RESTRICTED  
  
WT/CTE/M/56  
 
31 January 2014  
(14-0567)  Page: 1/11  
Committee on Trade and Environment    
 
 REPORT OF THE MEETING HELD ON 16 OCTOBER 2013 
NOTE BY THE SECRETARIAT1 
The Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE Regular) met on 16 October 2013, chaired by 
Ambassador Esteban B. Conejos, Jr. (The Philippines).  The Committee adopted the Airgram, 
WTO/AIR/4182/Rev.1, issued on 19 September 2013.  The latest list of documents of the 
Committee was circulated on 3 May 2013 in document WT/CTE/INF/5/Rev.11 .  The Report of 
the last CTE meeting, held on 5 June 2013, is contained in WT/CTE/M/55 (and 
WT/CTE/M/55/Corr.1), dated 16 August 2013.  
_______________ 
 
Contents 
1   PARAGRAPH 32 OF THE DOHA  MINISTERIAL DECLARATION ....................................... 2  
1.1   Paragraph 32(i) on Market Acce ss and Environmenta l Requirements ................................. 2  
1.1.1   First Part of Paragraph 32(i): "The Effect of Environmental Measures on Market 
Access, especially in relation to Developing Countries, in particular  the Least-Developed among th em" ...................................................................................................................  2
 
1.1.2   Second Part of Paragraph 32(i): "Those Situations in Which the Elimination or 
Reduction of Trade Restrictions and Distortions Would Benefit Trade, the Environment and Development" ............................................................................................................ 8
 
1.2   Paragraph 32(ii) of the Doha Ministerial Declaration on "the relevant provisions of 
the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Pr operty Ri ghts" .................................. 9  
1.3   Paragraph 32(iii) of the Doha Ministerial Declaration on "labelling requirements for 
environmental purposes" ................................................................................................... 9  
1.4   Other Items on th e CTE's Work Program ....................................................................... 9  
1.4.1   Item 1: "The Relationship between the Provisions of the Multilateral Trading 
System and Trade Measures for Environmental Purposes, Including Those Pursuant to 
Multilateral Environm ental Agreements" ............................................................................... 9  
2   PARAGRAPH 33 OF THE DOHA MINISTERIAL DECLARATION ON "TECHNICAL 
ASSISTANCE AND CAPACITY BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL" .......................................................................................................... 11
 
3   PARAGRAPH 51 OF THE DOHA MINISTERIAL DECLARATION ON 
"SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT APPR OPRIATELY REFLECTED IN THE 
NEGOTIATIO NS" ............................................................................................................ 11  
4   OTHER BU SINESS ...................................................................................................... 11  
5   DATE OF NE XT MEETING ........................................................................................... 11  
 
 
                                               
1 This document has been prepared under the Secret ariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the positions of Members or their rights and obligations under the WTO. WT/CTE/M/56 
 
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1  PARAGRAPH 32 OF THE DOHA MINISTERIAL DECLARATION 
1.1  Paragraph 32(i) on Market A ccess and Environmental Requirements 
1.1.1  First Part of Paragraph 32(i): "The Effect of Environmental Measures on Market 
Access, especially in relation to De veloping Countries, in particular  
the Least-Developed among them" 
1.1.  The representatives of the Bolivarian Repu blic of Venezuela, Egypt, Brazil, South Africa, 
Argentina, Angola on behalf of the African Group,  Cuba, the Plurinational State of Bolivia, India, 
China, and Lesotho on behalf of the least develo ped countries (LDC) Group registered the concern 
that presentation topics, available only at the last minute, made effective participation in the 
discussion difficult.  Moreover, questions were raised about the relevance of certain topics under 
Paragraph 32(i) of the mandate.  In response, the Chairman noted that ways to address such 
concerns would be explored.  
1.2.  The Chairman referred to an informal  document that had been prepared by the 
WTO Secretariat summarizing the ad hoc  presentations on carbon footprint schemes and related 
interactions held in previous meetings of the CTE. 
1.3.  The delegations of Norway, European Unio n and Switzerland welcomed the WTO Secretariat 
document and described it as a useful informative t ool for the work of the CTE.  The delegations of 
Egypt, India, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the Plurinational State of Bolivia, South Africa, 
Argentina and Brazil voiced concern as to how th e divergence of views among Members on carbon 
footprint was captured, and the lack of reference to other related multilateral negotiations (such as 
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) that could have direct impact on 
the issue. 
1.4.  Concerning more generally discussions under Paragraph 32(i), the representative of Egypt 
was of the view that the discussion initiated in the CTE failed to address potential barriers and 
difficulties faced by developing countries with  respect to carbon footprint schemes, including 
technological needs and support for their participation in the development process of these 
schemes.  He noted that any climate change mitigation measures should not constitute a means of 
arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or a disguised restriction on international trade. 
1.5.  The representative of Norway underscore d the importance of holding discussions on the 
relevant trade issues associated with the increasing number of government and private carbon 
footprint and labelling schemes.  
1.6.  The representative of Chile pointed to the interaction between the issue of methodology used 
to calculate carbon footprint and the need for an international standard, which could address, 
through a common methodology, some of the issues related to the growing number of private and 
public schemes, and the potential negative impacts on developing countries. 
1.7.  The representative of the European Unio n recalled that the European Commission presented 
in June the European Union's Single Market for Green Products initiative, and that the British 
Standards Institute provided an overview of th e Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 2050 and 
the assessment of the lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of goods and services.  The representative reiterated support to continue discussing and holding presentations on 
environmental and carbon footprint methodologies. 
1.1.1.1  France's Pilot Project on Environmental Information on Consumer Products 1.8.  The representative of France provided in formation on a voluntary pilot project related to 
environmental information on consumer products, in terms of carbon footprint, water use and 
water pollution.  The pilot project placed emphasis  on the simplification of the multi-criteria 
lifecycle analysis and on harmonization with the International Organization for Standardization 
(ISO) and the European Commission's standards on the methodology for the quantification of 
environmental impacts.  In addition, the French  Environmental Protection Agency established a WT/CTE/M/56 
 
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  database on product lifecycle based on internat ional and European data in order to reduce 
implementation costs and provide simplified calculation tools.   
1.9.  The voluntary pilot project relied on a multi-stakeholder platform, involving the participation 
of 168 domestic and foreign companies from different sectors.  Overall, a large number 
of participating companies had indicated several positive aspects, including the opportunity to 
learn about the lifecycle analysis of their products and supply chains, and improve their environmental performance.  However, some of the participants, including in the agri-food sector, 
also requested technical support, the development of cost control methods to implement the 
methodology, as well as improvement on the reliability of the information obtained.  A limited number of participating companies communicated environmental information directly on the product, or through more innovative solutions, such as smartphones and flash codes.  Consumers 
had reacted positively, although they expre ssed a preference for reliable and transparent 
environmental impact information directly on the product itself, expressed in relative scales and certified by a third party or public authorities.  An assessment report of the pilot project would 
shortly be submitted for review to the French Parliament.  
1.10.  The representative of New Zealand considered that sustainability measures, such as 
environmental labelling, should be based on internationally agreed standards or methodologies 
and take into account a number of key principles, including scientific robustness and effectiveness, 
least-trade restrictiveness, non-discriminatio n, transparency, and independent third party 
verification.  Consultation with affected parties during the development of environmental labelling 
policies was also greatly valued.  Her delegation enquired on the report to be provided to the 
French Parliament and expressed interest in learning more on any future work and specific 
difficulties encountered in the agri-food sector. 
1.11.  The representative of France expressed his support to the principles mentioned.  The 
assessment report prepared by the French Govern ment would provide a list of different options, 
including the (i) necessary technical involvement and engagement needed to pursue the initiative, (ii) cost efficiency, and (iii) relevant environmental impacts to be monitored.  The participating 
companies in the agri-food sector had pointed to th e problem of data availability along the supply 
chain and the need to consolidate methodologies. 
1.12.  The representative of Mexico echoed the importance of respecting the key principles 
mentioned previously and enquired on the relevant European and ISO standards considered, as 
well as the scientific basis of the methodology.  Her delegation further pointed to the principle of 
least-trade restrictiveness and the importance of technical assistance provided to foreign stakeholders, in particular developing and least developed countries facing new competitive 
conditions and challenges. 
1.13.  The representative of France explained that the methodology for environmental impacts 
quantification was consistent with ISO 14044 on life cycle assessment requirements and guidelines 
and ISO 14025 on type III environmental declaration principles and procedures.  In this regard, 
France was participating in the international dialogue on the promotion of international harmonization and capacity building in developing  and emerging countries, launched by the United 
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).   
1.14.  While enquiring about the positive envi ronmental impacts of the pilot project, the 
representative of Argentina recalled that this type of initiative should be (i) designed and 
implemented in a manner consistent with WTO rules; (ii) based on scientific evidence and 
international standards; (iii) follow a transparent and inclusive consultation process; and (iv) take 
into account the requirements and needs of developing countries. 
1.15.  The representative of India enquired whether ISO 14044 was linked to the ISO technical 
specification related to carbon footprint.  His delegation expressed concerns over the use and 
numerous limitations of lifecycle analysis, including data source subjectivity, which could lead to non-tariff barriers (NTBs) or tari ff differentials for pr oducts with a different carbon footprint. 
1.16.  The representative of France recognized th at although it was challenging to quantify the 
positive impact of environmental labelling schem es on the environment, there were a number of WT/CTE/M/56 
 
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  encouraging examples, such as the European En ergy Label.  His delegation would continue 
working on the consolidation of rigorous and transparent lifecycle analysis tools. 
1.17.  While recognizing the importance of re ducing the carbon content of exports, the 
representative of South Africa was concerned that  potential barriers created by carbon footprint 
schemes faced by exporting agricultural producer s and agro-processors in developing and least-
developing countries could compromise poverty reduction and socio-economic goals.  Her delegation was interested to know how such initiatives would contribute to sustainable 
development and whether any studies on the effectiveness of consumer labels had been 
considered.  South Africa echoed the importance  of complying with the principles, raised by 
Argentina, and underscored the existence of more effective measures than consumer labels to manage the environmental impact across the supply chain. 
1.18.  The representative of Australia highligh ted serious methodological and administrative 
challenges created by the carbon footprint a ssessment of complex production processes that 
involved energy generated from different sources and cross-border sourcing.  Firms were 
characterized by different carbon footprint baselines, often due to factors outside their control, 
such as the source of energy used.  The carbon foot print, as a static indicator, also failed to take 
account of actions to address climate change, such as international cooperation.  Overall, her 
delegation was concerned that the use of a carb on footprint label to attempt to communicate 
properly complex factors could, in the end, lead to an arbitrary impact on market access with fairly uncertain environmental benefits.  Australia furthe r enquired whether France intended to make the 
environmental information scheme mandatory. 
1.19.  The representative of France informed that  his delegation was collaborating in the 10 Year 
Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumpt ion and Production (10YFP), adopted at the 
2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), with a particular focus on 
food exports of developed countries and emerging  economies.  The future of the pilot project 
would depend on the review of the assessm ent report by the French Parliament.   
1.20.  The representative of Egypt enquired on the criteria and methodology used to assess the 
impacts on water and biodiversity, as well as the indicators measuring the impact of the 
environmental label on consumers.  His delegation was also interested to learn more about the formal process allowing interested stakeholders an d countries to take part in, monitor, or comment 
on the process. 
1.21.  The representative of Cuba was of the view that the ISO/TS 14067 technical specification 
assessing the carbon footprint lacked precision and credibility by expressing, according to 
ISO 14040, the carbon footprint of the lifecycle of a product into one single global figure despite 
the lack of scientific basis to do so. 
1.22.  The representative of Norway underlined th e need to respect WTO rules and principles when 
elaborating and implementing environmen tal footprint and labelling schemes.   
1.23.  Recalling the difficulties for small scale trad ers to meet requirements in terms of calculation 
and verification costs, the representative of Lesotho was interested to learn how the environmental 
impact methodology was able to incorporate the fa ct that many products were made of different 
components and belonged to sophisticated global value chains. 
1.24.  The representative of the Dominican Repu blic pointed to the lack of participation of 
developing countries in the development and elaboration of an international carbon standard, and 
the need for enhanced capacity building. 
1.25.  The representative from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) stressed 
that ISO processes followed the principles of the code of good practice for the preparation, 
adoption and application of standards of the WT O Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade.  
Given that carbon and water footprints were difficult and challenging technical areas, the relevant 
ISO Committee was making sure to bring in the right stakeholders, including representatives from developing countries.   WT/CTE/M/56 
 
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  1.26.  The representative of France explained th at although the project methodology was based on 
international standards, its scope went beyond the general framework of ISO standards.  For 
instance, it took into account the impact and benefits of recycling, as well as the net water consumption required during the product's lifecycle.  Currently no biodiversity criterion was 
technically available for use in the calculation.  His delegation reported no change in consumer 
behaviour given the short term duration of the pilot project and the small number of products 
involved.  However, positive developments had be en observed with respect to the environmentally 
friendly design of some products.  Many participating firms recognised the need to collect more 
environment data in light of the complexity of international supply chains. 
1.27.  The representative of India enquired whet her the cost of product disposal had been taken 
into account in the environment footprint method ology.  While his delegation appreciated ISO's 
action plan for developing countries to improve their capacity and participation in international 
standardization, WTO and ISO followed diffe rent processes and voting patterns.   
1.28.  The representative of France underscored the importance of the "cradle to grave" concept in 
the lifecycle analysis of a product and noted that the cost of waste treatment was the responsibility 
of the consumer and country in which the product was used and disposed of.  Average values related to waste and waste treatment were used to assess environmental impact. 
1.29.  The representative of Chile queried whether the discussion on ISO procedures should be 
held in the CTE.  His delegation was of the view that, irrespective of voting patterns, a standard 
had to comply with WTO rules first, before discussing whether its application would have an effect on trade.   
1.1.1.2  Switzerland's Green Economy Action Plan 
1.30.  The representative of Switzerland presen ted on his country's Green Economy Action Plan, 
which acted as a supplementary means of achieving the Government's green economy objectives.  
The Action Plan involved work in four priority areas: (i) resource efficiency in consumption and 
production; (ii) waste and raw material cycles; (iii) international engagement and "transversal instruments", namely the Cleantech Masterplan and greener fiscal system; and (iv) explicit but 
flexible targets, follow-up, and reporting, including the integration of the notion of efficient and 
rational use of resources into legislative projects.   
1.31.  A large number of the 27 individual meas ures encompassed by the Action Plan were 
relevant to international trade, from better enviro nmental information and screening of products to 
the environmental impact assessment of trade agreements to strengthening the ecological 
responsibility of the raw material sector.  Enga g e m e n t  w i t h  a  f u l l  r a n g e  o f  s t a k e h o l d e r s  w a s  
considered as crucial for setting the right target s, tracking progress towards these targets, and 
raising public awareness to lead to positive behavioural change.   
1.32.  The representative of Argentina was of the view that, although the concept of green 
economy should serve as a voluntary tool for achieving sustainable development, it could lead to 
the creation of a rigid package of requirements applied uniformly across all countries.  In this 
context, his delegation underscored the need to analyse the effects of environmental measures on market access, especially in relation to developing countries, including any potential conflicts with some principles, such as the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. 
1.33.  While welcoming Members' informative pres entations on the implementation of national 
environmental measures, the representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela reiterated the 
need for further research and debate on the impacts of such measures on market access for 
developing countries and LDCs, in accordance with Paragraph 32(i) of the Doha Declaration.   
1.34.  The representative of New Zealand requeste d more information on the mechanisms in place 
in Switzerland to provide better environmental information to consumers and to raise awareness. 
1.35.  The representative of Mexico was of the view that more research was needed to analyse the 
consistency of green economy measures with international trade rules, noting that measures 
violating the principle of non-discrimination or impacting negatively on trade would likely be brought to the WTO dispute settlement mechanism.  Her delegation enquired as to which trade-WT/CTE/M/56 
 
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  related green economy measures were being considered, such as subsidies, and voluntary or 
mandatory labelling schemes, and whether funding mechanisms had been established for implementing the Action Plan. 
1.36.  The representative of Canada underscored the importance of ensuring  
WTO compatibility with national measures that addressed the lifecycle environmental impacts of 
products.  This could be achieved by using inte rnational standards as a basis and engaging in 
international consultation and dialogue.  His delegation was also interested to learn more on how 
accounting for environmental pollution generated abroad would be integrated into specific policy 
measures. 
1.37.  The representative of Switzerland explaine d that the Green Economy Action Plan followed 
the "polluter pays" principle as closely as possibl e and respected the rules and principles of the 
WTO.  No new tariffs would be introduced as a means of implementing the Action Plan, and 
labelling would be carried out in the least trade distortive manner possible.  In addition, as a general principle, subsidies would be reduced and local content requirements avoided.  Many of 
the measures encompassed in the Action Plan were in early stages and consumer awareness 
mechanisms were still under development.  His delegation further clarified that Switzerland was not assessing the carbon emissions generated abroad and incorporated into products.  Pollution 
from abroad would rather be addressed through multilateral processes. 
1.38.  The representative of the Plurinational State of Bolivia rejected the concept of green 
economy as a means of appropriating and privatising natural resources of developing countries, 
and preferred a flexible approach considering each country's national priorities and circumstances, 
as expressed in paragraph 56 of the Rio+20 Declarat ion.  His delegation enquired as to whether 
the Action Plan included a mechanism to take into account the concerns raised by developing countries, encouraged technology transfer, promoted  productive activities in developing countries, 
provided financial resources and if it was in line with paragraph 58 of the Rio+20 Declaration. 
1.39.  The representative of China drew attention to the positive role that a science and 
consensus-based international standard on carbon  footprint could play in minimizing future 
barriers to trade.  His delegation further urged due consideration of developing Members' 
concerns, including facilitating their participation in the elaboration of such an international standard and promoting capacity-building. 
1.40.  The representatives of South Africa an d Cuba echoed the concerns expressed by the 
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.  
1.41.  The representative of the European Union noted a number of similarities between 
Switzerland's Action Plan and the strategy adopted by  the European Union, in particular the role of 
resource efficiency in a sustainable and inclusive economy.   
1.42.  The representative of Switzerland explaine d that the needs of developing countries were 
being taken into account in the implementation of the Green Economy Action Plan through sector 
policies, as well as development and economic cooperation, bilateral experience exchanges and 
initiatives such as those by UNEP and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Cleaner Production Centre Network and the Green Growth Knowledge Platform. 
1.1.1.3  Update on New Zealand's Greenhouse Gas Footprinting Strategy for Land-based 
Primary Sectors 
1.43.  The representative of New Zealand provided updated information on the 2007 national 
GHG footprinting strategy for land-based primary sectors, and consequent lifecycle assessment 
studies for over 80% of New Zealand's exports.  By following the evolution of internationally 
agreed science-based methodologies and assessing individual product variants instead of using country-wide averages, the lifecycle assessment approach improved product information and 
reduced potentially trade-distorting environmenta l requirements.  His delegation highlighted the 
adoption of a common carbon footprint methodology at the 2010 World Dairy Summit whose success demonstrated the capacity of the dairy in dustry to maintain a standard with minimal 
government involvement.  Similar successes had been  seen for other products such as meat, wool 
and wine.  New Zealand was of the view that lifecycle assessments of production systems could WT/CTE/M/56 
 
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  make substantial improvements in environmental performance across the supply chain, and in 
some cases obviate the need for consumer-side measures such as environmental labelling.  
Lifecycle assessment methodologies and communica tion techniques still required improvement 
before lifecycle assessment information could usefully contribute to consumer decision-making.   
1.1.1.4  ISO Draft International Standard 1404 6 Related to the Principles, Requirements 
and Guidelines of Assessing and Reporting Water Footprint 
1.44.  The representative of the International Or ganization for Standardization (ISO) presented an 
overview of the ISO draft international stan dard (DIS) 14046 related to the principles, 
requirements and guidelines for assessing and repo rting the water footprint of products, processes 
and organizations.  The elaboration of ISO/DIS 14046 began in 2009 and had involved approximately 80 governmental and non-governmental delegates from 40 countries, representing 
all continents.   
1.45.  Some of the key challenges faced duri ng the elaboration of ISO/DIS 14046 involved 
providing an inventory of the water used and affected in the lifecycle of a given process, while 
considering relevant location-specific and context-specific water risks, stresses and threats.  The 
lifecycle assessment methodology developed consolidated a large number of environmental indicators related to water quantity and quality issues, such as availability, putrefaction and 
acidification, into a synthetic and holistic indicator useful for decision-making, conducting strategic 
risk assessment and identifying opportunities to im prove processes, products or organizations.  
ISO/DIS 14046 shared some similarities with IS O 14040 on the principles and framework of 
environmental life cycle assessment, ISO 1404 4 on the requirements and guidelines of 
environmental life cycle assessment, and ISO/TS 14067 technical specification related to the 
requirements and guidelines for quantification and communication of GHG footprint of products.  However, the communication of the water footprint, through labels or declarations, was outside 
the scope of ISO/DIS 14046. 
1.46.  The representative of Argentina informed that Argentina had voted against ISO/DIS 14046 
in June, together with a number of other developing countries, as they considered it lacked proper 
scientific justification and could potentially create restrictions on international trade. 
1.47.  The representative of the European Union supported the work of ISO and others on water 
footprint as an awareness-raising tool.  He referred to the Blueprint to Safeguard Europe's Water 
Resources adopted by the European Commission an d aimed at improving the implementation of 
existing water legislation, integrating water policy objectives into other policies, and more 
generally enhancing water efficiency.  However, his delegation was of the view that the water 
footprint methodology was not at a sufficiently advanced stage and more information, beyond just 
water footprint, was needed to fully and accura tely appraise the overall sustainability and 
environmental implications of a given product or process.   
1.48.  While recognizing the importance of developing scientifically sound and mutually agreed 
international standards, the representative of Canada noted that many Members, including his 
delegation, had reservations over some of the technical details in ISO/DIS 14046, such as 
incorporating location-specific and context-specific water issues.  In his view, these technical issues should only be discussed within the ISO standard-setting process.  
1.49.  The representative of Norway echoed the statements of Switzerland, the European Union 
and Canada.  Her delegation considered water footpr int to be a relevant topic of discussion for the 
CTE, given its close link to climate adaptation issues and potential trade impacts. 
1.50.  The ISO representative explained that ISO/DIS 14046 had not passed approval as an ISO 
standard in spring 2013, and had been returned to  the Committee for revision.  Concern over the 
degree of regional/geographical sensitivity in water use, one of the primary drivers behind the 
launch of ISO/DIS 14046, was being addressed by the Committee.  A meeting to discuss final 
comments on the revised ISO/DIS 14046 would take place in Panama in May 2014.  The ISO representative further stressed that ISO/DIS 14046 did not address every issue related to the sustainable use of water, but rather focused on providing objective information on the impacts on 
water of a product or organization.   WT/CTE/M/56 
 
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  1.51.  The representative of Egypt indicated that it would be interesting to have more information 
on the impact of the application of environmenta l standards on developing countries and LDCs, in 
line with the mandate of Paragraph 32(i) of the Doha Ministerial Declaration. 
1.52.  The representative of the Dominican Republic was of the view that it would be preferable to 
first launch an educational campaign involving national authorities or international organisations, 
on the implications of current water consumption levels before adopting a mandatory international standard. 
1.1.2  Second Part of Paragraph 32(i): "Those Situations in Which the Elimination or 
Reduction of Trade Restrictions and Distor tions Would Benefit Trade, the Environment 
and Development" 
1.53.  The representative of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) 
presented an overview of the study 'Domestic Incentive Measures for Renewable Energy with 
Possible Trade Implications', comparing potential trade impacts of market "pull" policies, such as feed-in tariffs and quotas, with technology "pus h" policies, such as research and development 
incentives.  The report concluded that market-pull policies in isolation could enhance and facilitate 
trade in renewable energy technologies and related fuels, and imply potential pecuniary impacts on other countries.  However, trade distortions could arise if such policies were combined with 
measures providing support to domestic manufacturers, such as local content requirements.  The 
report was the first output of the on-going work of the OECD Joint Working Party on Trade and Environment on government incentives to move towards "greener" goods with possible trade implications, such as incentives promoting electric vehicles and batteries, and energy efficient 
products.   
1.54.  The OECD also reported on three other relevant reports monitoring government support in 
specific sectors in OECD and some non-OECD countries: the 2013 annual "Agricultural Policy 
Monitoring and Evaluation", the 2013 "OECD Review of Fisheries", and the latest "Inventory of 
Estimated Budgetary Support and Tax Expenditure for Fossil Fuels".  Other trade and environment-related activities included an on-g oing project aimed at measuring environmental 
regulatory stringency and identifying relevant indexes of stringency, as well as the annual review 
of environmental provisions in regional trade agreements (RTAs), and a study on the long-term evolution of environmental provisions in RTAs.   
1.55.   The representative of New Zealand supported the valuable contribution of the OECD in 
compiling data and analysing fisheries and fossil fuel subsidies, and welcomed any relevant 
discussion on both issues in the CTE.   
1.56.  The representative of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reported on three 
national Green Economy and Trade projects aime d at examining policy reforms and determining 
the enabling conditions required to maximize sustainable trade opportunities in selected sectors.  In Ghana, UNEP cooperated with the Energy Center to foster solar energy exports under the 
umbrella of the West African Power Pool.  In Peru, a pilot project focused on fostering 
sustainability certification of biotrade products  and addressing national and international trade 
barriers in order to enhance global market access of Peruvian biotrade exports.  In Viet Nam, UNEP cooperated with the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Sustainable Trade Initiative to 
promote uptake and compliance with internationally recognized aquaculture standards in order to 
enhance market access of sustainable aquaculture products.  UNEP was also engaging with other international organizations in different green economy initiatives, such as the Partnership for 
Action on Green Economy, with the International Labour Organization (ILO), UNIDO and the 
United Nations Institute for Training and Resear ch (UNITAR); and the United Nations Forum on 
Sustainability Standards with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development 
(UNCTAD), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Trade Centre (ITC) and 
UNIDO to create a policy dialogue platform on voluntary sustainability standards, especially for developing countries.  UNEP representative stressed that the concept of green economy was not intended to act as a disguised barrier to trade or  provide benefits at the expense of developing 
countries, but rather create trade opportunities for all Members, in particular developing countries.   WT/CTE/M/56 
 
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  1.57.  The representative of the Plurinational St ate of Bolivia reiterated that other approaches 
besides green economy were available to achieve su stainable development, such as the concept of 
"living well". 
1.2  Paragraph 32(ii) of the Do ha Ministerial Declaration on "the relevant provisions of 
the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspect s of Intellectual Property Rights" 
1.58.  There were no statements from delegations under this agenda item. 1.3  Paragraph 32(iii) of the Doha Ministeria l Declaration on "labelling requirements for 
environmental purposes" 
1.59.  The OECD reported on an on-going project establishing a comprehensive characterisation of 
environmental labelling and information schemes, defined as any policies and initiatives aimed at 
providing information to external users abou t one or more aspects of the environmental 
performance of a product or service.  The study highlighted the variety and complexity of the 
schemes in terms of mode of communication (channel, means, scope and content), standard-setter, leadership/ownership, governance mode, assessment methods, transparency, 
monitoring/auditing, and environmental focus and scope that could not be covered by the three 
types of ISO 14020 schemes.  Although some of  the environmental labelling and information 
schemes were mandatory regulations from the public sector, most public and private schemes 
were voluntary with a proliferation of private sector initiatives in recent years.  The different life 
cycle assessment approaches adopted by the various schemes were rather complex and increasingly being audited by third parties.  The ne xt steps of the project involved an analysis of 
the trade impacts of these labelling schemes, including their proliferation, and a study on the 
public policies and regulations related to labelling in the world. 
1.60.  The representative of New Zealand noted the challenges posed by the proliferation of 
environmental labelling schemes for New Zealand's small and medium-sized enterprises, including 
their ability to access markets and global value chains.  His delegation recalled the importance of 
designing and applying these schemes in a way that achieved their environmental objectives without unduly restricting trade.   
1.61.  The representative of Argentina was interested to learn more about the market impact of 
voluntary labelling schemes which were de facto  mandatory.   
1.62.  The representative of Mexico enquired about the WTO-compatibility of de facto  mandatory 
labelling schemes.  Her delegation further asked whether the OECD's impact assessment analysis 
of the environmental labelling schemes would take  into account their effectiveness, compliance 
costs, and impact on global value chains. 
1.63.  The OECD representative explained that the forthcoming study would consider the potential 
trade impact of de facto  mandatory schemes.  The OECD had also been working on a separate 
study on the environmental effectiveness of environmental labelling schemes, encompassing 
among other things compliance costs and potential market access costs for developing countries. 
1.4  Other Items on the CTE's Work Program 
1.4.1  Item 1: "The Relationship between the Provisions of the Multilateral Trading 
System and Trade Measures for Environmental Purposes, Including Those Pursuant to Multilateral Environmental Agreements" 
1.64.  The representative of the WTO Secretariat presented the updated "Matrix on Trade-Related 
Measures Pursuant to Selected Multilateral Environmental Agreements" (MEAs) prepared in 
consultation with the secretariats of MEAs.2   
1.65.  The representative of the European Union highlighted the usefulness of the document as a 
reference, in particular the comparative table on membership in WTO and MEAs.   
                                               
2 Document WT/CTE/W/160/Rev.6 and TN/TE/S/5/Rev.4. WT/CTE/M/56 
 
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  1.66.  The representative of the Convention on In ternational Trade in Endangered Species of Wild 
Fauna and Flora (CITES) informed on the recent accession of Angola as its 179th Party and the 
entry into force of the Gaborone amendment, allo wing accession by regional economic integration 
organizations to CITES.  Collaboration between the secretariats of the WTO and CITES was also 
appreciated, such as the participation of a CITES representative in WTO regional workshops on 
trade and environment. 
1.67.  On behalf of the Secretariat of the Conventi on on Biological Diversity (CBD), UNEP  provided 
an overview on the decisions taken at the 11th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the 
CBD (COP-11), held in October 2012.  Parties a ddressed implementation issues related to the 
Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, and progress towards the Aichi Biodiversity Target 3 aimed at eliminating, phasing out or reforming incentives, including subsidies, harmful to 
biodiversity.  Parties also discussed the issue of biodiversity threats associated with the 
introduction of invasive alien species and the existing gap in relevant international standards, and requested the Executive Secretary to actively purs ue the application for observer status in the 
WTO Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.  Decisions taken at the COP-6 of the 
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety related to, among other things, handling, transport, packaging and identification of living modified organisms (LMO); risk assessment and management; 
monitoring and reporting; unintentional transboundary movements of LMO, and cooperation with 
other organizations, conventions and initiatives.   
1.68.  The representative of Argentina considered the financial gap to be the main obstacle in 
implementing in developing countries the Strate gic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and achieving 
progress towards the Aichi Biodiversity Target 3.  
1.69.  The UNEP representative provided a briefing on the recently adopted Minamata Convention 
on Mercury. The objective was to protect human health and the environment through the 
reduction of anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds during 
their lifecycle.  The Minamata Convention included a phase-out ban on mercury-added products, such as certain batteries, lamps, cosmetics, pesticides, and a range of measuring devices primarily 
used in the health sector.  Other relevant trade-related provisions required prior informed consent 
to be able to trade mercury between parties only for specific uses allowed under the Convention.  Trade with non-parties to the Convention was subject to certification attesting that mercury did not originate from a prohibited source, was only imported for authorised use specified in the 
Convention, and was not endangering human health and the environment of non-parties.  
Movement of mercury waste was also covered, except for the parties to the Convention that were also parties to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous 
Wastes and their Disposal.  The Minamata Convention would enter into force 90 days after the 
fiftieth instrument of ratification was deposited with the UN Secretary-General. 
1.70.  The representative of Canada mentioned that although domestic mercury emissions had 
been reduced by almost 90% over the past 30 years in Canada, the Government was working to 
further restrict products containing mercury in the domestic market.   
1.71.  The representative of Argentina highlighted the flexibility of the means of implementation of 
the Minamata Convention.  Argentina was in the process of adopting specific legislation aimed at 
reducing mercury emissions in land and water and protecting human health.   
1.72.  The representative of Mexico enquired as to the WTO-compatibility of trade-related 
measures contained in the Minamata Convention.  Her delegation also sought an explanation as to 
the low number of signatories despite the high number of countries that had participated in the 
negotiations. 
1.73.  The representative of Norway noted that trade-related provisions were included to help 
achieve the environmental objective of the Mina mata Convention, demonstrating once again the 
mutual supportiveness of trade and environmental issues. 
1.74.  The UNEP representative highlighted that  the Minamata Convention allowed parties to 
request exemptions to the phase-out date for mercury-added products, granted initially for a 
maximum period of five years and once per produc t.  There were currently only 92 signatories due 
to either the absence of some countries at the time of the formal adoption in October 2013, or WT/CTE/M/56 
 
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  they did not have full powers to sign the Convention.  More signatures as well as actual 
ratifications were expected over next year. 
2  PARAGRAPH 33 OF THE DOHA MINISTERIAL DECLARATION ON "TECHNICAL 
ASSISTANCE AND CAPACITY BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS AT THE 
NATIONAL LEVEL" 
2.1.  There were no statements from delegations under this agenda item.   3  PARAGRAPH 51 OF THE DOHA MINISTERIAL DECLARATION ON "SUSTAINABLE 
DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATELY REFLECTED IN THE NEGOTIATIONS"  
3.1.  There were no statements from delegations under this agenda item. 4  OTHER BUSINESS 4.1.  There were no statements from delegations under this agenda item. 
5  DATE OF NEXT MEETING 
5.1.  The next meeting of the Committee was expected to be held in the first half of 2014.  
 
 
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