. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/CTE/15 
10 December 2008 
 (08-6068) 
  
  
 
REPORT (2008) OF THE COMMIT TEE ON TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT 
 
 1. The CTE work was organized in accordance with  the mandate contained in Paragraph 32 of 
the Doha Ministerial Declaration (DMD).
1  Particular attention was given to market access issues 
(Paragraph 32(i))2, the relevant provisions of the TRIPS Agreement (Paragraph  32(ii)), and labelling 
requirements for environmental purposes (Paragraph  32( iii)).  The CTE also continued its analysis of 
the other items of its work programme.  Pursua nt to Paragraph 33, Members discussed technical 
assistance, capacity building and environmental re views.  Under Paragraph 51, Members undertook to 
identify and debate the developmenta l and environmental aspects of th e negotiations, in order to help 
achieve the objective of having sustainable deve lopment appropriately reflected.  In 2008, the 
Committee on Trade and Environment in Regular Session (CTE) held one meeting on 3 November 
under the chairmanship of Dr. Wieslaw Karsz (Poland).3   
2. At that meeting, on Paragraph 32(i), the CTE heard briefings from observer organizations on 
their recent activities related to environmental re quirements and market access, and "win-win-win" 
situations.  On organic agricultural products, th e representatives from ITC, UNCTAD and UNEP gave 
presentations that included the following aspects:  current organic production and trade;  main 
challenges of organic exports for developing countries;  and some possible solutions and tools regarding equivalence and harmonization of standard s, requirements for organic certification bodies, 
and best practices for developing country governments to promote the organic sector.  On private 
standards, the representative from UNCTAD inform ed the CTE on UNCTAD's recent studies on the 
challenges and opportunities arising from privat e standards on food safety and environment for 
exports of fresh fruit and vegetables.  On biof uels certification, the representative from UNCTAD 
presented a recent publication entitled "Making Certif ication Work for Sustainable Development:  
The Case of Biofuels."  On Energy subsid ies, UNEP presented a recent publication entitled 
"Reforming Energy Subsidies:  Opportunity to Contribute to the Climate Change Agenda."   
3. Under Paragraph 32(iii) on labelling requireme nts for environmental purposes, the CTE was 
informed of the Australian national experien ce on minimum energy performance standards and 
mandatory labelling  requirements that had led to an increase in  sales of energy efficient appliances in 
Australia.    
4. With respect to the transparency of trade measures used for environmental purposes, the 
Committee took note of the Secretariat pa per on 2005 Environmental Database.   
5. Regarding Paragraph 33 on technical assistance and capacity building,  the Secretariat 
reported to the CTE on its 2008 technical assistance ac tivities in the area of trade and environment.  
Under the same Paragraph, regarding experience sharing on environmental reviews, an update was 
                                                     
 
1 Hereafter paragraph numbers refer to those of the Doha Ministerial Declaration. 
2 The full text of paragraph 32(i) reads: "... the effect of environmental m easures on market access, 
especially in relation to developing countries, in partic ular the least-developed among them, and those situations 
in which the elimination or reduction of trade restrictions and distortions would benefit trade, the environment and development". 
3 The report of the meeting is contained in document WT/CTE/M/[46]. WT/CTE/15 
Page 2  
 
  prepared by the Secretariat of a list of trade rela ted environmental reviews which had been, or were 
being carried out.   
6. Under "Other business", a representative from the OECD  briefed the CTE on its recent work 
on environmental provisions contai ned in regional trade agreements.  New Zealand shared its 
experience on mutual cooperative ac tivities under such agreements. 
7. On climate change, the delegation of Indonesia presented the communication from Indonesia 
to the General Council on "Chair's Summary – Info rmal Trade Ministers Dialogue on Climate Change 
Issues, Jimbaran, Bali, 8-9 December 2007" (document WT/L/717).  A representative from the 
Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Conve ntion on Climate Change (UNFCCC) briefed the 
CTE on the outcome of the 13
th session of the Conference of Parties (COP-13) to the UNFCCC held 
in Bali in December 2007 and the developments si nce then.  A representative from the ISO informed 
the CTE on its recent standardization work related to climate change.  Following the presentations, a 
number of delegations made statements which incl uded the following aspects:  climate change was a 
global challenge, and the WTO was relevant, not ably on the mutual supportiveness of trade and 
environment and opening of envi ronmental goods and services marke t;  a multilateral approach was 
the way forward to combat climate change;  further information exchange and discussions on trade 
and climate change was important, includi ng continuing discussions in the WTO.   
8. The CTE also heard briefings on the outcome of the ninth meeting of the Conference of the 
Parties to the CBD (COP-9) held in Bonn in May 2008 and the WTO-related decisions taken at the 
57th meeting of the CITES Standing Co mmittee held in July 2008.    
 
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