iv) commitments to be undertaken at 
MC11  to be implemented  by 2020  as provided for in the SDGs. This proposal would set both the 
scope of the disciplines to be adopted and the way they should be negotiated, among others. The 
co-sponsors would  continue informal consultations.    
1.7.  The representative of the European Union  (EU) highlighted the importance of the entry into 
force of the PSMA  in June 2016 for the international community's fight against IUU fishing. She 
also noted that the SOFIA report showed that illegal fishing accounted for 26 million ton nes of fish 
per year, which was more than 15% of the world total annual fisheries capture output.  
1.8.  The representative of Australia  welcomed the SOFIA report as it reinforced Australia's priority 
on addressing global overfishing. Her delegation would continue to engage co nstructively on this 
issue in the CTE and in WTO  negotiating groups.     
1.9.  The representative of Switzerland  considered this presentation timely as the discussions on 
fisheries subsidies were intensifying within and outside the WTO. He asked FAO to provide an  
update on figures of subsidies globally available.  
1.10.   The representative of the United States  supported FAO's role in advising the CTE on issues 
within its mandate and looked forward to continued collaboration on issues such as: ratification 
and implementati on of the PSMA , which was an important tool to combat IUU fishing; and an 
ambitious outcome to prohibit harmful fisheries subsidies at the WTO.  
1.11.   The representative of Colombia  noted that the presentation called for the elimination of 
fisheries subsidies an d highlighted the WTO's role in this regard, as well as the need to examine 
the impact of those measures on the economy, food security, and the environment .  
1.12.   The representative of Brazil  asked for the reason why FAO, UNCTAD and UNEP's roadmap 
only referred  to overfishing and not to overcapacity, especially since both were covered in the 
WTO negotiati ng mandate.    
1.13.   The representative of Norway  said that the report provided useful background to the work 
to address overfishing. Her delegation would continue to engage actively on the issue.  
1.14.   In response to the questions, the representative of FAO added that according to the latest 
general estimates available, fisheries subsidies were about US$3 5 billion, of which about 
US$20  billion were contributing to overfishi ng. Precise information on fisheries subsidies was 
difficult to obtain. She mentioned the Organi sation for Economic Co -operation and Development 's 
(OECD) initiative to collect information from OECD countries and from some major fishing WT/CTE/M/62  
 
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  countries on policy support for the fishery sector in order to contribute to the negotiations. She 
also explained that overfishing and overcapacity were closely linked and considered together.  
1.2  Fossil Fuel Subsidies  Reform  
1.15.   The representative of New Zealand  made a statement on behalf of  Costa Rica , Norway , 
Switzerland , Uruguay  and New Zealand . He reminded delegations that at the June  2016 meeting 
of the CTE a comprehensive overview of the international effort to reduce and eliminate fossil fuel 
subsidies to date  had been provide d.3 This included the commitments made in the context of Asia -
Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), G20 and the Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform  (FFSR) 
Communiqué, and the reflection of fossil fuel subsidy reform as SDG  12, target c. There continued 
to be a stron g momentum towards a global consensus that fossil fuel subsidies posed negative 
implications for sustainable development, the climate and the economy, including international 
trade. Tying the various threads together into a more coherent picture was a prio rity. In this 
context, the WTO had a role to help Members consider how they could collectively contribute to 
these broader efforts.  
1.16.   Support for the FFSR Communiqué4 continued to grow. The Communiqué stressed  the 
importance of phasing out fossil fuel subsid ies and served as a clear point of reference for ongoing 
international and country level efforts. Presently , 42 WTO Members had signed the Communiqué.  
Supporters included developed and developing countries, as we ll as least  developed 
countries  (LDCs). The  Friends of FFSR, alongside international institutions and civil society 
continued to work to attract support from countries. It was expected that this support would 
continue to increase , particularly following the United Nations Framework Convention on Cl imate 
Change  (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties (CoP) 22. All WTO Members were invited to endorse the 
Communiqué as an important commitment to support accelerated action to eliminate fossil fuel 
subsidies in an ambitious and transparent manner. Such reform wou ld be a major contribution to 
climate change mitigation.  
1.17.   The representative noted that the Communiqué would be highlighted by Ministers at CoP22 
as a proactive way to support the implementation of the Paris Agreement. The Communiqué 
furthered the objectiv es of the Paris Agreement, in particular, by ensuring finance would be 
consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate resilient 
development. FFSR supported country implementation and early action efforts - delivering up to  
a 12% decrease in global GHG emissions, plus a potentially large contribution to the finance 
objective of the Paris Agreement. The Friends were hosting a number of FFSR-related events 
during CoP22. One side -event would feature perspectives from the Specia l Representative of the 
United Nations (UN)  Secretary -General for Sustainable Energy for All, the Ethiopian Environment 
Minister on the domestic benefits of reform, and representatives of China and the United  States 
regarding the value of transparency on f ossil fuel subsidies through peer review.  
1.18.   Both the G20 and APEC had adopted fossil fuel subsidy peer review mechanisms to assist 
countries assess their subsidy programmes and to promote transparency  and accountability , as 
well as to share experience of ref orm. Undergoing a peer review, which was an "economy -owned 
process", was an effective way to build support and capacity domestically and internationally for 
reform and to share lessons learned. For instance, Peru, New Zealand and the Philippines had 
conclu ded their reviews under the APEC  mechanism . An exchange on peer review took place in 
October 2016 at the International Conference on FFSR at the International Energy Agency, with 
New Zealand, China, the United States and the OECD sharing their experiences.  
1.19.   For its part, New  Zealand had volunteered early  on for an APEC peer review to promote 
ambition and transparency and to contribute to the evolution of a robust peer review process. The 
objective was to ensure that New Zealand's policy settings were achievi ng their objectives and 
meeting international best practice. The review had been conducted in line with APEC's peer 
review mechanism and eight policies had been reviewed. New Zealand had taken a comprehensive 
and transparent approach to that process.  
                                                
3 The June statement is availabl e in document JOB/TE/41.  
4  The Communiqué is available in document RD/CTE/54 . WT/CTE/M/62  
 
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  1.20.   The review panel had concluded that New Zealand was taking proactive steps to monitor, 
review and make changes where necessary in each o f the energy policies reviewed,  and was 
making every attempt to keep its laws and policies in line with the international co mmunity. The 
overall findings of the review were that the panel "did not identify any inefficient subsidies that 
encouraged wasteful consumption in the eight measures selected by the New Zealand 
Government" . There were several more targeted recommendations , which would be reviewed at a 
later stage. The process provided valuable insights and enabled the government to ensure its 
policy settings were achieving their objectives. New  Zealand would welcome the experiences of 
other Members taking part in such revi ews. 
1.21.   While the FFSR Communiqué and the work of other international bodies were critical, the 
most important metric for progress was whether countries were phasing out fossil fuel subsidies. 
In the WTO, in the context of the Trade Policy Review Mechanism  (TPRM), a number of countries 
had fossil fuel subsidy reforms highlighted in both government and secretariat reports. Discussants 
had also raised the issue , as had many WTO Members. These countries, and others who had 
undertaken fossil fuel subsidy reform, c ould share their experiences  in the CTE and the TPRM . 
1.22.   While much of the international effort to date had focused on the broader impacts on the 
environment, sustainable development and the economy, the impact on international trade was 
now emerging as an is sue. Fossil fuel subsidies could , and did , have a negative impact on 
international trade, creating distortions that could impact on trade flows. As with the fulfilment of 
other SDGs, the multilateral trading system could play a role in supporting the imple mentation of 
FFSR.  
1.23.   New Zealand Permanent Mission and the Global Subsidies Initiative of the International 
Institute for Sustainable Development would host a workshop at the WTO on 21 November 2016, 
exploring the interaction of international trade and foss il fuel subsidies. The objective of the 
workshop was to highlight and share information about FFSR across trade, the environment, the 
WTO and the UN, and to facilitate coherence across intergovernmental agencies.   
1.24.   The representative of Uruguay  noted that there had been a n improvement in the 
international community's understanding of the damaging consequences of fossil fuels subsidies 
for the environment and for international trade. The WTO had an important role to play in ensuring 
that countries met their commitments. She encouraged delegations to support the 
FFSR Communiqué as this was an important contribution to climate change mitigation. The 
November workshop was welcome as there should be consistency between organizations involved 
in implementing these  commitments ; moreover it was important to look at the different impacts of 
fossil fuel subsidies on sustainable development.  
1.25.   The representative of  the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia  noted that the issue of phasing out 
inefficient fossil fuel subsidies was dealt with under other forums such as the G20. Her delegation 
did not agree to link this issue to WTO work.  
1.26.   The representative of Qatar  expressed appreciation for efforts to update WTO Members on 
recent developments on FFSR. Nevertheless, he reiterated his dele gation's concern with this 
recurring discussion. As already indicated at the June 2016 meeting of the CTE, the G20 peer 
review process was voluntary and on -going in another forum. While many Members, including 
Qatar, had recently made efforts on the issue,  fossil fuel subsidy reform issues were broad and 
raised many non -trade -related issues. Discussing the subject was not under the mandate of the 
CTE, and would pre -judge discussions in other multilateral forums. The recurrence of this debate 
raised concerns  regarding the rights and obligations of WTO Members and Qatar was of the view 
that these discussions were unwarranted.  
1.27.   The representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela  reiterated her delegation's 
opposition to New Zealand's proposal, as this was  not the best approach for discussing the 
possible links between fossil fuels and climate change. For Venezuela, the UNFCCC gave special 
consideration to countries that depended on fossil fuels for their economy  and it was the best 
framework for considerin g climate change mitigation. There could be duplication of work if this 
issue was also dealt with in other forums, such as the WTO.   WT/CTE/M/62  
 
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  1.28.   The representative of Switzerland  shared the call for reducing inefficient fossil fuel subsidies. 
The CTE was the right fo rum to discuss this topic within the WTO. Given the negative trade impact 
that fossil fuels subsidies could have, this was clearly a subject that could , and had to , be dealt 
with in the WTO. The November workshop would be a good opportunity to have a bette r insight 
into what this topic actually meant for trade and the environment.    
1.29.   The representative of Norway  welcomed the November workshop. The discussion on fossil 
fuels was within the mandate of the CTE as there were trade implications.  
1.30.   The representati ve of New Zealand  explained that the idea of the workshop had been 
prompted by the discussion that had taken place at the previous CTE meeting in June. This would 
be an opportunity for all communities in the WTO and outside to exchange views on the issue.  
1.3  The International Organization for Standardization 's work on carbon footprint  
1.31.   A representative of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)  presented an 
update5 regarding ISO investigations on potential barriers to trade caused by footprint  standards. 
He explained that the following two standards, developed by Technical Committee (TC) 207 on 
Environmental management, had caused concern: (i)  ISO/Technical Specification (TS) 14067:2013 
on "Greenhouse gases - Carbon footprint of products - Requirements and guidelines for 
quantification and communication" (currently under revision); and (ii)  ISO 14046:2014 on 
"Environmental management - Water footprint - Principles, requirements and guidelines".  
1.32.   TC 207 had carried out a survey among its members to determine the impact of carbon 
standards on trade. Since this had yielded inconclusive results, ISO's Technical Management Board 
(TMB) had requested a more in -depth investigation.  TC 207 had set up a group to investigate 
whether barriers to trade could  be created if carbon standards were linked to national legislation. 
The group was led by the TC 207 Chair (Canada) and India. It was composed of both developing 
and developed countries. A final report with recommendations was expected by December 2016 so 
that the ISO TMB could take a decision at its February 2017 meeting.  
2  OTHER ITEMS ON THE C TE'S WORK PROGRAMME (ITEMS 1, 2, 3(A), 4 , 5, 7, 9, AND 10)  
2.1  Item 1  
"The relationship between the provisions of the multilateral trading system and trade 
measures for e nvironmental purposes, including those pursuant to multilateral 
environmental agreements (MEAs)."  
2.1.1   Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora 
(CITES)  
2.1.  A representative of the Convention on International Trade in Endangere d Species of Wild 
Fauna and Flora (CITES)  briefed delegations6 on the results of CITES CoP17 held in Johannesburg 
(South Africa) from 24 September to 4 October 2016. She recalled the CITES  Secretary -General's 
statement that CoP 17 had been "the most critic al meeting in the 43  year history of CITES" and 
was a "game changer for the planet's most vulnerable wild animals and plants" . The meeting had 
been the largest CITES CoP ever, with over 3 ,500 participants, including 500 media 
representatives, 160 of the 18 3 Parties present and 112 side events held, including one by the 
WTO. The meeting had adopted some 350 new or amende d decisions, 39 new or amended 
resolutions and 51 out of 62 proposals to amend the two Append ices to the Convention. 
Fifteen  substantive dec isions had been taken by vote and the rest by consensus. The meeting was 
a game changer for three reasons: (i) 500 additional new species had been listed in Appendix I or 
II; (ii) important decisions had been taken to improve sustainability, legality and t raceability of 
trade; and (iii) a strong emphasis had been put on combatting trafficking and illegal trade in wild 
species.  
                                                
5 The presentation is available in document  RD/CTE/96/Rev.1.  
6 The presentation is available in document  RD/CTE/98.  WT/CTE/M/62  
 
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  2.2.  New listings in Appendix II included the entire family of Dalbergia rosewood and palisander – 
over 300 species of a tree type occurr ing across the Southern hemisphere used to produce 
furniture, musical instruments and other products. The entire genus had been included to 
overcome identification difficulties for customs officials and other enforcement authorities. Highly 
traded species of sharks and rays, as well as pangolins and a number of less well -known species 
were also included in Appendi x I or II.  
2.3.  Critical decisions related to legal trade included species -specific decisions aimed at improving 
their management and a better underst anding of the conservation status and trade impact on the 
concerned species. The CoP also established a new compliance mechanism to detect significant 
trade in captive -bred animals with the aim of reducing the risk that illegally harvested specimens 
were " white -washed" as captive -bred. The CoP agreed that further guidance on the determination 
of "legal acquisition" should be developed to assist national authorities in performing their 
obligations in this regard. More work on traceability and e -permitting in  collaboration with trade 
programmes and organizations, such as the Standards and Trade Development Facility, the 
Automated S ystem for C ustoms D ata and the World Customs Organization, was also mandated by 
the CoP. Finally, the revised annotation on vicuna was an interesting example of CITES' use of 
trade rules to improve sustainability, traceability and legal trade in vicuna fibre by requiring a 
mark/label of origin throughout the value chain, from the raw fibre all the way to the final product.  
2.4.  Regarding i llegal trade, the CoP had adopted a new resolution on corruption, requiring Parties 
to take action to prevent and prohibit activities that would facilitate illegal trade in wildlife. 
Secondly, decisions were taken to combat wildlife cybercrime, instructing  the CITES Secretariat to 
engage e -commerce platforms and social media network s in the combat against illegal trade.  
Thirdly, a new resolution had been adopted on demand reduction urging Parties to undertake 
targeted information and awareness -raising camp aigns to reduce demand for illegal products, such 
as ivory.   
2.5.  Other decisions included: better stakeholder engagement, in particular with youth and rural 
communities; upholding the illegality of internation al trade in ivory while urging P arties to close 
domestic ivory markets that contributed to illegal poaching or to illegal international trade; stricter 
conditions for trade in live elephants ; and moving a number of species from Appendix I to 
Appendix II that were considered to have recovered sufficiently to allow for some commercial 
trade. The next meeting of the CoP would take place in Sri Lanka in 2019.  
2.6.  The representative of Senegal  asked how illegal trade in timber was dealt with in CITES.  
2.7.  The representative of European Union  noted that the European Un ion had been an active 
player at the last CoP of CITES and was satisfied with its outcome. The CoP had shown that CITES 
was a key global instrument to ensure the sustainability of international trade in wildlife 
commodities and a good illustration of how M EAs could achieve significant progress in a trade and 
environment context. From the European Union's perspective, the following outcomes were of 
particular importance: the inclusion of new marine and timber species; the fact that a number of 
endangered and  valuable animal species imported in the European Union for the pet industry were 
granted international protection; and the measures agreed against illegal trade in ivory, r hino horn 
and Asian big cats .  
2.8.  The representative of CITES  explained, in response t o Senegal, that t he Convention worked 
with species rather than types of goods. Some species of certain types of timber were listed in the 
appendices. For the time being, there was not a specific list for timber.  
2.9.  The representative of the European Union  presented7 on the EU Action Plan against Wildlife 
Trafficking, adopted in February  2016 by the European Commission  and later endorsed by 
EU member States in June 2016. The Action Plan set out a roadmap for the EU  strategy against 
wildlife trafficking until 2 020, with 32 actions structured around three priorities . Wildlife trafficking 
was the third most serious criminal activity worldwide. Beyond emblematic  animals  like elephants 
and rhinos , many more species were affected by wildlife trafficking, for example sharks, great 
apes, big cats  and pangolins . Wildlife trafficking had an impact not only on biodiversity, with some 
species threatened with extinction , but also on the economy, in particular for communities that 
                                                
7 The presentation is available in document  RD/CTE/106.  WT/CTE/M/62  
 
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  were dependent on wildlife -related tourism. W ildlife trafficking also had an important impact on 
the rule of law and governance as it was closely linked to corruption and organized crime.  
2.10.   The representative explained that drivers of wildlife trafficking were mostly located in 
countries of destinatio n and included: a steep increase in demand for wildlife products in 
South  East Asia,  particularly from the wealthier middle and upper classes; a lack of awareness on 
the impact of trafficking; and insufficient controls by enforcement agencies. In the count ries of 
origin, drivers for  wildlife trafficking included: poverty , as poaching might be an easy source of 
revenue ; poor governance; lack of resources to enforce rules; and low  priority among decision 
makers.  
2.11.   The European Union was an important market and  exporter of legal wildlife trade products. 
EU trade in wildlife products , including timber, fish (excluding aquaculture) , wild animals and 
plants  was estimated to be about  EUR 100 billion. For CITES -listed species (excluding caviar 
extract), EU imports in  2014 were estimated at E UR 900 million, and EU exports  at EUR 1.2 billion. 
Although  an important market for legal wildlife trade, the European Union  also had responsibility 
for illegal trade as a market, transit, and source of origin of illegal wildlife p roducts. The 
representative explained that a lot of different types of species were seized in the European  Union, 
mostly medicinal  plants and animals, corals, ivory, mammals and reptiles.  
2.12.   The EU Action Plan had the following objectives: (i) putting wildli fe trafficking higher on the 
political agenda of the European Union and its member States; (ii) turning high -level commitments 
against wildlife trafficking into concrete deliverables, with timeline s and monitoring mechanisms; 
and (iii) reinforcing EU actio n against wildlife trafficking at the domestic and global level.  
2.13.   The Action Plan consisted of three pillars: prevention, enforcement and global pa rtnerships. 
The first pillar  on prevention  focused on acting on the key drivers of wildlife trafficking, incl uding:  
reducing  the demand for illegal wildlife products (awareness raising, engaging with the business 
sector) ; tackling  the root causes of the problem in source countries (mak ing sure that rural 
communities were engaged in and benefit ed from wildlife con servation , support ing strong actions 
against corruption) ; suspend ing the export of old raw ivory items from the European Union and 
strengthening  scrutiny over intra -EU trade in old ivory items ; and p ropos ing the inclusion of new 
species in CITES . 
2.14.    The obje ctive of the second pillar on enforcement was to strengthen implementation and 
enforcement of the rules in the E uropean Union through enhanced cooperation between competent 
enforcement agencies in EU member States . It was also intended to p ut wildlife traf ficking on the 
radar screen of organised crime specialists and treat it as  a serious crime , to work on  criminal 
sanctions applicable to wildlife trafficking  and to increase  scrutiny on the impo rt of hunting 
trophies in the European Union  to ensure their le gal and sustainable origin . 
2.15.   The third pillar on global partnership focused on ways to help address wildlife trafficking at 
the international level, including: to increase  EU financial support to capacity -building activities for 
biodiversity conservation an d against wildlife trafficking in source count ries; to direct f inancial 
support to developing countries for implementation of CITES and  cooperation with Interpol and  the  
United Nations Of fice on Drugs and Crime; to use  trade policies and instruments proac tively to 
support action against wildlife trafficking (e .g. Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), Gen eralized Scheme 
of Preferences  (GSP + ), trade dialogues and  the CTE) , and to b etter explore and address the links 
between wildlife trafficking and security . 
2.16.   To con clude, the representative pointed out that the European Union would track the 
progress made under the Action Plan and engage with enforcement experts from EU member 
States. A first review was scheduled in 2018 and an evaluation of the Action Plan in 2020.  
2.17.   A representative of  the United States (US)  provided an update8 on the National Strategy for 
Combating Wildlife Trafficking and the Presidential Task Force. Wildlife trafficking had escalated 
into an international crisis in just under a decade. While iconi c animals, such as elephants and 
rhinos, were widely recogni zed as victims of wildlife trafficking, lesser known species, such as the 
                                                
8 The presentation is available in document  RD/CTE/105.  WT/CTE/M/62  
 
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  pangolin, saola and vaquita, were precariously close to extinction and in urgent need of attention. 
Wildlife trafficking w as both a critical conservation concern and a threat to security globally.  
2.18.   President Obama had made combatting wildlife trafficking an administration priority with a 
range of policies and initiatives. In an Executive Order released in July 2013, P resident  Obama 
directed the US G overnment to better organize its efforts to combat wildlife trafficking and created 
the Presidential Task  Force on Wildlife Trafficking, which comprised 17 federal departments and 
agencies, co -chaired by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Interior  and the Attorney 
General. The task f orce agencies were regularly meeting to implement the National Strategy for 
Combating Wildlife Trafficking, issued by President Obama in February 2014. The National Strategy 
had three main prior ities: strengthen enforcement ; reduce demand for illegally taken and traded 
wildlife ; and expand international cooperation and commitment . The strategy pulled together 
expertise and resources from several agencies, like the US Fish and Wildlife Service and  the 
US Customs and Border Protection, and combined those resources with new trade policy tools, 
such as those developed in FTAs to combat wildlife trafficking and other threats facing wildlife. For 
instance, all FTAs signed by the United States contained a basic obligation for each party to 
effectively enforce environmental laws, including laws prohibiting wildlife t rafficking. Recent 
FTAs also had obligations to implement CITES, which were fully enforceable and subject to trade 
sanctions. FTAs  also provid ed a framework for information sharing which was key to strengthening 
enforcement capabilities and included exchanging best practices, intelligence about commonly 
trafficked species and products, or known transboundary criminal syndicates.  
2.19.   The United Stat es was also working in close cooperation with its FTA partners to assist with 
strengthening wildlife enforcement capabilities and advancing wildlife conservation, including 
through environmental cooperation and technical assistance programmes. Since 2005, the 
United  States had committed nearly US$200 million to suppor ting such programmes under 
FTAs with 20 trading partners. Notable achievements included: over 82,000 people receiving 
training in natural resource management and biodiversity conservation; 714 laws, policies and 
regulations promoting sustainable natural resource management and conservation; over 
11 million  people reached through public awareness campaigns about endangered sp ecies 
conservation; and over 30  million hectares of land under improved natural resource management.  
2.20.   Some country specific examples included: the establishment of the Central America Wildlife 
Enforcement Network that brought together CITES officials, police, prosecutors, customs officials  
and judges from across the region to combat wildlife traffick ing; the improvement in 
Central  America of CITES implementation and enforcement through training and electronic 
tracking and permitting systems; the United States – Peru FTA had helped catalysed the 
development and enactment of a ne w forestry and wildlife law, and increased capacities to 
investigate and prosecute environmental crimes; and in the context of environmental coope ration 
under the United States – Oman FTA, satellite transmitters had been funded to collect information 
about  the nesting behaviour of endangered loggerhead sea turtles.  
2.1.2   Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)  
2.21.   A representative from Mexico  presented9 on the preparations for the CoP13 of the 
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to be held in Cancún , Mexico in  December 2016. The 
CBD was the most important global instrument for promoting biodiversity, the sustainable use of 
its components and the fair and equitable distribution of the benefits arising from the utilization of 
genetic resources.   
2.22.   Biodiversity was  closely linked to human well -being through the goods and services it 
provided, such as oxygen, water, food, energy, medicines, fibres and raw materials, as w ell as 
protection against pests, diseases and weather events. Some of the world's most important a reas 
in terms of biodiversity were located in Latin America and the Caribbean. Eight of the 17 countries 
making up the region had been classified as "mega diverse ". There were many factors contributing 
to the biodiversity crisis, including fragmentation, d egradation and loss of ecosystems, 
overexploitation of species, air, land and water pollution, climate change, invasive species, illegal 
trade and urban growth.  
                                                
9 The presentation is available in document  RD/CTE/88.  WT/CTE/M/62  
 
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  2.23.   Some advances had been made in Latin America with the Declaration on Protected Areas, 
the Nagoy a Protocol to the CBD on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing 
of Benefits Arising from their Utilization , and a whole series of national biodiversity action plans 
and strategies. Nonetheless, achieving the targeted objectives requ ired stronger coordination 
between government policies and the various stakeholders, as well as synergies between 
MEAs and a better management of the financial resources allocated to biodiversity. Biodiversity 
was part of the 2030 Agenda for S ustainable De velopment, and the importance of diversity for 
development  was recognized in the SDGs . In particular, SDG 14 aimed to conserve and 
sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources, and SDG 15 was directed at sustainably 
managing forests, combating des ertification, and halting land degradation and biodiversity loss.  
2.24.   Around 10, 000 delegates were expected to attend the meeting. As the host country, Mexico 
had proposed a theme for discussion entitled "Mainstreaming Biodiversity for Wellbeing". Ministers 
of the Environment, Agriculture, Fisheries, Forests and Tourism from all over the worl d would 
participate in the high -level meetings. Discussions would focus on biodiversity, the 
2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and the SDGs. The ministerial declaration w as expected to 
emphasize conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity for wellbeing in the forestry, fisheries, 
agricultural and tourism sectors.  
2.25.   The mainstreaming of biodiversity was critical to the functioning of productive sectors, in 
that it helped  to prevent, reduce and mitigate negative impacts so as to achieve healthier, 
sustainable ecosystems and ensure the availability of services essential to human wellbeing. To 
achieve this, coordination with local and indigenous communities, civil society, a cademia, and local 
and sub -national governments was essential. It also required coordinated efforts with government 
authorities responsible for the agricultural, fisheries, forestry and tourism sectors, broad private 
sector participation, and the identific ation of success stories in integrating biodiversity at the 
sectoral level.  
2.1.3   MEAs dealing with chemicals and wastes (the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm 
(BRS) Conventions)  
2.1.3.1   Presentations by the BRS Secretariat  (UNEP)  
2.26.   The Executive Secretary  of the Basel, Rott erdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions 
(UNEP  Secretariat)  indicated10 that the  2015 CoP meetings had been held back-to-back during two 
weeks , gathering around 1,200 participants and leading  to the adoption of 73  decisions . In the 
context of t he general  theme  of the CoP , "From science to action, working for a safer tomorrow ", a 
Science Fair had taken  place in  the margin of the meetings  involving numerous stakeholders  and 
aimed at highlighting the scientific basis of the BRS Conventions . In addition to a wide r ange of 
convention -specific outcomes, such as the listing of new chemicals, the main outcomes of the 
2015 CoPs were: (i) technical guidelines on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) wastes under the 
Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Mov ement s of Hazardous Wastes and t heir 
Disposa l (Base l Convention) and the Stockholm Convention on POPs (Stockholm Convention) ; 
(ii) development of a technical assistance programme, including re gional centres, under the 
three  Conventions; (iii) decisions on the implementation of an integrated approach to finance the 
BRS Conventions; (iv) debate on compliance mechanisms and procedures, which were yet to be 
adopted under the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain 
Hazardous Chemicals  and Pesticides in International Trade  (Rotterdam Convention) and the 
Stockholm Convention ; (v) decision to revise , in 2017, the 2016 -2019 strategy regarding the 
Clearing -House Mechanism  and to provide related inf ormation exchange under the 
BRS Conventions ; (vi)  enhancement of international cooperation within and outside the "chemical 
and waste cluster" with respect to the BRS Conventions; (vii) discussions on the three Conventions 
work programmes and budgets, including on a single joint general trust fund and on the review of 
synergies arrangements to be considered by the CoPs in 2017; and (viii) development of a 
roadmap under the BRS Conventions to implement the CoPs theme "From Science to Action".  
2.27.   Moreover,  the 2017 CoPs meetings , to be held from 24 April to 5 May 2017 in Genev a, 
under the theme "A future detoxified : sound management of chemicals and wastes" , would include  
the following main elements : (i) a High-Level Segment  with Ministers of Environment on 4  and 
                                                
10 The presentation is available in document  RD/CTE/101.  WT/CTE/M/62  
 
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  5 May; and (ii) joint issues, including sy nergies review, technical assistance, international 
cooperation, financial resources and  regional ce ntres. In addition,  a technology fair would  be 
organi zed. Fundraising to support participation from developing countries and countries with 
economies  in tra nsition was  ongoing , and several regional preparatory  meetings would take place 
to help representatives of P arties to the BRS Conventions , in particular from developing countries 
and economies in transitio n, to be better equipped for the Co Ps meeting s.11  
2.28.   The representative of the European Union  noted that the European Union  looked forward to 
working with all P arties at the CoPs in 2017, with a view to a chieving the objectives of the 
Conventions and ensuring their contributi on to the SDGs . He highlighted two  specific issues of 
great importance to his delegation.  First, Parties urgently needed to agree on compliance 
mechanism s for the Rotterdam and the Stockholm Conventions . These  would be  instrumental to 
identifying countries  having difficulty to fully implem ent the Conventions and in need of assistance . 
Second, the European Union  was interested in finding a solution to the ongoing problem s with the 
listing of chemicals or pesticides  under the Rotterdam Convention  as the application of Prior 
Informed Consent ( PIC) procedure s was crucial for ens uring that all Parties fully benefit ted from 
the C onvention . The European Union  voluntarily applied PIC procedures to more chemicals than 
those listed under the Convention as another way to assist developing countries in their efforts to 
better control the placing on the market and use of hazardous  chemicals.   
2.29.   The representative of Mexico  noted the concern of his country's industry to include  
chrysotile asbestos, para quat and pentachlorophenol  in Annex 3 of the Rotterdam  Convention. The 
substances were used as pesticides, in construction materials or for other uses. Mexico did  not 
produce those substances  and there was still not enough scientific evidence that demonstrated 
they were actually dir ectly harmful to human health . In this regard , she asked about the current 
status  of the inter -sessional work on these substances and whether there was any procedure 
provided for substances  on which consensus had not been reached  in previous meetings.  
2.30.   The representative of Senegal  also queried whether there was any inter -sessional work 
between CoPs on the f unction ing and implementation of the C onventions .  
2.31.   The Executive Secretary  of the BRS Conventions  (UNEP Secretariat)  agreed with  the need 
for a compliance mechanism , or else the effe ctiveness of implementing the Conventions would be 
undermined. Parties were close to completing the negotiation on a compliance mechanism for the 
Rotterdam Convention, while significant progress had been made on the compliance mechanism 
for the Stockholm C onvention . More progress was expected  at the next CoPs, with the intention of 
moving forward with the compliance mechanism for the Basel and the Stockholm  Conventions. 
Concerning the inter -sessional work for the listing of chemicals, the process was govern ed by  the 
Chemical Review Committee for the Rotterdam Convention  and the POPs Review Committee for 
the Stockholm Convention. It was a scientific process  based on risk assessment , which looked at 
the potential impacts the chemicals had on health and the environment.  
2.32.   Another representative of  the BRS Convention s (UNEP Secretariat)  made a presentation12 
on the topic of e -waste under the Basel Convention.  The global e-waste sector took several forms : 
a legal industry sustaining business and environmental protect ion, or an unregulated and 
sometimes even informal business . The latter was important for recycling and job creation , but it 
entailed  health risks and challenges for monitoring the safety and sound management of waste , 
and sometimes, illegal trafficking in  hazardous wastes and chemicals by organized crime . The 
Basel Convention provided  for a notification and PIC procedure before hazardous waste was 
allowed to be shipped between countries. Under the Basel Convention, i llegal traffic  occurred  when 
there was n o notification and prior consent between the exporting and importing countries, or the 
material and shipping documentation was insufficient or constituted a fraud, or the shipment 
resulted in deliberate disposal in contravention of the environmentally soun d management 
objectives of the Convention.  
                                                
11 Asia-Pacific: 7 -9 March 2017 in Bangkok, Thailand, organi zed with the support from the Regio nal 
Centre in Indonesia;  Africa: 14 -16 March 2017 in Dakar, Senegal, organi zed with the support from the 
Regional Centre in Senegal;  Central and Eastern Europe: 21 -23 March 2017 in Riga, Latvia, hosted by the 
Government of Latvia and organi zed with support  from the Regi onal Centre in Slovakia. For more information, 
in particular for the 2017 Co Ps meetings,  see http://synergies.pops.int/2017COPs . 
12 The presentation is available in document  RD/CTE/99.  WT/CTE/M/62  
 
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  2.33.   Consumed electrical and elec tronic equipment generated  40 to 50 mill ion tonnes of e -waste 
globally each year . It was a growing problem in all parts of the world,  for example, it was 
estimated that the volume of ob solete computers generated in developing regions w ould exceed 
that of developed regions within the next few years.  E-waste had  a high economic value due to the 
content of not only valuable metals , like copper and steel , but also precious metals like gold, silver 
and rare earths.  Therefore, huge amounts of e -waste were traded internationally.  The processing 
of e-waste could  be harmful to the health of workers and to the environment, for example when 
hazardous substances were released from the old equipment d uring dism antling, or plastics and 
cables were  burned in an uncontrolled manner. Recycling of e -waste was attractive to the 
economy and c ould help create jobs in the collection, dismantling and processing business, but 
trade and processing of e -waste need ed to be controlled to ensure environmentally sound handling 
of e-waste and with that avoid harmful effects to humans and the environment.  
2.1.3.2   Presentation by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization  
(UNIDO)  
2.34.   The representative of the United Nation s Industrial Development Organization (U NIDO)  
presented13 the organization's work on  e-waste management. UNIDO followed  three  priorities: 
(i) creating shared prosperity; (ii) advancing economic competitiveness ; and (iii) safeguarding the 
environment , with a  particular focus in 2016 on the promotion of green industry and circular 
economy, including e-waste management.  Around 70% of UNIDO's total programmable resource s, 
amounting to about US$274 million , were devoted to the third priority on  safeguarding the 
environment. Of UNIDO 's e-waste management projects , two had already  been completed  (in 
Uganda and Tanzania) and two were on -going ( in Ethiopia and Cambodia) . An additional regional 
project for e -waste management in Latin America  was pending approval from the Global 
Environment Facility (GEF).  
2.35.   E-waste , or Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment  (WEEE ), was one of the fastest 
growing waste streams  with 49 million ton nes of e -waste  generated in 2012 , and offered both 
challenges and opportunities . On one h and, WEEE contained hazardous substances, such as POPs, 
barium, cadmium, lead, and mercury . Products of main concern included cathod e ray tubes, flat 
screens, fridges  and lamps. In 2030, it was expected that develop ing countries would discard 
400 to 700 mi llion obsolete personal computers  per year and developed countries 200 to 
300 million units.  Therefore, there was plenty of room for "urban mining" , i.e. the use of e -waste 
as a resource . For instance , 10% of the total gold produced worldwide was used  in manufacturing 
electronics and there were 40 -800 times more gold in on e tonne of printed wiring boards than in 
one ton ne of ore.  On the other hand, a lack of regulations  on e-waste management and the 
existence of  regulatory loopholes result ed in poor, illega l "recycling" and "cherry -picking " of 
valuable materials  or in exports of "used" electrical and electronic equipment  from developed to 
developing countries . Also, there were only five smelters worldwide capable of dealing with printed 
wiring board s accordi ng to international standards . Another  difficulty was the wide variety of 
stakeholders, views and perspectives , which slowed down the management process . 
2.36.   UNIDO's activities  on e-waste management included: the promotion of sustainable  e-waste 
recycling indu stries; the consideration of  the entire life -cycle of electric and electronic devices  from 
the distribution and consumption  up to  the final disposal of the components; and the efficient and 
safe recovery of  valuable resources. In this context, UNIDO  worked  on the following aspects: 
(i) support ing green industries, safeguard ing the environment and help ing create quality jobs; 
(ii) promoting  partnerships for knowledge exchange and technology transfer; (iii) help ing countries 
develop e -waste management systems  and strategies based on the whole recycling chains and 
life-cycle; and (iv) enhancing  North -South and South -South cooperation.  
2.37.   Moreover, UNIDO's approach  to sustainable e -waste management  included : (i) keeping 
detailed inventories  of existing WEEE volume s and ongoing activities;  (ii) design ing and improv ing 
collection an d processing of the schemes; (iii)  setting-up or up -scaling  e-waste dismantling and 
pre-processing  facilities and establ ishing  sustainable business models;  (iv) connect ing to 
downstream ma rkets on national, regional and international levels in accordance with international 
conventions, such as  the Basel Convention; (v) help ing improve policy and regulations, including 
                                                
13 The p resentation is available in document  RD/CTE/100.  WT/CTE/M/62  
 
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  collection strategies and financing mechanisms; and (vi) capacity buildin g, training and raising 
awareness.  
2.38.   UNIDO was partner ing with several organization s for e -waste management , including 
UN organizations and the GEF,  governments, electronic equipment manufacturers, and non -
governmental organizations  (NGOs) . UNIDO was also p articipating in  some e-waste management 
platforms, such as the Partnership for Action on Computing Equipment , the Solving t he E-waste 
Problem initiative , the Global Partnership on Waste Management  and the International Solid Waste 
Association .  
2.39.   The represe ntative of Haiti asked about  the relationship between UNIDO's  work and that of  
the BRS Conventions  Secretariat . 
2.40.    The representative of Peru noted that a series of projects at the regional level were 
managed by UNIDO , including one project , not yet approved , for the Latin America region.  He 
requested additional  information on these  projects , in particular their support for  legislative work, 
capacity  building and  technology transfer to help  countries deal with e -waste effectively.  
2.41.   Concerning the question from  Haiti, the representative of UNIDO  noted  that UNIDO had a 
long relationship with the Secretariat of the BRS Conventions. For instance,  in 2011 UNIDO  had 
started  to develop guidance  for the review and update of the national implementation plans of the 
Stockholm Convention , in cooperation with the BRS Secretariat . UNIDO also cooperated to develop  
activities related to POPs and e -waste management. In addition, as an implementing agency for 
the GEF, UNIDO  addressed GEF-funded projects related to the implementa tion of the 
Stockholm  Convention.  Regarding the question from Peru, the representative hoped that this 
project would be approved in the near future. It involved the participation of 13 countries in Latin 
America , 6 countries in Central  America  and 7 countr ies in South  America, including Peru.  There 
were a number of components i n such  regional projects , including: support  for countries that did  
not have specific regulation for e -waste management to  help them  develop relevant domestic 
legislation ; support  for recycling industries i n the context of the Stockholm  Convention  in order  to 
have their activities  approved ; exchange of  best practice s among industries and link ing up these 
companies at the regional level so as to reduce costs. Regional and bilateral coop eration could also 
be beneficial in helping other countries develop their regulations. Peru, Ecuador and som e 
countries in Central America had already adopted relevant regulations. Regional cooperation was 
important regarding the cross -border movement of w astes, in particular e -waste.  
2.1.3.3   Presentation by Chile   
2.42.   The representative of Chile made a presentation14 on the development of the Framework 
Law 20.920 on Waste Management, Extended Producer Responsibility and the Promotion of 
Recycling, published in the Official Journal on 1 June 2016 . In Chile, it was  estimated that only 
10% of waste was recycled, with the remaining 90% ending up in dumps or land fills. The Law 
aimed  to address this situation by ensuring that around 30% of waste would be  recovered. Action 
was therefore being taken to recover value from waste through reuse, recycling and energy 
recovery. This was an important step in Chile's progress towards becoming a more sustainable 
circular economy. The Law also formalized Chile's recycling industry, thereb y promoting job 
creation and the development of gre en enterprises. The Law responded  to the current international 
context, incorporating for example SDG 12, one target of which was to substantially reduce waste 
generation through prevention, reduction, rec ycling and reuse by 2030. The law also took into 
consideration related international standards and recommendations.  
2.43.   Chile's  Law required  producers (both manufacturers and importers) of certain products to 
organize and fund the management of waste generated  by their products. The main goals of the 
Law in this area were to: reduce waste from priority products; encourage reuse, recycling and 
other types of recovery of a product at the end of its useful life; introduce an Extended Producer 
Responsibility (EPR) system; promote product designs that increase d the product's useful life; and 
protect people's health and the environment. The EPR system would initially  apply to the following 
products: lubricating oils, electric and electronic devices, batteries, primary  cells, containers and 
                                                
14 The presentation is available in document  RD/CTE/107.  WT/CTE/M/62  
 
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  packaging, and tyres. The regulatory authority would  add other products if necessary. The next 
step was to draw up regulations in order to implement certain aspects of the Law. 
2.44.   The representative of Senegal  noted  that it would be cha llenging  for producers, 
manufacturers, importers  and consumers  to comply with these new  obligations. He asked whether 
support had been  foreseen to help implement the Law. Second , he highlighted the trade -related 
elements in the Law and asked if it had alre ady been  implemented  and if any monitoring system 
had been envisaged .   
2.45.   The representative of Chile indicated that the Law had entered into force recently  and that 
implementation would be gradual. Some s upport would be available to the different stakeholde rs 
with the creation of  a recycling fund  to be managed by the Ministry of Environment. Education of 
the population and capacity -building for companies were the most important aspect s of effective 
recycling and reuse. Regarding trade -related aspects, import s and exports of waste  were covered 
by the Law. On implementation monitoring , no specific monitoring mechanism was foreseen  by the 
Law. However, it was important for the Ministry of Environment to monitor the Law and Chile had  
set up a Council of Ministers  on Sustainable Development  to assess  implementation and envisage  
possible changes.   
2.1.3.4   Presentation by Canada  
2.46.   The representative of Canada  provide d an overview15 of Canada's contribution to the sound 
management of chemicals.  Canada was an active player in th e BRS conventions, in particular  in 
relation to POPs, which were known to accumulate in the northern regions  of Canada . In this 
context , it was an ongoing priority to reduce  exposure to PO Ps both at the domestic level and as a 
result of production in forei gn jurisdiction s. Canada contributed to advancing the implementation 
of the BRS Conventions by providing m onitoring data, risk assessment, management information  
and technical expertise.  Canada complied with the trade -related provisions under the 
BRS conve ntions, which represented  one of the challenges in national implementation. The main 
implementation tool was the C anadian  Environmental Protection Act  (CEPA) and its regulations, 
which , inter alia , controlled the use and manufacture of chemicals and requir ed notification and 
consent for the trade of chemicals and waste covered by the Conventions.  
2.47.   The implementation of the obligations under the Basel Convention was  taking place mainly 
through CEPA but also through the Export and Import of Hazardous Waste and  Hazardous 
Recyclable Material Regulations. All exports, imports and transit s of hazardous wastes and 
hazardous recyclable materials needed to obtain a  permit prior to shipment and were tracked to 
their destination to ensure that they reached the intended facility and were managed in an 
environmentally sound manner.  The implementation of obligations (such as PIC from the importing 
party for the export of listed substances) under the Rotterdam  Convention w as also made through 
CEPA and through the Export of S ubstances on the Export Control List Regulations , which provided 
for notification requirements. The implementation of the Stockholm  Convention obligations  was 
made  mainly  through CEPA and the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations , which 
prohibited the manufacture, use, sale, offer for sale or import of listed substances and products 
containing such substances, with some exceptions.  
2.48.   Chemicals management was also part of global efforts under other international 
organizations. At the OECD, Canada  was an active participant in the chemicals programme. 
Canada also contributed to the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management , a 
policy framework designed to support the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation 2020 goal on 
chemicals by promoti ng chemical s safety around the world. Other examples of engagement 
included the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperat ion, the APEC Chemicals 
Dialogue  and bilateral initiatives, including with the E uropean  Union, the United States and China.  
As 2020 drew closer, international discussions were intensifying on assessing how to continue 
chemicals management in the post -2020 period.  
2.49.   Regarding Canada's domestic approach and legislative framework, CEPA was jointly 
administered by the Minist ry of En vironment and Climate Change and the Minist ry of Health. The 
former  was responsible for risks posed by che micals entering the environment, while the latter  was 
                                                
15 The presentation is available in document  RD/CTE/103.  WT/CTE/M/62  
 
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  addressing the risks cause d by chemicals to human health. Between 2000 and 2006, both 
Minist ries had undertaken a categorization exercise of all the substances listed on the Domestics 
Substances List to determine those that were potentially harmful to human health and/or the 
environment and would require assessment. Of the approximately 23,000 substa nces that were 
reviewed, 4,300 were identified for further assessment.  
2.50.   The representative introduced the Chemical Management Plan, a framework to assess 
environmental and health risks posed by chemical substances and to develop and implement risk 
manageme nt measures. The key features included: (i) strengthening and acceleratin g the 
assessment and necessary mana gement of chemicals in Canadian  commerce ; (ii) strengthening 
the scientific foundation of the program me; (iii) integrating government activities; and (iv) 
implementing robust national and international engagement strategies.  Regarding risk 
assessments conducted by the government under CEPA, key considerations included: (i) a science -
based approach using a variety of sources; (ii) the consideration of  hazard and exposure for both 
human health and environmental purposes; (iii) mandatory public comment periods; and (iv) a 
final determination on the toxicity of a  substance. If a substance was declared to be toxic under 
CEPA, the government was required to develop and implement a risk management measure for 
that substance to minimize or eliminate the risk. Risk management instruments were then 
identified, developed and put into action to help prevent, reduce or eliminate the risk. 
Stakeholders were consulted  throughout the process.  
2.51.   Some examples of on-going challenges  in advancing global chemicals management  includ ed 
the identification and management of toxic substances that might be found in various products, 
where there was limited or no information from th e foreign exporter regarding which substances 
were found in a given product, or where there was limited information and awareness by the 
importer as to the composition of the imported good . Hazardous substances within the life cycle of 
electrical and elect ronic products and nanotechnology  were among the emerging issues . 
Canada  would remain an active player as international discussions were intensifying on global 
governance for the sound management of chemicals and wastes beyond 2020.   
2.1.3.5   Presentation by Chine se Taipei  
2.52.   The representative of Chinese Taipei  briefed delegations on Chinese Taipei's  4-in-1 recycling 
programme  promoted by the Environmental Protection Administration  since January  1997. It used 
recycling, clearance and disposal fees collected from comp anies to establish a Recycling Fund, 
which was then used to support the recycling disposal system and to extend the responsibility of 
enterprises. Chinese Taipei had made public announcements regarding enterprises that needed to  
install resource recycling facilities , including hypermarkets and  convenience stores. Environmental 
education was one of the most important strategies to promote awareness of recycling. 
Chinese  Taipei had also proactively promoted waste reduction and resource recycling education by 
offering support and rewards to the private sector , schools and NGOs to expand recycling channels 
in communities. The concept of c ircular economy had been  introduced and was contributing to 
greater recycling and re use, bringing benefits for both the enviro nment and the economy. He 
suggested that Members continue discuss ing this topic at the next CTE  meeting.  
2.1.4    United Nations Framework Conve ntion on Climate Change (UNFCCC)  
2.1.4.1   Presentation by Chile  
2.53.   The representative of Chile presented16 its Intended Nationally De termined Contribution 
(INDC) submitted to the UNFCCC  in September 2015 . Chile's contribution was  the result of intense 
work by the Council of Ministers for Sustainability, and a public consultation . Chile was particularly 
vulnerable  to the impacts of clima te change as a result of geography . The Chilean Government  
was committed to supporting action on climate change despite the fact that Chile had played a 
limited role in causing the global problem. It was estimated that Chile was only responsible for 
0.25% of global carbon emissions and 4.7% of regional emissions. Furthermore, Chile's nat ionally 
determined contribution was  based on three themes: resilience to climate change; control of 
GHG emissions; and  cross-cutting support for action on climate change.  
                                                
16 The presentation is available in document  RD/CTE/108.  WT/CTE/M/62  
 
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  2.54.   In terms of mitigation, Chile was committed to reducing CO 2 emissions per unit of 
GDP by 30% relative to  the 2007 level by 2030. Chile could  increase the targeted reduction in 
CO2 emissions per unit of GDP to between 35% and 45% of the 2007 level , depending on the 
availability of  international funding. Another key nationally determined contribution concerned  land 
use, land -use change and  forestry. By 2030, Chile intended  to: develop a broad sustainable 
management programme; restore 100,000 hectares of primari ly indigenous woodland, 
representing 600,000  tonnes of CO 2 equivalent per year in GHG capture and reduction; and 
reforest 100,000  hectares with primarily indigenous species, representing a further capture of 
900,000 to 1 .2 million tonnes of CO 2 equivalent per year.  
2.1.4.2   Presentation by Chinese Taipei  
2.55.   The representative of Chinese Taipei  presented  on Chinese Taipei's  contribution  towards 
tackling global warming and sustainable energy  use. Chinese Taipei's economy was highly 
dependent upon international trade and relied on imported energy for over 98% of the total 
energy demand. Pursuant to its contribution , and in response to the Lima Call for Climate Action, 
Chinese Taipei had committed to an economy -wide target of reducing GHGs by 50% by 2030 from 
the "business -as-usual" level, through the implementation of a major abatement effort.  
2.56.   The GHG Reduction and Management Act , promulgated in July 2015, provided the legal 
basis for Chinese Taipei's  response to climate change. The act established clear targets to reduce 
emissions by 50% of the 2005 level by 2050, and to implement carbon reduction through a five -
year control cycle as well. A Working Group  had been set up to coordinate  all relevant measures 
from various agencies  and review  the maximum potential for reduction  measures and the energy 
provision policy. With a view to enhancing adaptation capabilities and reducing social vulnerability, 
in 2012, a policy framework called the "Adaptation Strategy to Climate Change" had been 
proposed  and in 2014, the "Action Plan fo r Adaptation to Climate Change (2013 -2017)" had been 
published. The measures proposed were transformed into conc rete action plans, including 64  plans 
and the establishment of a solid foundation for climate change adaptation. Relevant agencies were 
working on implementing the action plans and, at the same time, carrying out a programme of 
rolling assessments. A number of sectoral mitigation measures  were in place  covering energy, 
industry, the residential sector, commerce, transportation, agriculture and was te.  
2.57.   Chinese Taipei had  proposed an ambitious target for carbon reduction in the short to 
medium  term, which, if achieved, would deliver a significant reduction in GHG emissions. It would 
undoubtedly be a major challenge to meet the targets set for both GH G emissions and economic 
growth at the same time. Cooperation between governments, and between the public and the 
private sectors, could increase the response capacity and promote a paradigm shift in pursuit of a 
sustainable , low-carbon society.  
2.58.   The repre sentative of Chinese Taipei noted further that Chinese Taipei was r enowned for its 
expertise in green technology  development and  experienced in using these technologies. For a 
number of decades, it had undertaken cooperation projects with developing countr y Members  and 
also with LDCs, working in different sectors linked to climate change, for instance, in energy 
security, renewable energies and organic waste composting. Chinese Taipei would  do its part to 
prevent  global warming and climate change  and intend ed to review its GHG emissions objectives 
in accordance with the Paris Agreement.  
2.1.4.3   Joint Proposal on "Deepening the understanding of the relationship between the 
climate change and trade regimes"  
2.59.   The representative of the  Republic of Korea , on behalf of  Costa Rica , Canada , Mexico  and 
Korea, updated17 Members  on their joint proposal on "Deepening the understanding of the 
relationship between the climate change and trade regimes".  Discussions that had taken place in 
recent CTE meetings, including Members' prese ntations of their INDCs, showed that many 
Members , regardless of their economic situation , considered  that climate change was an important 
challenge for economic growth and sustainable development, and that the joint  proposal fell 
squarely within  the CTE  mandate.  However, he acknowledged that the issue was very sensitive for 
some Members  and that  was why co-sponsors ha d proposed  flexible approaches.   
                                                
17 The presentation is available in docu ments RD/CTE/93 and RD/CTE/82.  WT/CTE/M/62  
 
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  2.60.   Following the informal meeting of the CTE held on 14 November  2016 on the joint proposal , 
co-sponsors  approa ched Members who had expressed concerns to explore  their flexibilit y towards 
holding  an inf ormative session on trade and climate change , rather than  a formal  or informal  
meeting . Unfortunately, the co-sponsors' efforts had been  unsuccessful.  The co -sponsor s 
considered it  regrettable that such an important issue could not be discussed in  the CTE  even 
though  the Committee was discussing various other important environmental issues  also with 
trade implications . The co-sponsors would consider alternative ways t o discuss the relationship 
between trade and climate change at the WTO, similar to what had been done in recent workshops 
on e-commerce and on SDGs. The y hoped that this would provide a useful opportunity to 
exchange views on this important matter . Informa tion on the preparation  of such discussion  would 
be shared  with Members in due course to facilitate the participation of interested delegations .  
2.61.   The representative of  the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia  indicated that her delegation continued 
to believe that the  issue of climate change could not be discussed or be open for interpretation 
under any forum other than UNFCCC.  
2.62.   The representative of Haiti, on behalf of the LDC group, stated that  the group  was currently 
engaged in internal consultations on the idea of di scussing the link between trade and climate 
change  in the CTE . The LDC group was aware of the impact of climate change on trad e and 
sustainable development . Nonetheless, the group  asked for addition al clarifications regarding: 
(i) the agenda item under whi ch the co -sponsors intended  to place the discussion ; and (ii) the 
ultimate objective s sought by the co -sponsors, given that the CTE already cooperated with  other 
international organization s with climate expertise , such as  UNFCCC . The LDC group was in favou r 
of holding seminar s, information session s or other activities  in the margin  of CTE meetings  with 
relevant  experts to explore  the relationship between climate change and trade , in addition to the 
regular UNFCCC briefings to the CTE . 
2.63.   The representative of New Zealand  indicated that the proposal was a good idea . His 
delegation  did not see why  stocktake  discussions  on trade and climate change could not take place 
in the CTE.  The ongoing UNFCCC  negotiations  were not  a barrier to a discussion in the CTE around 
trade -related issues.  New Zealand  looked forward to working with other Members, and would 
welcome  a workshop, or other  types  of activities, on this issue. 
2.64.   The representative of Chinese Taipei  noted that  economic  and environmental linkage s 
between trade and  climate change  in global governance were unavoidable.  Climate change was a 
topic relevant  to the work of  the CTE, especially after the entry into force of the Paris A greement.  
The CTE was the ideal venue  to deepe n the analysis of the relationship between trade and climate 
change . His delegation support ed the proposal of  having an information session back  to back w ith 
the CTE.  
2.65.   The representative of Norway  expressed her delegation's support for the co-sponsor 's 
initiative , and its interest in seeing more wor k on trade and climate change  in the WTO.  She 
underline d that the mandate of the CTE  was sufficiently broad and that such a discussion belong ed 
in the CTE. Norway would take an active part in  any discussion on this topic including in the 
context of worksho ps. The CTE was the relevant forum to deepen  the understanding on trade and 
climate change.  
2.66.   The representative of Colombia  stated  that it was important and relevant for the CTE to 
work on the link between  trade and climate change even though the  issue could be sensitive for 
some Members. Her delegation  was interest ed in participating in any discussion on this topic.  
2.67.   The representative of Brazil  noted that her delegation recognized the utmost challenge 
represented by climate change  at the international level  and expressed support for an informal 
session to discuss the issue.  
2.68.   The representative of Chile noted that  combating climate change was a top priority for 
Chile. The WTO could contribute  useful ly to global effort s on climate change  and the CTE was the 
appropriate body  for discussions on this issue . In addition, his delegation did not see any 
duplication with the work done in other forums , since this was a global issue that require d a cross -
cutting approach  with different perspectives.  His delegation  would  be happy to participate in any 
discussion on this topic  within the CTE  or in the context of a workshop . WT/CTE/M/62  
 
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  2.69.   The representative of Switzerland  noted that  it was important to have a discussion on the 
trade and climate change linkages in the CTE and that  this to pic had been discussed in  many 
CTE meetings before.  Moreover, it was important for the WTO to take  a role in this discussion.  He 
recalled that: CoP22 of UNFCCC  was ongoing in Marrakech ; pursuant to the Paris Agreement , 
UNFCCC Parties had agreed on a global  action plan to put the wor ld on track to avoid dangerous 
climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2°C ; and  Agenda 2030  had set out the 
possibility  of using trade to i mplement SDGs, including to mitigate climate change . The 
WTO should contri bute actively to this discussion  and the CTE was the right forum . His delegation 
hoped that Members  would  be able to follow up on the issue in the CTE  and that t he flexibility of 
the co -sponsors w ould be acceptable to delegations that had raised concerns.  
2.70.   The representative of the European Union expressed her delegation's support  for the idea of 
exchang ing views with outside experts from  the trade and climate communities , as enhancing 
mutual understanding would be an important element to ensure  mutual suppo rtiveness. Such 
exchange  would need to be well framed and focused . 
2.71.   The representative of Japan  reiterated his delegation's support for having at least an 
informal discussion in the CTE, while understanding concerns from some  Members .  
2.72.   The representative of  Peru supported the joint proposal. His delegation appreciated the 
flexibility and believed that the proposal was relevant to  the work of the CTE.  
2.73.   The representative of Australia  reiterated her delegation 's support for the proposal . The 
initiative could pl ay an important contribution to the CTE's work  and could help  deepen the 
understanding of the nexus between trade and climate change , thereby  helping Members to better 
harness the WTO 's contribution  to global efforts on these important issues.  Her delegati on 
recognized the efforts made to address sensitivities raised by oth er Members during the informal 
meeting, welcomed the co -sponsors' flexibility to conduct an informal session , and looked forward 
to engaging in this  process.  
2.74.   The representative of  the Bolivarian  Republic of Venezuela  recalled  that her delegation could 
not support the joint proposal as the UNFCCC was the only appropriate forum . Her delegation did 
not think the issue needed to be discussed in  the WTO.  
2.75.   The representative of  the Republic of  Korea welcomed  Members' comments  and their 
willingness to participate in a future exercise to explore  the relationship between climate change 
and trade.  Deepening the understanding of this relationship would complement , rather than 
interfere with,  UNFCCC 's work and the implementation of the Paris Agreement. The c o-sponsors  
would organize a workshop  to show how  the two regimes were  inter-related , during which 
Members would be able to deepen their understanding o f the issue and to explore possible way s to 
contribute to t he implementation of the Paris A greement.   
2.2  Item 4  
"The provisions of the multilateral trading system with respect to the transparency of trade 
measures used for environmental purposes and environmental measures and requirements 
which have signif icant trade effects."  
2.76.   The representative of the WTO Secretariat  presented the WTO Environmental Database 
(EDB) for 2013, which compil ed information on environment -related measures notified under 
WTO Agreements, environment -related provisions of notified re gional trade agreements  (RTAs) , 
and environmental entries in trade policy reviews (TPRs).18 The EDB had been  compiled by the 
WTO Secretariat since 1997 in response to a mandate from the CTE for enhanced transparency of 
environmental -related  trade measures n otified by WTO Members. It cove red all notifications under 
WTO Agreements and TPRs and its preparation required significant amounts of resources. Efforts 
were being made to update the EDB with more recent data and the Secretariat was also exploring 
improve ments in data collection and dissemination, subject to the availability of resources.  
                                                
18 Documents WT/CTE/EDB/13 and WT/CTE/EDB/13/Add.1 were circulated on 2 May 2016. The 
presentation is available in document  RD/CTE/79.  WT/CTE/M/62  
 
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  2.77.   Regarding EDB data for the year 2013, of a total of 3 ,545 notifications submitted by 
WTO Members in 2013 , 620  were environment -related. The proportion of environment -related 
notifications had more than doubled since the EDB started in 1997, from 8.1% to 17.5% of all 
WTO noti fications. The Technical Barriers to Trade ( TBT) and Sanitary and Phytosanitary  Measures 
(SPS) Agreements accounted for the highest number of environme nt-related notifications, with 
384 and 107 notifications identified respectively. Energy conservation and efficiency , and 
chemicals, toxic and hazardous substances management were the two environmental objectives 
most often cited in 2013, representing 20% and 15% of all measures respectively. Moreover, 
447 environment -related entries were identified in 15 TPRs published in 2013. Finally, the 
Secretariat provided delegations with a practical demonstration of the basic data search 
functionalities offered by t he EDB in digital spreadsheet  format.   
2.78.   The representatives of Mexico , Chile, Canada , Senegal  and the European Union  expressed 
appreciation for the database.  
2.79.   The representative of Chile noted that the majority of environment -related measures fell 
within  the TBT  Agreement  heading and asked  whether it could signal an area for further work in 
the Committee, including by inviting experts or professionals from other WTO divisions  in an 
informal setting to discuss the content and scope of such measures.  
2.80.   The rep resentative of Senegal  queried the possibility of moving the EDB to an online format, 
similar to other WTO databases, which would allow delegations to address the cross -cutting nature 
of the environment and to link the EDB with other datasets.   
2.81.   The repres entative of the European Union  suggested improving the EDB's online 
interactivity to maximise its usefulness.  
2.82.   The representative of the WTO Secretariat  informed delegations that the EDB was available 
online, in digital spreadsheet  format, and that its dis semination and ease of use could be improved 
with a web -based interface. The Secretariat was exploring such improvements, subject to the 
availability of resources, and the remarks made during the meeting would be taken into account in 
that process.  
2.83.   The Chair of the CTE  encouraged Members to use the EDB and to provide comments and 
suggestions for the Secretariat to continue to enhance it.  
3  OTHER BUSINESS  
3.1  Discussion on environmental provisions in RTAs  
3.1.1   Presentation by Canada  
3.1.  The representative of Canada  shared  Canada's experience19 in negotiating and implementing 
environmental provisions in FTAs. The principle that trade liberalization and environmental 
protection  should be mutually supportive  was an important feature of Canada's  approach  in FTAs. 
Environmental chapters in  FTAs were a way to ensure that parties did not weaken, wa ive or 
otherwise derogate from environmental laws in order  to encourage trade and investment. Canada  
was committed to a progressive international trade agenda to reduc e income inequality through 
inclusive  growth, to pu rsue more transparent and  inclusive approaches to trade  and to strength en 
the link between trade agreements , environmental protection and labour rights.    
3.2.  The objectives of Canada's environmental provisions in FTAs  were four -fold: (i) to promote 
sustainable development ; (ii) to ensure that high environmental standards were upheld as trade 
was liberalized ; (iii) to seek opportunities for trade and environment policy to reinforce one 
another in an expanding range of area s; and (iv) to facilitate cooperation and dialogue with 
Canada's  trade partners on environmental issues of shared interest .  Canada had negotiated core 
environmental provisions to promote robust environmental governance, including through  
commitments on: (i) purs uing high levels of environmental protection ; (ii) effective enforcement of 
                                                
19 The presentation is available in document  RD/CTE/104.  WT/CTE/M/62  
 
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  environmental laws, which did not equate to harmonization of laws and legislation  between 
parties, but rather enforcemen t of each party's domestic laws ; (iii) not relaxing environm ental 
laws to encourage trade or investment; (iv) ensuring domestic procedures and remedies were in 
place to address violations of environmental laws; and (v) promoting public participation, 
accountability, and transparency.  
3.3.  Canada had negotiated environm ental provisions in nearly all of its FTAs, beginning with the 
North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation. In its earlier FTAs, these commitments 
had taken the form of side agreements, while more recently they had evolved into including 
substant ive environmental chapters in the agreements themselves. For example, recent 
agreements with Korea, Ukraine and the European Union  included separate environmental 
chapters. The form and the substance of commitments had evolved over time. Recent agreements 
had be en expanding to cover additional issues, reinforcing the link between trade and 
environment, such as encouraging corporate social responsibility and s upporting biodiversity 
conservation . The environment provisions in Canada's FTAs include d institutio nal mechanisms  to 
facilitate implementation and cooperation, including committees to oversee the implementation of 
environmental provisions; frameworks for cooperation; and mechanisms for dispute resolution , 
mainly focusing on collaboration and cooperation  to resolve differences.  
3.4.  The representative of the European Union  noted  that environmental provisions in FTAs were 
an important tool to foster sustainable development.  The European Union  had a well -established 
practice of including in its FTAs a chapter on  trade and sustainable development , which addressed 
both environmental and labour matters.  Her delegation had presented its approach to 
environmental provisions in its  FTAs at the last CTE meeting and was pleased to hear similar  
presentations by other Memb ers. As mentioned by Canada,  the European Union was  also proud of 
the ambitious and comprehensive set of disciplines on trade and environment that had been  
crafted in to the  European Union – Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement  (CETA), 
which wa s an important element in making CETA a truly modern and progressive  agreement.  
3.5.  The representative of New Zealand  recalled that his delegation  had made a presentation on 
this topic at  the last CTE meeting. He emphasized the importance of the issue and enc ouraged 
other Memb ers to share their experience. His delegation's experience showed that the se provisions 
foster ed strong  mutual  cooperation and help ed New Zealand  get shared results with its trade 
partners.  
3.1.2   Presentation by New Zealand  
3.6.  The representative o f New Zealand  share d some examples  on the implementation of 
environmental provisions in F TAs. FTAs facilitated environmental cooperation activities and 
projects and provided mutual benefits for the countries  involved , ranging  from building expertise 
and ca pability to establishing co -benefit in trade and environment policies, and strengthening 
bilateral relationships. A n example was a recently concluded join t water qualit y project under the 
New Zealand – China Environment  Cooperation Agreement signed  alongsi de the bilateral FTA with 
China. The research project brought together environment ministries, researchers and dairy 
companies in both countries to demonstrate how waste recycled as fertilizer could improve water 
quality outcomes while reducing the need fo r chemical fertilizers and saving  costs for farmers. This 
project was a good example of innovation and cooperati on between the two countries.   
3.7.  Another  example related to two environmental consultants from Chile who had visited 
New Zealand  in 2006 to undert ake a study on resource management.  Benefits  include d the 
consultants ' recommendation for cooperation activities to strengthen New Zealand's  natural 
resource management and to develop a better understanding on environmental practices. Yet 
another  example was in the context of New Zealand's  bilater al relationship with Singapore.  In 
2007, officials from New Zealand's Ministry for the Environment and the local government had 
attended two packaging waste study missions by Singapore's Ministry for Environment and Water 
Resources and National Environment Agency . A staff member from Singapore had been  seconded  
to New Zealand's Ministry for Environment for two weeks, studying N ew Zealand 's packaging and 
waste policy.  These activities had not been particularly burden some , and had been  helpful to both 
economies.  WT/CTE/M/62  
 
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  3.1.3   Presentation by the WTO Secretariat  
3.8.  The WTO Secretariat  presented on some key elements  of the WTO Staff Working Paper 
entitled " Typology of Environment -Related Provisions in Regional Trade Agreements ".20 The pa per 
identified and categorized environment -related provisions in 270 RTAs  notified to the 
WTO between 1957 and May 2016. These provisions, which could be found either in the main body 
of the RTAs or in side documents (e.g. side letters, agreements or proto cols), were classified under 
12 broad categories: (i) environment -related preamble of the RTA; (ii) environment -related 
objectives of the RTA; (iii) domestic environmental laws; (iv) MEAs ; (v) intellectual property 
rights, biodiversity and traditional know ledge ; (vi) environment -related goods, services and 
technologies; (vii) natural resources management and specific environmental issues; 
(viii) environmental governance; (ix) cooperation ; (x) institutional arrangements; 
(xi) consultations procedures; and (xii) dispute settlement procedures.  
3.9.  The number and depth of environment -related provisions in RTAs had increased significantly 
since the 1990s. The North American Free Trade Agreement had been one of the first RTAs with a 
significant number of environmental  provis ions, while the more recent RTA  between the 
United  States and Peru contained  the highest number of different environment -related provisions. 
The East African Community A greement was one example of an RTA negotiated between 
developing countries with a high number of environment -related provisions. Regarding the depth  
of environment -related provisions , 97% of all RTAs notified to the WTO included at least text on 
environment -related general exceptions . At the same time  since 2006 , there had been a stea dy 
increase in the number of RTAs which included provisions that went beyond a simple mention of 
the environment in preambular language or exceptions. By 2016, 177, or 66%, of all notified RTAs 
included such provisions.  
3.10.   Most notified RTAs included general exception provisi ons based on the structure and text of 
GATT  Article  XX. More recent RTAs had also included clarifications and amendments, which 
specified  that the GATT Art icle XX(b) exception would cover  environmental measures and that the 
GATT Art icle XX(g) exception would include  living and non -living exhaustible natural resources . 
Since 2006, the number of  RTAs containing one or more provisions referring to MEAs  had 
increased  to 126 or  around one-half of the notified RTAs . Such provisions  varied in term s of 
language and scope , from  the recognition of the importance of MEAs  to ways  to address a possible 
inconsistency between covered MEAs and RTA rules. Th e latter  type of provision was present in 
75 RTAs and was the most common among RTAs containing MEA -related provisions . It varied from 
obligations and rights under the covered MEAs not being affected by RTA provisions  (or MEA 
specific trade obligations prevailing over RTA obligations ) to MEA obligations expressly covered by  
an exception clause .  
3.11.   Additional ly, 129 or almost half of the notified RTAs included provisions on environment -
related goods, services and technologies , which also varied broadly in language and scope.  An 
increasing number of RTAs identified specific issues and sectors for environment -related 
cooperation. Water and the depletion of natural resources were the most frequently  mentioned, 
but climate change had also been identified. The most commonly covered sectors for environment -
related cooperation were energy, forestry, industry, agricult ure, fisheries, tourism, mining, and 
transport. Finally, the Secretariat noted that a fairly recent tr end in RTAs was the inclusion of 
provisions pertaining to public participation and access to justice on environmental matters.  
3.12.   The representative of Canad a stated that the fact that data in the presentation showed a 
growing number of RTAs that included environment -related provisions going beyond preambular 
and exceptions language was encouraging. Also, the breadth and increasing number of 
environment -relate d cooperation provisions included in RTAs was something positive to take away 
from the study.  
3.13.   The representative of New Zealand  noted that the presentation was helpful in illustrating the 
sophistication and breadth of existing environment -related provision s. He also shared Canada's 
assessment on the current practice which signalled a trend towards greater depth and breadth of 
such provisions, as shown by the study.  
                                                
20 See documents RD/CTE/92 and RD/CT E/95. The paper, published in August 2016, is also available at  
https://www.wto.org/english/res_e/reser_e/ersd201613_e.htm . WT/CTE/M/62  
 
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  3.2  Other briefings  
3.2.1   Briefing on the Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA)  
3.14.   The representative of Australia provide d an update on the status of the negotiations towards 
an Environmental Goods Agreement  (EGA) . Progres s towards concluding the EGA had  continued 
positively since the last update in June 2016. In July 2016 in Shanghai, G20 Trade Ministers 
provided a solid boost to the negotiations when they agreed to aim to conclude the EGA by the 
end of 2016.  During the subsequent negotiating round in July, EGA negotiators developed a 
"landing zone"  list of products comprising 304 HS6 tariff lines. This landing  zone was welco med by 
G20 Leaders in September  2016 at the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, China. G20 Leaders reaffirmed 
the aim to finalise the negotiations by the end of 2016. 
3.15.   The landing zone list had  been the focus of the negotiations over the second half of 2 016. 
During the most recent round of negotiations, held in Geneva in October  2016, discussions centred 
on the most difficult product groupings within the landing zone, with a view to exploring options 
and possible compromises.  Following the October ro und, an informal meeting of EGA  Ministers 
took place in the margins of the Oslo WTO mini -ministerial meeting. EGA Ministers urged 
negotiators to narrow the list of outstanding issues and set the scene for the final phase of 
negotiations.  The 18th and final nego tiating round was scheduled to  start in Geneva at the end of  
November. EGA Ministers would  then be gathering in Geneva on 3 -4 December 2016 for a 
concluding ministerial meeting  aimed at reaching  a successful outcome in the negotiations.   
3.16.   As previously  stated, once concluded, the EGA would  provide significant commercial 
benefits, boosting exports and providing ch eaper access to environmentally beneficial 
technologies. It would  also help efforts to overcome serious environmental challenges, including 
meeting climate -related commitments under the Paris Agreement.  The EGA would  be an important 
agreement for the WTO, providing new and improved market access opportunities for exporters. It 
would  also be an important contribution by the international trade communit y to support efforts to 
address climate change and other environmental challenges. Membership of the EGA ha d always 
been open to other WTO Members, and EGA members  urged others to join the EGA as soon as 
possible.  
3.17.   The representative of  the Kingdom of Saudi  Arabia  pointed out  that the EGA negotiations 
were taking place outside the WTO  and that t his kind of plurilateral negotiations could undermine 
efforts at the multilateral level. Saudi Arabia did  not agree to discuss such issues in the CTE.  
3.2.2   Briefing on the  MIKTA Work shop on "The WTO and Agenda  2030"  
3.18.   The representative of Australia  provided information on behalf of Mexico , Indonesia , Korea , 
Turkey  and Australia  (MIKTA )21 on a recent workshop on "The WTO and Agenda  2030" , which had 
been organized by MIKTA coun tries on 12 October 2016 .22 The workshop provided Members with a 
reminder of the history of the 2030 Agenda negotiations and their key trade related outcomes. It 
also featured a number of speakers , including from the WTO Secretariat , who provided enriching 
perspectives on how the WTO might engage with Agenda 2030 and SDGs  in areas such as  
financing and aid for trade, services, agriculture and fisheries.  
3.2.3   Briefing by UNEP  
3.19.   A representative of  UNEP  briefed23 the CTE on various recent events and activities.  First, 
on 15 October 2016, nearly 200 countries had struck  a landmark deal to reduce the emissions of 
hydrofluorocarbons. The Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete 
the Ozone Layer (Montreal Protocol) was seen as the single largest  breakthrough since the 
Paris Agreement . According to this amendment, by the late 2040s, all countries were expected to 
consume no more than 15 -20% of their respective baselines.  Second , UNEP had built up its trade 
work through the Environment and Trade Hu b, a new delivery mechanism for the 2030  Agenda for 
                                                
21 See www.mikta.org .  
22 The workshop program me and the presentations can be found online  at: 
https://www.wto.org/english/forums_e/business_e/miktaoct16_e.htm . 
23 The presentation is available in d ocument  RD/CTE/109.  WT/CTE/M/62  
 
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  Sustainable Development and SDGs . As a partnership -based and demand -driven mechanism, the 
Hub offered  capacity building and related policy advice on sustainable trade and investment 
tailored to local need s and circumstances.  In September 2016, the Hub had hosted a workshop on 
the nexus between t echnology  and trade in Paris. The Hub was currently undertaking a study on 
value chain cooperation and on trade , energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies  in the 
Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)  region and a project on implications of the EGA , 
especially focussing on developing countries.  The Hub and the United Nations Institute for Training 
and Research ( UNITAR ) had jointly developed an onli ne course focussing on trade and green 
economy.   
3.20.   Third, UNEP and the International Institute for Sustainable Development had jointly 
developed a Sustainability Toolkit for Trade Negotiators  to help countries better understand, draft 
and negotiate environme nt-related provisions in regional trade and investment agreements.  
Fourth, under the umbrella of the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) and the Hub, 
work had been carried out  with partners in  Burkina Faso,  China, Ghana, Mongolia, Peru and 
South  Africa on trade and green economy.  There was also a plan for a  second PAGE Ministerial  
Conference to be held in March  2017 in Berlin to discuss the role of trade in the transition to a 
green economy. Finally, u nder the umbrella of the U nited Nations  Forum  on Sustainability 
Standards, UNEP together with FAO, the International Trade Centre , UNCTAD and UNIDO had 
launched the report "Meeting Sustainability Goals: Voluntary Sustainable Standards and the Role 
of Government" in October 2016 in Berlin.  
4  DATE OF NEXT MEETING  
4.1.  The next meeting of the Committee would take place in the first half  of 201 7. The precise 
date would be communicated to Members in due course.  
 
 
_______________  
 
 WT/CTE/M/62  
 
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  ANNEX 1: ITEMS OF TH E CTE WORK PROGRAMME  
 
Item 1:  The relationship between the pro visions of the multilateral trading system and 
trade measures for environmental purposes, including those pursuant to 
multilateral environmental agreements.  
Item 2:  The relationship between environmental policies relevant to trade and 
environmental measure s with significant trade effects and the provisions of the 
multilateral trading system.  
Item 3(a):  The relationship between the provisions of the multilateral trading system and 
charges and taxes for environmental purposes.  
Item 3(b):  The relationship betw een the provisions of the multilateral trading system and 
requirements for environmental purposes relating to products, including standards 
and technical regulations, packaging, labelling and recycling.  
Item 4:  The provisions of the multilateral trading sy stem with respect to the transparency 
of trade measures used for environmental purposes and environmental measures 
and requirements which have significant trade effects.  
Item 5:  The relationship between the dispute settlement mechanisms in the multilateral  
trading system and those found in multilateral environmental agreements.  
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 bene fits of removing trade restrictions and distortions.  
Item 7:  The issue of exports of domestically prohibited goods.  
Item 8:  The relevant provisions of the Agreement on Trade -Related Aspects of Intellectual 
Property Rights.  
Item 9:  The work programme envisa ged in the Decision on Trade in Services and the 
Environment.  
Item 10:  Input to the relevant bodies in respect of appropriate arrangements for relations 
with intergovernmental and non -governmental organizations referred to in 
Article  V of the WTO.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 WT/CTE/M/62  
 
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  ANNEX 2: PARTS OF TH E DOHA MINISTERIAL D ECLARATION THAT RELA TE  
TO THE WORK  OF THE CTE  
 
32. We instruct the Committee on Trade and Environment, in pursuing work on all items on its 
agenda within its current terms of reference, to give particular attention  to: 
 
(i) the effect of environmental measures on market access, especially in relation to 
developing countries, in particular the least -developed among them, and those situations 
in which the elimination or reduction of trade restrictions and distortions would benefit 
trade, the environment and development;  
 
(ii) the relevant provisions of the Agreement on Trade -Related Aspects of Intellectual 
Property Rights; and  
 
(iii) labelling requirements for environmental purposes.  
 
Work on these issues should includ e the identification of any need to clarify relevant WTO rules. 
The Committee shall report to the Fifth Session of the Ministerial Conference, and make 
recommendations, where appropriate, with respect to future action, including the desirability of 
negotia tions. The outcome of this work as well as the negotiations carried out under 
paragraph  31(i) and  (ii) shall be compatible with the open and non -discriminatory nature of the 
multilateral trading system, shall not add to or diminish the rights and obligatio ns of members 
under existing WTO agreements, in particular the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures, nor alter the balance of these rights and obligations, and will take into 
account the needs of developing and least -develope d countries.  
 
33. We recognize the importance of technical assistance and capacity building in the field of trade 
and environment to developing countries, in particular the least -developed among them. We also 
encourage that expertise and experience be shar ed with members wishing to perform 
environmental reviews at the national level. A report shall be prepared on these activities for the 
Fifth Session.  
 
51. The Committee on Trade and Development and the Committee on Trade and Environment 
shall, within their  respective mandates, each act as a forum to identify and debate developmental 
and environmental aspects of the negotiations, in order to help achieve the objective of having 
sustainable development appropriately reflected.  
 
 
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