RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/CTE/M/40 
2 September 2005 
 
 (05-3832) 
Committee on Trade and Environment  
  
 
REPORT OF THE MEETING HELD ON 6 JULY 2005 
 
Note by the Secretariat
 
  
1. The Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE Regular) met on 6 July 2005 under the 
Chairmanship of Ambassador Shree Baboo Chekitan Servansing.  The following agenda, pr oposed in 
WTO/AIR/2601, dated 15 June 2005, was adopted: 
I. PARAGRAPH 32 
A. PARAGRAPH
 32 (I) (MARKET  ACCESS) 
The effect of environmental measures on market access, especially in relation to developing 
countries, in particular the least-developed am ong them, and those situations in which the 
elimination or reduction of trade restric tions and distortions w ould benefit trade, the 
environment and development.  
1. Market Access 
2. The Chairman  recalled that at the previous meetin g held on 22 February 2005, delegations 
had reflected on how the CTE could move fo rward the discussion on Paragraph 32 (i).  
Ambassador Gabr, his predecessor, had concluded th at a structured discussion and an exchange of 
national experience within the context of the fi rst part of Paragraph 32 (i) on the effect of 
environmental measures on market access, to start with, could be a pragmatic way to arrive at more fruitful progress.  Based on past discussions, she had identified the following four areas of interest to 
delegations:  the effects of environmental measures on market access, in particular, market access 
problems faced by developing countries;  transp arency, including notification and consultation 
procedures;  technical assistance and capacity bu ilding;  and the preparation of environmental 
measures.  Although in general, de legations had supported a structured discussion, one view had been 
that a structured discussion would not help if there was a lack of input from Members.
 There had been 
a call for contributions from Members, in partic ular developing country Members, to provide 
substantive information on national experience with respect to the e ffects of environmental measures 
on market access in specific sectors.  This could be done by means of submissions or statements.  
Members' input could also cover relevant techni cal assistance and capacity-building activities.  
Furthermore, a suggestion had been made to mobilize resources from other intergovernmental 
organizations, such as the OECD and UNCTAD, on resu lts of their relevant case studies.  Information 
could also be obtained from these organizations to  create an inventory on trade and environment 
related technical assistance and capacity building activities.     
3. The representative of Thailand  provided information on a recent sub-regional Workshop on 
Environmental Requirements and Market Access for Electrical and Electronic Goods, held in 
Bangkok on 25-27 May 2005.  He believed that other Members might find some of the 
recommendations and lessons learnt useful.  He pointed out that electrical, electronics equipment 
(EEE) was an important sector in his country.  According to the Thai Electrical and Electronics Institute, in 2003, the EEE sector represented 35 per cent of Thailand's total exports by value, and in WT/CTE/M/40 
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2004, Thailand's exports of EEE amounted to USD 33 billion, of which 20 billion consisted of 
electronic equipment and parts.   
4. He recalled that the Bangkok Workshop had been  organized as a follow-up to a relevant 
workshop held in Manila in February 2004.  The main objective had been to draw lessons, based on 
studies of the electrical and electronic sector, with  the aim of assisting developing countries in 
understanding emerging environmenta l requirements in the market, and strengthening capacities to 
respond to such requirements, taking into acc ount their own environmental and developmental 
conditions and needs.  Representatives from four deve loping countries in East and South-East Asia, 
namely, China, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand had participated, and had discussed 
adjustments to new environmental requireme nts as a result of legislation in the 
European Communities (EC), Japan and other countries.   They had also discussed strategies for sound 
management of domestically generated EEE waste, as we ll as policies with respect to imports of used 
EEE.  Moreover, they had explored synergies betw een adjustments to external requirements on the 
one hand, and domestic needs on the other.   
5. Referring to the impact of environmental require ments, he said that they could be transmitted 
through the supply chain.  He gave the example of the European Union (EU) Restrictions on 
Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS) and similar in itiatives in other countries.  As a result of this 
legislation, businesses increasingly had to include w aste management considerations, such as the use 
of recyclable or recoverable materials, to c ontrol the use of hazardous substances in design and 
production, and to provide information on specific components and materials used downstream in the 
supply chain.  This could create particular problem s for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).   
He noted that SMEs formed an important part of the supply chain in Thailand.  If one defined SMEs 
as companies with registered capital of less than  200 million baht (around USD five million), there 
would be more than 1,000 SMEs in the EEE sector , which comprised roughl y 86 per cent of that 
sector.  Although Thailand was regarded as one of the countries that had coped relatively well with 
these requirements, there were concerns regarding their potential adverse impacts, in particular, on 
SMEs.   
6. On the recommendations made at the Bangkok Work shop, he highlighted the following:  first, 
for governments introducing new environmental require ments, there should be efforts to disseminate, 
as early as possible, information on the requirements.  Moreover, there should be efforts to identify the likely implications on developing countries, in par ticular those with a key export interest, such as 
in the case of the EEE sector, Thailand, China, Mala ysia and the Philippines.  Furthermore, these 
governments should adopt a proactive approach to fa cilitate the participation of developing countries 
in stakeholder consultations and to provide tec hnical cooperation and capacity building programmes.  
7. For developing countries, the recommendations had pointed to the importance of exploring, at 
the national level, and where appropriate, at sub -regional level, early warning mechanisms on new 
environmental requirements to facilitate access to inform ation.  In addition, there was a need to design 
proactive adjustment policies to  strengthen the capacities of the EEE industry, and to promote SME 
alliances to better equip SMEs to cope with new requirements.  He said that Thailand had been 
proactive in responding to new requirements ba sed on a public–private partnership approach 
involving institutions such as the Electrical and El ectronic Institute (EEI), the National Metal and 
Material Technology Centre (MTEC), government  institutions and other stakeholders.   
8. Regarding the escalating problem of domestic  EEE waste and the control of second-hand 
EEE, he noted the following initiatives taken by Th ailand:  the establishment of a high-level sub-
Committee to look into the impact, follow-up, and policy determination with respect to the EU WEEE and RoHS Directives;  the launch of a comprehe nsive study on environmental issues in the EEE 
sector, covering, 
inter alia , legislation, economic impacts, life cycle analysis (LCA), design and waste 
management;  and the conducting of a survey by the National Metal and Materials Technology Centre 
on the awareness and preparedness of industry.  Ther e were also various pilot projects and feasibility  WT/CTE/M/40 
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studies on waste management covering, for exampl e, mobile phones, batteries and fluorescent lamps, 
including elements such as the improvement of recycling infrastructure.   
9. Referring to the need to involve potentially a ffected developing countries in the consultation 
process, he highlighted that it was necessary for developing countries to obtain accurate and timely information, and to exchange views in order to in terpret the new requirements and to make relevant 
adjustment strategies.  In this context, bilatera l meetings with the EC, EU member States and some 
other countries had been useful.   
10. He concluded that the Bangkok Workshop had br ought up a number of issues relevant to the 
CTE discussion on environmental requirements and ma rket access.  The CTE could have a closer 
analysis of the EEE sector.  He expressed his appreciation for the efforts made by the UNCTAD 
Consultative Task Force (CTF) for Environmental Requirements and Market Access for Developing 
Countries and the UN Economic and Social Commi ssion for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) in 
organizing the Bangkok Workshop, the Government of  the Netherlands for funding it, and the United 
Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) for financing the relevant studies.  
Thailand generally subscribed to the recommendations  of the Workshop, and looked forward to other 
activities under the auspices of the UNCTAD/CTF.   
11. The representative of the European Communities
 welcomed Thailand's statement, and noted 
that the Bangkok Workshop and the relevant studies ha d been funded by two EU member States.  He 
said that the information provided by Thailand corr esponded to what he had suggested regarding the 
inputs needed to facilitate a debate based on practical  experience.  He recalled that at the previous 
meeting, he had also suggested better structuri ng such inputs by means of a questionnaire.   
12. He believed that when debati ng paragraph 32 (i) market access issues, one should keep in 
mind that it was not the environmental measures  themselves, but the implementation of such 
measures, which was the issue.  He gave the ex ample of the growing number of products in the 
market place which contained hazardous substances.  He believed that they should be reduced, but the 
question was how to do this in the least trade-restric tive way.  He said that the EC would always try to 
follow the least trade-restric tive approach, as well as to subscribe to the Bangkok Workshop 
recommendation to be proactive in involving stakehol ders in the consultation process.  This was how 
the EC discovered the impacts of its new requireme nts, and tried to remedy the possible negative 
impacts as early as possible.  He noted that there were also workshops and help desks which provided 
"hands on" information to exporters on EU legislation and requirements.  He agreed that this had to be 
complemented by dissemination of the information, such as to the SMEs.  He  was ready to further 
discuss these issues, and, in a systematic way, su ch as, establishing best practice or benchmarks for 
regulators when preparing environmental requirements.   He recalled that it was an element that the 
Bangkok Workshop recommendation had touched upon.   
13. The representative of Egypt  found Thailand's information useful.  He echoed the EC's 
statement that recommendations and outcomes from re levant workshops, such as the one in Bangkok, 
could be reflected upon in the CTE.  The CTE c ould reflect these with respect to the roles of 
UNCTAD, the national authorities, the CTE and other WTO bodies, such as the Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT).  It could explore ways to make the recommendations effective, and look into how other developing countries could benefit from them.  This exercise could cover not 
only the EEE sector, but also other sectors.   
14. The representative of China
 thanked Thailand for the information.  She said that China had 
also participated in the Bangkok Workshop, and had found it useful.  At the Workshop, further 
information concerning the EU EEE Directive had been  obtained.  With several other WTO Members, 
comments and recommendations had been developed.   She hoped that the recommendations could be 
further implemented.  She looked forwar d to future similar UNCTAD workshops. WT/CTE/M/40 
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15. The representative of Venezuela
 found the information from Thailand interesting, and would  
convey it back to his capital.  He noted that simila r programmes were being carried out in his country, 
and the experience could be shared in the CTE. 
16. The Chairman  believed that Thailand's statement ha d generated useful discussions.  He 
invited Members to reflect on the proposal made by Egypt with respect to the CTE addressing 
recommendations arising from the relevant workshops. 
17. The representative of UNCTAD  gave a presentation on the key findings of recent UNCTAD 
sector-based activities on environmental requirement s and market access for developing countries.  
The findings were based on a project funded by the UK/DFID which had been carried out in the last 
three years.  It involved two clusters of countries:   Central America and the Caribbean, and East and 
South-East Asia.  It covered the following sector s:  leather and footwear, horticultural products, 
electrical and electronic goods, and tropical fruit, including organic produce.  The results of the studies and workshops could be found on:  www.uncta d.org/trade_env/test1/projects/field.htm.   
18. He said that based on the studies and the discussi ons held, both in the c ontext of sub-regional 
workshops and policy dialogues, there were a number of main trends in envi ronmental requirements.  
First, they were becoming more frequent, stringent, complex and multi-dimensional, which touched 
upon technical and environmental aspects, and, to a certain extent, social aspects.  Secondly, voluntary, private sector and non-governmental orga nization (NGO) requirements were more frequent 
and dynamic.  These requirements were applied th rough supply chain management, and a number of 
them became de facto mandatory.  Thirdly, there was a trend towards trans-nationalization of national 
environmental requirements of some develope d countries, both in the areas of mandatory 
governmental requirements and voluntary requirem ents.  At the same time, there was a high 
frequency and stringency of envir onmental requirements in sectors where developing countries were 
competitive.  He gave the example of the textile, le ather, fishery, fruit and vegetable, electrical and 
electronic sectors, where SMEs played a significa nt role.  Moreover, there was a shift to risk 
avoidance and precaution.  While there was an en vironmental precautionary aspect in this trend, 
approaches had seldom been made on the trade impact  from a precautionary perspective.  Lastly, due 
to the lack of international standards and technical  equivalence, multiplicity of standards was a major 
problem for exporting developing countries.   
19. The trade and development impact of envir onmental requirements would depend on:  the 
technical specification of the requirements;  thei r preparation, adoption and implementation;  their 
inclusiveness, the ex ante  impact assessment and dialogue on supportive measures;  and the proactive 
and strategic national adjustments processes in de veloping countries.  The main problems for 
developing countries in coping w ith these requirements could be due to the lack of institutional and 
technical capacity, and also due to the fact that they  were not dealt with in a proactive way.  At the 
same time, there were insufficient pre-regulation a nd pre-standards-setting cons ultations by developed 
countries, and ex-ante impact assessment was the ex ception rather than the rule.  There was also a 
lack of a proactive approach on technical assist ance.  Often a problem had to be acute enough to 
trigger technical assistance.  He concluded that exporting countries had the responsibility to become 
more strategic and proactive based on an assessment of  the situation.  However, no external assistance 
could compensate for a lack of commitment in developing countries at the national level.   
20. Regarding national commitment in developing co untries in terms of proactive adjustment 
strategies, he said that, as mentioned in Thailand' s statement, it required a systematic gathering, 
analysis and dissemination of relevant information,  ideally by means of an  early warning system.  
This should include information on the requirement s themselves, the adjustment methods and the 
export opportunities.  In order to handle complex life-cycle related environmental requirements, the 
adjustments would require public-private partnerships , involving coherent trade, industry, agricultural 
and finance policies.  The proactive policies s hould also include elements on how to maximize 
national gains in terms of material efficiency , occupational safety or public health and the  WT/CTE/M/40 
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environment.  The key challenge was to preserve  market and policy space for SMEs, since new 
environmental requirements, in particular supply ch ain requirements, tended to drastically reduce the 
number of SMEs in the supply chain.  
21. Regarding the UNCTAD studies on horticultural products exports to the EU markets, he 
noted the mandatory requirements for enhancing food safety:  the General Principles and 
Requirements of Food Law with mandatory traceability requirements;  the Revision of the Hygiene 
Regulation compulsory for all agricultural produc ts;  and the Pesticide Regulation, which set 
maximum residue levels.  According to the studies, the adjustment costs could include, at the macro-
economic level, the need for national food control strategies, functioning fo od laws and regulations, 
food inspection services and food control laboratories;  and at the enterprise level, the need for 
qualified staff, change of manage ment methods, IT requirements, testing and certification costs, and 
new pesticides.  The operating costs, not including th e setting-up of the systems, could be up to two to 
ten per cent of the export value.   
22. He noted that there were also voluntary sta ndards for horticultural products:  the Retailer 
specific HACCP (Codex), the UK Assured produce, the Sainsbury's Working with suppliers Code of 
Practice, the Safe Quality Food (SQF 2000), the British Retail Consortium (BRC), and the Freshcare 
Code of Practice (Australia).  These codes of pr actice or supply chain requirements were applied by 
wholesalers or large supermarket chains globally.  It was a major challenge for producers to comply 
with all these standards at the same time.  The key questions were:  what standards to implement?  
How do they relate to each other?  What is the leve l of overlap or technical equivalence?  Finally, the 
multiple auditing requirements to demonstrate c onformity often led to higher costs.   
23. He gave an example of "EurepGAP", a standard  prepared recently by a consortium of large 
European retailers, which provided a protocol for fresh produce based on multi-disciplines.  It covered 
aspects of food safety, environment and social respons ibility.  Its specifications were similar to those 
of the ISO 9000 and 14000 on quality and envir onmental management systems.  It included 
requirements such as traceability, record keeping, varieties and rootstocks, site history and 
management, soil and substrate management, fertiliser usage, irrigation, crop protection, harvesting, 
post-harvest treatment, waste and pollution manage ment, reuse, recycling, occupational safety, 
environmental issues, complaint form and internal audit.  He said that such voluntary requirements 
raised a key challenge, since they determined access to markets.   
24. Regarding the studies on the footwear, textiles and clothing sectors in Asia, the issues were 
linked mainly to the replacement of azo dyes.  There were the problems of insufficient quality and 
quantity of locally available azo-free dyes and/or the lack of the technical know-how on using 
imported azo-free dyes.  One solution was that th e UNIDO-UNEP regional cleaner production centres 
assisted the production of appropriate azo-free dyes in the region, and provided training in the appropriate application of imported azo-free dyes.   
25. Regarding the electrical and electronics sector, he recalled that Thailand had already outlined 
the key challenges.  The UNCTAD analysis had focu sed on how to cope with the requirements of the 
EU WEEE and RoHS Directives, the Hazardous A ppliances Recycling Law (HARL) in Japan, and 
similar legislation in Switzerland and Norway.   
26. Regarding the EU WEEE and RoHS Directiv es, at the Bangkok Workshop, there had been 
the opinion that the EC had widely disseminated  the information on the two Directives, such as on 
web sites, and in various languages.  There was al so an expanding exporters' help desk.  However, 
there had been no ex ante  impact assessment.  Bilateral Sino-European and Thai-European 
consultations had taken place after the Directives had co me into force.  On tec hnical assistance, so far, 
there was no proactive trade-related technical assistance, most assistance had been provided as a result 
of specific demand, and related to acute problems.   One concern had been that the WEEE Directive 
was implemented at the national level in EU memb er States, and, in some cases, entailed multiple WT/CTE/M/40 
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implementation at the sub-national a nd national levels, which could be complex.  With respect to the 
RoHS Directive, the main concern had been the lack of recognized conformity assessment methods, 
since conformity assessment was an ongoing process, and was essential for business transactions.  At 
present, there existed certain approaches based  on self-declaration.  However, there was no 
harmonized practical measure, in particular, for SME suppliers.   
27. With respect to the HARL of Japan, most exporting countries found it difficult to access 
information, and, in some cases, this was due to  language problems.  However, their commercial 
relations with Japanese purchasing companies were good.   
28. Regarding the sectoral work of the UNCTAD/CTF, the added value was that it linked 
together policy and capacity-constraint issues aimed at developing a more holistic and development-
oriented approach on environmenta l requirements and market access.  It interfaced discussions in the 
WTO, notably in the CTE and TBT Committees, with other debates at the international and national 
levels.  Its analysis included also voluntary envir onmental requirements of the private sector and of 
NGOs.  It had provided a forum for exchange between stakeholders and governments, and among 
stakeholders who were normally not involved in the WTO debates.  It also allowed a regular exchange 
of information among agencies which provided releva nt technical assistance and capacity-building.   
29. The CTF 2005 work programme included the formation of a working group consisting of the 
FAO, CBI in the Netherlands, INMETRO in Brazil,  and PCARRD in the Philippines to develop an 
"Internet portal" that would facilitate access to ex isting information clearing houses on environmental 
requirements.  This project also aimed at assisting countries to set up early warning systems.  Another project dealt with exchanging experiences between China, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand on 
adjustments to eco-design and recycling requirements of waste EEE, including national management 
of waste EEE.  Lastly, there was a project to deve lop sub-regional codes of good agricultural practices 
for horticultural exports in East Africa, South-East  Asia, and Central and S outh America, which could 
be benchmarked to EurepGAP.  The key issue was how to reflect national circumstances and 
development interests in the benchmarking exercise.   
30. He informed the CTE that the UNCTAD 2005 Trade and Environment Review would be 
devoted to the theme of environmental requirement s and market access.  The next meeting of the 
UNCTAD/CTF would be held back-to-back with the October meeting of the CTE. 
31. The representative of the European Communities
 welcomed the UNCTAD information, 
which could facilitate discussions in the CTE.  He said that the UNCTAD findings reflected that the 
EC had been consulting with its trading partners on its environmental require ments, and had provided 
answers to some of the market access problems.   
32. He pointed out that, on agricultural products, si nce the EC was the biggest importer, with its 
imports from developing countries greater than the rest of the OECD countries together, its requirements had become more visible.  Taking th is into account, one should not have the impression 
that the EU market was a particular problem.  Fu rthermore, regulatory re quirements existed in the 
various sectors, such as in high-technology, textil es or fisheries.  Their frequency and stringency 
could be more noticeable in sectors where developing  countries had an interest, such as in textiles and 
fisheries.  He further pointed out that besides north -south trade, there was also south-south trade, such 
as the trade in electronics within Asia.  There, in  some countries, regulations similar to those in 
developed countries had been applie d.  He gave the example of hazardous substances and electronics 
waste, where concerns had been raised.  Like the EC, some other Members were preparing relevant 
legislation with similar objectives.  Since haza rdous substances and electronics waste was a global 
problem, he believed that it might be useful to broa den the debate in the CTE with a view to seeking 
common solutions.  In this respect, synthesizing information and benchmarking could be a way forward.   WT/CTE/M/40 
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33. He noted that at the Bangkok Workshop, the EC had been regarded as transparent.  With 
respect to the comment on the lack of impact assessme nts, he believed that it might have been the case 
in the past, but at present, the EC did conduct impact assessments acro ss the board on major 
regulatory activities.  Trade impact was taken into  account whereby regulators tried to minimize 
negative trade effects, although there would always be  trade effects as a result of regulatory activity.   
34. He drew the CTE's attention to environmental standards on cars and car parts, where Asia was 
a major market.  European exporters had raised concerns on the difficulties in obtaining relevant 
information in some of the markets.  He said that  these kinds of market access problems were faced 
not only by developing country Members, but also developed ones.  He believed that Members could 
work jointly in the CTE to minimize these problems.     
35. The representative of New Zealand  believed that the UNCTAD presentation had pinpointed 
an important issue, and that was the rise of volunt ary non-governmental, in particular supermarket 
chain, standards.  It had also pointed to the dec line of tariffs and the increase in environment related 
requirements.  He said that it was not only deve loping countries which faced problems in accessing 
OECD markets.  OECD countries also faced similar problems.  He highlighted the problem of the 
"one size fits all" approach, and gave the example of a requirement prepared a few years ago by a 
supermarket chain.  It had institu ted a programme whereby all suppliers  were to prove that they had a 
stone wall maintenance programme in place.  The pr oblem was that in New Zealand, farmers did not 
use stone walls but fences.  It had taken his aut horities eight months to persuade the particular 
supermarket chain that it was difficult for New Zeala nd suppliers to comply with the requirement.  He 
noted that this type of problem was as a resu lt of private supermarket chain demands and not 
government requirements.  However, he believed th at there was something that governments could do 
to assist, and that was to draw the attention of th e private companies to the Code of Good Practice for 
the Preparation, Adoption and Application of Sta ndards, Annex 3 of the TBT Agreement.     
36. Referring to the work of the UNCTAD/CTF, he said that, besides the CTE and CTBT, it was 
relevant to the work of the SPS Committee, such as in the area of maximum pesticide residue.   
37. The representative of Canada  believed that the UNCTAD presentation had provided the CTE 
with practical elements for future discussion, po ssibility after the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference.  
Referring to the handling of electronic waste, he noted that the Basel Convention had been working 
on this issue.  If the Committee was to further study this matter, the Basel S ecretariat's contribution 
could be useful.  He believed that the handling of  used electronic equipment was a challenge for all 
countries.  Used equipment could end up as waste when it was dismantled in developing countries.  
He noted that there were cases whereby used equipment was dismantled in unauthorized ways. 
38. With respect to requirements prepared by non-governmental bodies affecting the market, he 
linked this to the discussions of eco-labelling and certif ication.  He noted that, in some cases, where a 
small number of actors dominate a commercial sector, their acts could have a great impact on the market.  Echoing the example provided by New Zealand, he gave an example with regard to forestry.  
He said that, in Europe, most forests were planted.  However, in Canada, they  were natural forests.  
For this reason, it was a challenge for Canadian prod ucers to comply with EU forestry requirements, 
which were based on planted forests.  He believed th at the CTE could take these practical issues into 
account when devising its work programme.   
39. The representative of Egypt
 looked forward to the UNCTAD 2005 Trade and Environment 
Review.  He found that some issues raised in th e UNCTAD presentation deserved special focus in the 
CTE.  One of these was the issue of ex ante impact assessment.  It would be useful to study the 
various mechanisms and policies implemented by diffe rent Members.  The following questions could 
be considered:  how have the concerns of devel oping countries or other Members been taken into 
consideration?  How had the results of assessmen ts been taken into account?  How could the 
mechanisms be improved?  And could the CTE draw up certain guidelines or recommendations?  He WT/CTE/M/40 
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noted that impact assessments had been conducted in the EC, and invited the EC to submit a paper or 
give a presentation on its experience of impact assessments to facilitate discussion on this subject.   
40. The representative of Mexico
 agreed that the UNCTAD presentation could provide elements 
for the CTE to structure its future discussions.  She highlighted the following two points:  the need for 
greater transparency and the need  for an early warning system.  She believed that these elements 
could be considered as part of good regulatory prac tice, and were linked to impact assessments.  The 
CTE could seek synergies with the CTBT on its work on good regulatory practice under its Triennial 
Review.  In this respect, if considered appropr iate, Mexico was ready to share in the CTE its 
experiences in regulatory impact assessment, whic h covered not only envir onmental impact, but a 
broader range of impacts.   
41. The representative of Brazil  believed that certain aspects of the UNCTAD/CTF work could be 
considered as a part of the CTE work programme.  He noted that the CTF studies mostly looked into 
environmental requirements adopted in developed countries, and how these requirements impacted on 
exports of developing countries due to their stringent or restrictive nature.  He said that these studies 
could also benefit from a broader perspective, l ooking not only at market access, but also the 
environmental consequences for deve loping countries as a result of environmental legislation adopted 
in developed countries.  He gave the example of tr ade flows on waste, an issue that he would further 
deliberate under agenda item "Other Business."  He sai d that the CTE could discuss this issue in terms 
of sound environmental management and waste mana gement globally, as well as in the area of north-
south trade in waste, where the relationship betw een trade and environment was touched upon.  He 
recalled that the waste issue and the relevant work of the Basel Convention had also been highlighted 
by Canada.    
42. The representative of the Dominican Republic  agreed that the waste issue and the relevant 
work of the Basel Convention were important.  She drew the attention of the CTE to an initiative of 
the Basel Convention on the waste of portable pho nes, and an ongoing Working Group meeting on 
technical assistance matters, inter alia , looking into the funding for cooperation programmes. 
43. The Committee took note  of the statements made. 
2. Sector analysis ("win-win-win") 
44. The representative of Japan  said that, as one of the major importers of w ood products, his 
country had been contributing to the global wood products trade, as well as making an effort to 
achieve sustainable forest management at the dom estic and global levels.  Illegal logging was an 
important element with regard to the sustainable ma nagement of forests and sustainable development.  
It appeared on the agenda, not only of meetings of relevant specialized and international agencies, but 
also of the international political fora, since its im pacts were not limited to the environment, but also 
to livelihoods in the poorest countries.  It coul d cause losses in government revenues of developing 
countries and distort trade.  Since the illegal logging is sue related to the environment and also to trade, 
it should be addressed in the WTO, and most suitably, in the CTE.   
45. He recalled that, in October 2003, Japan had s ubmitted a paper on its b ilateral efforts with 
Indonesia to tackle illegal logging (document WT /CTE/W/233).  In February 2004, Japan had 
provided information on its efforts to combat this issue through international bodies, such as the Asia 
Forest Partnership (AFP) and the International Tropi cal Timber Organization (ITTO).  In 2005, at the 
Gleneagles Summit in Scotland, the illegal logging is sue was on the agenda, together with two other 
issues, namely, assistance to Africa and global warmi ng.  In the preparation for this Summit, Japan 
had pointed out that illegal logging should be a ddressed in a holistic manner.  Relevant trade 
measures, if any, should be formulated and im plemented based on a consensus of the wider 
international society.  Moreover, Japan was contri buting to the preparation of the first Europe and  WT/CTE/M/40 
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North Asia Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (ENAFLEG) Ministerial Conference to be held in Russia in November 2005.   
46. He said that the efforts to combat illegal logging  would contribute to the market credibility of 
wood products while protecting the environment, maintaining stable wood products trading, and 
promoting "sustainable development" and the "m utual supportiveness of trade and environment", as 
referred to in the DDA.  Japan would make an effo rt to further combat illegal logging in cooperation 
with relevant neighbouring countries, and would cont inue to report the progress of this commitment to 
the CTE in order to share experiences and promote transparency.   
47. The representative of Venezuela
 said that illegal logging was also an important issue for his 
country, and relevant national legisl ation was in place.  He highlighted the importance of looking into 
the relationship between illegal logging and poverty.  He believed that the problem of illegal logging 
would not be resolved with trade measures al one, without addressing poverty reduction.   
48. The representative of Indonesia  welcomed Japan's efforts in combatting illegal logging.  He 
agreed that illegal logging, which affected the global environment, was a global issue.  He shared the 
view of Venezuela that addressing the issue of pove rty would help to solve the problem of illegal 
logging.  He said that combatting illegal logging w as high on his government's agenda.  While having 
undertaken stringent policies to reduce illegal logging  at the domestic level, Indonesia also recognized 
that the problem could only be successfully addressed if there was greater awareness and a sense of urgency at the international level.  In this c ontext, Indonesia continued to support efforts at the 
international level, such as those in the ITTO and UNFF.   
49. The representative of the European Communities
 said that the EU was also continuing its 
efforts to address the issue of illegal logging.  A programme on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance 
and Trade (FLEGT) was in place.  He believed that trade had a role to play in the issue of illegal 
logging, although it might not be the most predomin ant.  Other important elements included poverty 
reduction and forest management.  He welc omed further debate on this subject.  
50. The Committee took note  of the statements made.  
 
B. PARAGRAPH  32(II)  (TRIPS) 
 The relevant provisions of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property 
 Rights (TRIPS)   
51. No statements were made under this sub-item. 
C. PARAGRAPH  32(III)  (LABELLING) 
 Labelling for Environmental Purposes 
52. The representative of the European Communities  recalled that during the discussion under 
Paragraph 32 (i), voluntary standards had been id entified as one of the issues which needed further 
work in the CTE.  He believed that this issue li nked to labelling, since voluntary standards were often 
transposed into labels.   
53. On the discussion of labelling in the CTE, he said that the Committee had shifted five years 
ago from a debate on voluntary and mandatory labels and how these ca me under TBT rules to, lately, 
a debate focusing on market access issues.  The EC was proactive in the discussion on labelling, no 
longer because it wished to secure WTO compatib ility of certain aspects of labelling, since the 
question of whether or not these labels could exis t was no longer disputed.  Instead, the question was WT/CTE/M/40 
Page 10  
 
how to avoid their negative impacts on market access .  He recalled that before Cancun, his delegation 
had put forward a proactive work programme on labelli ng, listing the issues at stake.  He invited other 
Members to revisit this proposal. 
54. The Committee took note
 of the statement made. 
D. OTHER  ITEMS  ON THE  CTE  AGENDA 
 Environmental Database (EDB) 
55. The Chairman , referring to Item 4 of the CTE Work Programme with respect to the 
transparency of trade measures used for enviro nmental purposes, drew Members' attention to 
document WT/CTE/EDB/2, which contained the envi ronmental database (EDB) for the year 2002.   
56. The representative of Egypt  found the document comprehensive and useful.  The value of the 
EDB was that it summed up in one single document all the measures dealt with in different WTO 
bodies which pertained to the environment.  It provide d relevant figures with respect to a specific year 
and trends over the years.  From the EDB, one c ould have a quick grasp of the various measures and 
environmentally related objectives, and could go to  the relevant notifications and documents for 
further details, if needed.  He believed that the document could also be useful to the CTE Special 
Session (CTESS) under its negotiating mandate of Para graph 31 (i), since it c ontained information on 
policies of various Members related to specific MEAs and specific WTO rules, such as in the area of import licensing.     
57. For the preparation of future EDBs, he suggest ed that the search word s be extended to cover 
also:  pesticides, chemicals, pollutants, fertilizers and eco taxes.  On the notification part of the 
document, he suggested to include under each Agr eement a preamble paragraph, similar to that on 
page 8 of WT/CTE/EDB/2 for the TBT Agreement;  and, whenever possible,  an executive summary, 
similar to that on page 20 for the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures to describe 
the measures and products involved.   
58. The representative of Pakistan
, referring to the search words fo r future EDBs, suggested also 
including the following:  effluent, mangroves, water body and cleaner production.   
59. The representative of the European Communities  appreciated the work which had been put 
into the preparation of the EDB.  He found the doc ument comprehensive.  It was a useful resource, 
not only for delegations, but also for anyone w ho wished to have a glance at the trade and 
environment interface in the WTO.  It provided an idea of the issues relevant to the environment that 
were being addressed or notified in the WTO.  The EDB also reflected that, in addition to the CTE, 
trade and environment issues could be found in the wo rk of other WTO bodies, su ch as in the areas of 
agriculture and subsidies.  One had to be reminded,  when defining the specific task of the CTE, that 
many elements were taking place in various WTO forum, outside the CTE.  Together they formed the work on trade and environment in the WTO.   
60. The representative of Canada
 appreciated the voluminous info rmation provided in the EDB.  
He noted that there was a lack of notification by Members on voluntary labelling and certification 
schemes, even when governments were involved in su ch activities.  He regretted that these measures, 
which impacted upon market access, were not notified.   
 Fisheries Subsidies 
61. The representative of UNEP  briefed the CTE on the result of a recent Roundtable on 
Promoting Development and Sustainability in Fisher ies Subsidies Disciplines.  This Roundtable, held 
in June 2005, focusing on trade, development, and sustainability in the current WTO fisheries  WT/CTE/M/40 
 Page 11 
 
 
subsidies negotiations, was the sixth workshop hos ted by UNEP on the subject.  Informal dialogue 
had been held on a number of selected technical issu es, namely, to identify options that advanced the 
sustainable development of artisanal fisheries while disciplining subsidies;  to  investigate how special 
and differential treatment in the context of fi sheries subsidies could link new trade rules to 
development, poverty reduction and environmental issues;  and to id entify follow-up steps to direct 
UNEP’s future efforts in this area.  (The stat ement is contained in document WT/CTE/GEN/20).  
62. The Committee took note  of the statements made.   
II. PARAGRAPH 33 
We recognize the importance of technical assistance and capacity building in the 
field of trade and environment to d eveloping countries, in particular the 
least-developed among them.  We also en courage that expertise and experience be 
shared with Members wishing to perform envi ronmental reviews at the national level.   
 Environmental Reviews 
63. The representative of the European Communities  informed the CTE of recent developments 
in the EC programme on trade sustainability impa ct assessment, more specifically, the studies on 
WTO negotiations and the possible impact in the agri culture, forestry and distribution sectors.  These 
studies had been finished, and the findings were av ailable on the EC DG Trade web site.  He pointed 
out that the European Commission committed itself to these studies which had been carried out by 
consultants.  However, it took a position on them, since it did not agree w ith everything in the 
findings.  He recalled that, in certain sectors, such as pharmaceuticals and chemicals, the Commission 
had published its own position.  He believed that this programme was necessary, and was an 
important element of policy making.  It fac ilitated understanding of the impacts of the EC's 
negotiations in the WTO and with respect to bilateral agreements, such as the ACP economic 
partnership agreements and the Cotonou Agreement.    
64. He pointed out that it was not an easy task to conduct sustainability impact assessments.  
These assessments could cover the impacts of trade liberalization on the environment and poverty 
reduction, as well as its social impact.  He recalle d that there had been relevant documentation and 
workshops held by the EC and its member States,  and some of them had focussed on methodology.  
The EC was planning to provide further input rega rding the access to some of the documentation.  He 
announced that a conference on impact assessments, si milar to the one held in February 2003, would 
be hosted by the EC early next year, and all Memb ers would be invited.  The objectives of this 
conference would be to raise awareness;  to take stoc k of the problems;  and to refine this policy tool 
with inputs from stakeholders.  He believed that th is subject-matter also linked to the issue discussed 
under Paragraph 32 (i) on impact as sessments regarding regulations.   
65. The representative of Canada  informed the CTE that Canada had a three-stage process of 
environmental assessment of trade negotiations.  He recalled that the preliminary assessment of the Doha Round had been tabled some time ago.  At present, the se cond stage was being embarked upon, 
and the draft assessment would hopefully be availa ble by Hong Kong Ministerial Conference.   
66. The Committee took note
 of the statements made. WT/CTE/M/40 
Page 12  
 
III. PARAGRAPH 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 sustai nable development appropriately reflected. 
67. The Chairman
 recalled that at the previous meeting, Members had held discussions on a WTO 
Symposium on Trade and Sustainable Development w ithin the Framework of Paragraph 51 of the 
Doha Declaration to be held on 10-11 October 2005, back-to-back with the forthcoming CTE 
meeting.  It had been agreed that, on the basis of a tentative programme prepared by the Secretariat in 
light of Members' suggestions and comments, the Secretariat would start making the necessary 
arrangements for the event.  He informed the C TE that progress had been made in identifying 
experienced individuals from international organiza tions involved in sustainable development issues 
as speakers on the various topics.  While some of th em had been able to commit to participating, 
others had yet to confirm their availability.  The Secretariat would circulate an updated draft 
programme after the summer break.   
68. With respect to the arrangements for the Symposium, the Secretariat  informed the CTE that, 
at this stage, no funds had been secured for the pa rticipation of capital-based experts.  She recalled 
that when this event was decided on in October 2004, the Secretariat had had in mind that, in the summer of 2004, a Geneva-based WTO Seminar on Trade and Environment for capital-based 
delegates had been inserted in the draft Technical Assistance (TA) Plan for 2005.  The Paragraph 51 
Symposium would have been a substitute for this WTO Seminar.  The draft 2005 TA Plan was then 
considered by Members in the Committee of Trade and Development (CTD).   
69. The Secretariat
 from the Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation explained that 
during the discussion of the draft 2005 TA Plan in the CTD, there had been a number of concerns regarding the funding of capital-b ased delegations for Geneva-based events.  In the Doha Mandate, 
references had been made to TA activities in different fields under the various WTO committees.  The 
Secretariat had been trying to draw up annually a draft TA plan which covered all these areas.  In 
2004, in the preparation of the 2005 Plan, approximately 20 requests had been made for the organization of Geneva-based workshops, includi ng those requesting funding to finance the 
participation of capital-based officials.  The fina ncing of such events would cost up to CHF one 
million each.  Since the annual budget of the DDA Global Trust Fund contributed by Members for 
WTO TA activities was a total of CHF 24 million, the 20 Geneva-based work shops for capital-based 
officials would have exhausted most of the annual budget.  Furthermore, some Members in the CTD 
had had doubts with regard to considering Geneva-based events as appropriate TA activities, and 
believed that the amount spent on these activities coul d be used to finance other training or TA 
activities.  As a result, it had been decided to reduce the funding of Geneva-based activities for 
capital-based officials.  Consequently, the Sympos ium on Trade and Environment had been listed in 
the final 2005 TA Plan (contained in WT/COMTD/W/133/Rev.2, dated 16 December 2004) as a 
Geneva-based activity for Geneva-based delegates. 
70. He said that, each year, the WTO TA plan w as consulted and approved by Members in the 
CTD.  It could be useful for dele gations in the CTE to coordinate w ith their colleagues responsible for 
the CTD to obtain a better understanding of the situa tion.  In this regard, he informed Members that 
the discussion on the 2006 TA Plan was under way.   
71. The Committee took note
 of the statements made.   WT/CTE/M/40 
 Page 13 
 
 
IV. OTHER BUSINESS 
72. The representative of Brazil  drew the attention of the CTE to an issue regarding trade in used 
and retreaded tyres (document WT/CTE/W/241).  He  highlighted that the growing generation of 
waste tyres in the territory of Brazil was a matter of  great concern, since it threatened the environment 
and posed health problems.  
73. He said that tyres were not ordinary products.  Designed to be both durable and robust, tyres 
contained highly combustible and pollutant material s and generated large quantities of wastes at the 
end of their life cycle.  Due to the volume and th e special characteristics of waste tyres, their 
treatment was expensive.  It involved environmenta l risks, and did not provide the guarantee of total 
elimination.  Waste tyres were considered as a prob lematic waste stream since they were difficult to 
collect,  risky to transport, costly to deposit, arduous to recycle and hard to dispose of.   
74. The waste tyres stream also represented a ma jor concern for public health authorities in 
Brazil.  The trade of tyres, and especially the trade of used tyres, was proven to be one of the main 
causes of the spread of viral di seases around the world.  Moreover, it was widely acknowledged that 
tyres discarded in the environment were ideal br eeding places for mosquitoes that transmitted serious 
diseases such as dengue and yellow fever.  Other risk s to human health derived, for example, from air 
and soil contamination resulting from huge fires that frequently occurred where tyres were stockpiled.   
75. He said that the trade of used and retreaded  tyres was at the root of many of these 
environmental and health troubles.  While used ty res were themselves wast es, retreaded tyres had 
shorter lifespan vis-a-vis  imported or locally produced new tyres.  Given the fact that used and 
retreaded tyres generated wastes sooner than new ty res did, imports of these products introduced in 
the territory of the importing country extra amounts of waste to be disposed of.  Therefore, imports of 
used and retreaded tyres did aggravate the envir onmental burden of importing countries.  Brazil was 
of the view that any country lacking capacity to ad equately deal with the environmental and health 
consequences of this type of undesirable commerc e should have fully recognized their rights to 
impede it.  He highlighted Article XX of GATT 1994 on general exceptions, which laid out a number 
of specific instances in which WTO Members might be exempted from GATT rules, such as for the 
protection of human, animal or plant life or h ealth.  Based on Article XX, many WTO Members, 
particularly developing country Members, had a dopted measures to prevent the import of shorter 
lifespan products, thus avoiding premature generation of wastes in their territories. 
76. He noted that approximately 1 b illion tyres reached the end of their life cycle each year in the 
world, and were subsequently discarded.  This huge number itself indicated that the waste tyres 
stream was not a problem circumscribed to Brazil, but an environmental problem worldwide.  Brazil 
was aware that policies and regulations adopted by so me countries as part of their waste management 
schemes might impact negatively on the efforts made by other countries to implement sound management practices regarding waste tyres.  In Br azil’s view, the international trade of used and 
retreaded tyres introduced a new perspective to the pr oblem of waste tyre management in view of the 
reduced life cycle of these products.   
77. In practice, the environmental impacts deri ving from the increasing generation of rubber 
wastes, especially in the developed world, were in creasingly being transferred somewhere else in the 
product chain.  Brazil was specially concerned over the dynamic trade flows of used and retreaded 
tyres from developed to developing countries.  He said that several developed countries stimulated 
exports of used and retreaded tyres as a form of reducing the volumes of scrap tyres generated in their 
territories.  In fact, exports of used and retreaded  tyres were not only regarded by many developed 
countries as a valid option for disposal of waste tyr es, but this "option" app eared in their official 
statistics side by side with other disposal alternativ es such as recycling, energy recovery or landfilling.  
He found it unfair that developed countries adopted waste management strategies which included, in WT/CTE/M/40 
Page 14  
 
practice, dumping of used tyres in developing c ountries.  It was unacceptable that developing 
countries appeared as the market solution for en vironmental problems of developed countries. 
78. To illustrate Brazil's concerns, he gave the exam ple of the efforts made by the EC to address 
its waste tyres stream problems.  He said that EC's authorities had been among the first to respond 
legally and administratively to the problems caused to human health and the environment by wastes. 
The Directive on Waste, dating back to July 1975,  had established the first regulatory framework for 
the management of wastes in the EC.  Subsequent ly, several other regulations had been adopted to 
address this issue.  From 1999 on, the following three Directives relating to the management of wastes 
had generated effects on the management of the wast e tyres stream: the Landfill Directive;  the End of 
Life Vehicle Directive;  and the Waste Incineration Directive. 
79. While tyres were not the exclusive focus of the Landfill Directive (Council Directive 
1999/31/EC), they were the only products specifically me ntioned in the text of that rule, and were the 
ones that had been most severely impacted upon by the cited regulation.  Since landfilling was not 
recommend as a sound option for the disposal of waste tyres, as of 2006, whole, cut or shredded tyres would be banned from landfills within the EU.  Th e immediate consequence of the implementation of 
the Landfill Directive was that EU member States w ould have to find another destination for around 
30 per cent of the approximately 300 million tyres discarded each year in the EU. 
80. According to the End of Life Vehicle Direc tive (European Parliament and Council Directive 
2000/53/EC), all EU member States would be required to ensure that the reus e or recovery rate for 
this waste stream be raised to 85 per cent by Ja nuary 2006 and up to 95 per cent by January 2015.  It 
had been estimated that the implementation of the E nd of Life Directive would lead to the return to 
the market of approximately 300,000 tonnes of waste tyres that were currently sent to landfills by 
vehicle dismantlers and shredders. 
81. The Waste Incineration Directive (European Parliament and Council Directive 2000/76/EC) 
which established emission limit standards for plants incinerating wastes within the EC, was intented 
to prevent or limit as far as practicable emissions into air, soil, surface and ground water resulting 
from incineration activities.  It had been estimated that more than 100,000 tonnes of waste tyres 
would be affected by the implementation of the Wast e Incineration Directive, and would return to the 
market. 
82. Brazil understood the efforts made by the EC to address the problems posed by the 
accumulation of waste tyres in the territories of its member States.  Nevertheless, Brazil considered 
that each country should bear the burden of disposin g of the wastes generated in its territory.  Brazil 
could not accept that, as a result of the implementati on of the cited Directives, part of the EC's 
environmental burden was transferred to third c ountries.  Due to the implementation of the EC 
Directives, tyres that were currently  disposed of in landfills in the EC would have to return to the 
market.  Moreover, tyres that would normally be sent to landfills, together with the end of life 
vehicles, would have to be treated in other ways.  Furthermore, tyres that were to be incinerated in 
cement kilns or in other incineration plants would re turn to the market as a result of the new and more 
stringent dioxin emission levels adopted in the EC.  As a consequence, it was fo reseeable that disposal 
costs were likely to increase and illegal dumping and in adequate storage would continue to worsen in 
the EC.  Another consequence of the implementati on of the EU Directives would be an increasing 
pressure for new markets for EC's used and retread ed tyres.  Consumers all over the world had a 
perception that used tyres were trash and that retreaded tyres were low quality products.  Since 
European consumers prefered new ty res to shorter lifespan products (re treaded tyres) or wastes (used 
tyres), the EC would need to seek consum ers of these products outside its borders. 
83. Since tyres were irreplaceable goods, rational and efficient waste management schemes were 
required to reduce the harmful effects of the ever-growing generation of waste tyres on the 
environment and human health.  Brazil had adopt ed a series of measures to address the problems  WT/CTE/M/40 
 Page 15 
 
 
resulting from the increasing generation of waste tyres in its territory.  The objective was to maintain 
sustainable and adequate management schemes which was able to provide long-term solutions to the 
environmental and health threats posed by one of the least desirable leftovers of the automobile 
industry.  According to the Brazilian Constitutio n, the Brazilian Government had to "defend and 
preserve the environment for the present and future  generations "(Article 225) and to guarantee the 
right to health "by means of social and econom ic policies aimed at reducing the risk of illness 
"(Article 196).  Pursuant to the cited constitutional provisos, the Brazilian government adopted the 
following measures:  (a) to prohibit landfilling and burn ing of used tyres;  (b) to attach responsibility 
to producers and importers of tyres for the collecti on and disposal of the product when it reached the 
end of its life cycle;  (c) to define and monitor the environmentally sound options for disposal and 
elimination of waste tyres;  (d) to require compulsory environmental licensing for companies 
dedicated to the elimination of waste tyres;  (e ) to discipline the use of  waste tyres co-processing 
technologies in cement production;  (f) to control emi ssions in industrial plants coprocessing tyres;  
(g) to define, as administrative infractions, the impor tation itself and the trade, transport, storage, 
guard or deposit of imported used or retreaded tyr es;  and (h) to create pecuniary sanctions to punish 
environmental administrative infractions. Moreover, in order to achieve the cited objectives, and in 
harmony with the widely accepted principle of sustai nable development - included in the preamble of 
the WTO Agreement - Brazil banned impor ts of used and retreaded tyres. 
84. In Brazil's view, the export of used and retr eaded tyres corresponded, in practice, to the 
transfer to other countries, in particular developing countries, of the social, economic and environmental burden for the disposal of wastes ge nerated by tyres.  He concluded that Brazil 
understood its rights and obligations to reduce the e nvironmental and health threats that might arise 
from the accumulation of waste tyres in its territory .  Brazil also understood that each Member had to 
bear the burden resulting from the generation of wastes in its territory, avoiding the transfer of such a 
burden to other countries.  This was particularly true  as concerned developing countries, where, often, 
there was a lack of capacity, resources and exper tise to assess the risks associ ated with imports of 
short lifespan products and to deal with the pr oblems resulting from the waste tyres stream.   
85. He informed the CTE that a decision had been  taken in the working group of the Basel 
Convention to adopt as a priority of its work pr ogramme the review and updating of the Convention 
directives on the identification and environmentally sound management of used tyres.   
86. The representative of Argentina
 recalled that at this meeting,  the CTE had heard a number of 
interventions regarding environmental problems caused by  the transfer of waste in the various sectors.  
He thanked Brazil for demonstrating the problems re garding the tyre sector.  It demonstrated the 
problems which could be caused by the transfer of en vironmental liability.  It created concerns in all 
countries from an environmental point of view and al so from the point of view of human health.  He 
shared the concerns raised by Brazil, and believed that these were issues which the CTE should reflect 
upon. 
87. The representative of China  thanked Brazil for the information, and shared the sentiment 
expressed.  He said that, in China, similar measu res had been adopted.  He noted that, under the 
Dispute Settlement Body (DSB), there had been a request from the EC for consultations on Brazil's 
measures affecting imports of retreaded tyres.   China was interested in the proceedings. 
88. The representative of Thailand  found the Brazilian statement useful, and sympathized with 
the concerns expressed.  He recalled that, in the p ast, Thailand had been the location for the dumping 
of used tyres, a problem for which his governme nt was taking domestic action to remediate and 
correct.  He agreed that the issue of waste a nd second-hand tyres was a global problem which needed 
to be addressed expeditiously.   
89. The representative of Venezuela  thanked Brazil for the information and shared its concerns.  
He recalled that, in the past, Venezuela had su ffered from being the dumping ground of waste from WT/CTE/M/40 
Page 16  
 
industrialized countries.  He noted that the specifi c concern expressed was that many industrialized 
countries were exporting their waste as used products.  This created not only environmental problems, 
but also health and safety problems.   
90. The representative of Cuba
 shared the concerns expressed, and believed that these problems 
which related to the environment, health a nd trade, should be looked into by the CTE. 
91. The representative of the European Communities  did not wish to comment on this matter at 
this stage in the CTE, since it was now under the DS B.  However, he was surprised that this ongoing 
problem with respect to used tyres had not been ra ised in the CTE before.  Disregarding this specific 
case, he believed that Members should bring back to  the CTE, early enough, trade and environment 
issues for its reflection before it was too late.  
92. The representative of UNCTAD  said that as part of the sectoral discussions in Bangkok on 
EEE, there had been discussions related to the Basel Convention.  He noted that Thailand had adopted 
measures to regulate second-hand items, such as second- hand EEE, and that relevant information was 
available.   
93. The Committee took note  of the statements made.  
94. The Chairman  informed the CTE that its next mee ting would be held on 12 October 2005.   
 
__________