. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/CTE/GEN/11/Suppl.1 
11 October 2005 
 (05-4617) 
Committee on Trade and Environment  
  
 
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES RAISED IN THE SERVICES NEGOTIATIONS 
 
Update by the Secretariat
1 
  
Paragraph 51 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration 
 
Supplement
 
  
A. I
NTRODUCTION  
1. This document updates the information contained in the statement by 
Mr. A. Hamid Mamdouh, presented at the Re gular session of the Committee on Trade and 
Environment of 29-20 April 2003 (WT/CTE/GEN/11). 
2. Environmental issues in the services negotiations ar ise mainly in the discussions related to the 
environmental services sector. 
B. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN THE COMMITTEE ON SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS  
3. In the Committee on Specific Commitments (CSC), Members have continued to consider whether 
and how the environmental services section contained in the Secretariat Services Classification List (MTN.GNS/W/120) s hould be revised.
2  Many delegations concur that the existing classification is 
obsolete because it does not account  for how business now operates in this sector and, consequently, 
should be revised. 
4. Work on a revised classification of environmental services is based on proposals by the United 
States (S/CSS/W/25), the European Communities (S/CSS/W/38), Canada (S/CSS/W/51), Switzerland (S/CSS/W/76), Australia (S/CSS/W/112), and Colomb ia (S/CSS/W/121).  Different views have been 
expressed on these issues and work is still proceeding. 
 
 
                                                     
 
1 This document has been prepared under the Secret ariat's own responsibility and is without prejudice 
to the positions of Members and to their rights and obligations under the WTO. 
2 Pursuant to this List, the environmental services sector includes:  (A) sewage services (CPC 9401);  
(B) refuse disposal services (CPC 9402);  (C) sanita tion and similar services (CPC 9403);  and (D) "other" 
environmental services.  Although the "other" category does not refer to any CPC item, it may be assumed to 
include the remaining elements of the CPC environmenta l services category, i.e. cleaning of exhaust gases 
(CPC 9404), noise abatement services (CPC 9405), nature and landscape protection services (CPC 9406), and other environmental protection services not included elsewhere (CPC 9409).  This List has been used by many 
Members in their schedules of specific commitments. WT/CTE/GEN/11/Suppl.1 
Page 2  
 
 C. E
NVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN THE SPECIAL SESSION OF THE COUNCIL FOR TRADE IN SERVICES  
5. In February 2005, a group of Members submitted a joint report on their informal discussions on 
environmental services.  The document centres around three broad groups of questions:  the cross-border provision of environmental services, th e definition of consultancy services in the area of 
environmental services, and issues related to th e scheduling of commitments for environmental 
infrastructure services.
3 
6. In June 2005, the OECD presented a paper on "Managing Request-Offer Negotiations Under the 
GATS:  The case of environmental services".  The aim of this paper is "to assist WTO Members in gaining a greater insight into the particular issues  of importance in the environmental services sector 
and how they might be approached in curre nt request-offer negotiations under the GATS".
4   
7. In his report to the Trade Negotiations Committee,  the Chairperson of the Special Session of the 
Council for Trade in Services, included an Annex containing a summary, prepared under his own responsibility, of the sectoral, modal, rules-rela ted and other discussions held under the review of 
progress.  Concerning the negotiations on environm ental services, the Chairperson noted that  
"[t]wo delegations indicated their exp ectation for increased liberalization of 
environmental services.  One explained that environmental services benefited both 
importer and exporter economies, and recalle d that the Doha Declaration made a 
specific reference to the liberalization of these services as a means of benefiting both 
trade and environment.  This delegation s ought further commitments, particularly in 
mode 3, but also in modes 1 and 2, since these modes were relevant for advisory services and helped to transfer technical know-how."
5 
8. The report of the Chairperson also indicates that, by July 2005, 21 offers have been made in the 
environmental services sector (7 of the 10 deve loped Member offers and 14 of the 58 developing 
Member offers). 
9. An information note on environmental services,  summarizing the main issues raised in the 
negotiations, was circulated by the Secretariat on 26 September 2005.6 
_________ 
 
 
                                                      
3 Communication from Australia, the European Communities, Japan, New Zealand, the Separate 
Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, and the United States, Joint report on informal 
discussion on environmental serv ices in the context of the DDA , TN/S/28, 11 February 2005.  Hong Kong, 
China is also a sponsor of this document. 
4 See OECD, Managing Request-Offer Negotiations Under the GATS:  The Case of Environmental 
Services , OECD Trade Policy Working Paper No. 11, by M. Geloso-Grosso, TD/TC/WP(2004)8/FINAL, 
15 February 2005 and Council for Trade in Services – Special Session, Report of the Meeting Held on 27 and 
30 June and 1 July 2005 , Note by the Secretariat, TN/S/M/15 + Corr. 1, 15 September 2005, 
paragraphs 42 to 63. 
5 Special Session of the Council for Trade in Services, Report by the Chairman to the Trade 
Negotiations Committee , TN/S/20, 11 July 2005. 
6 Information Note by the Secretariat, Environmental Services , JOB(05)/209, 26 September 2005.