. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/CTE/13 
11 December 2006 
 
 (06-5926) 
 
  
REPORT (2006) OF THE COMMIT TEE ON TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT 
 
 
1. During the reported period, the Committee on Trade and Environment in Regular Session 
(CTE) held one meeting on 5 July 2006 under the chairmanship of Ambassador Shree Baboo 
Chekitan Servansing (Mauritius).
1  A further meeting will be held on 18 December 2006. 
2. The work of the CTE was organized in accordance with the mandate contained in 
Paragraph 32 of the Doha Ministerial Declaration (DMD).2  Particular attention was given to market 
access issues (Paragraph 32(i))3 and the relevant provisions of the TRIPS Agreement (Paragraph  
32(ii)).  Pursuant to Paragraph 33, Members di scussed technical assistance, capacity building and 
environmental reviews.  Under Paragraph 51,  Members undertook to identify and debate the 
developmental and environmental aspec ts of the negotiations, in order to help achieve the objective of 
having sustainable development appropriately reflected. 
3. At the meeting of 5 July 2006, on Paragraph 32( i) regarding the effects of environmental 
measures on market access, the CTE heard presentations by the OECD and UNCTAD on outcomes of their respective case studies and latest activities rega rding environmental requirements and market 
access.  Subsequently, the Secretariat was requested  to prepare a note to provide an overview on the 
recent work in this area carried out in these other international organizations  and in relevant WTO 
bodies, namely the TBT and SPS Committees.  On sectoral discussion, UNEP informed the CTE of 
the outcome of its recent workshop on Development and Sustainability of the WTO Fishery Subsidies 
Negotiations:  issues and alternatives.  Under Pa ragraph 32(ii), Norway informed the CTE of its 
proposal tabled at the TRIPS Council for the amendm ent of the TRIPS Agreement with respect to the 
disclosure of the source and country of origin of  any biological resources or traditional knowledge 
used in invention.  The CTE also continued its work on the other items of the work programme.  
Under item 4 of the CTE Work Programme on transp arency, it took note of the Environmental Data 
Base for 2003 prepared by the Secretariat (WT/CTE/EDB/3).  
4. On Paragraph 33 regarding e nvironmental reviews, the EC  presented its paper on Trade 
Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA) of  WTO DDA Negotiation, drawing the Committee's 
attention to the findings on DDA and the sectoral DDA of fisheries, and the outcome of the EC Trade 
SIA Stocktaking Conference held in March 2006.  Experience was also shared by Canada on its 
national activities on environmental review, and by UNEP on its technical assistance projects on national trade liberalization assessments.  
5. On Paragraph 51, with a view to facilitate furt her discussion, the Secretariat was requested to 
prepare a paper reflecting the state of play of th e discussions on environment-related issues in the 
DDA negotiations.  
                                                     
 
1The report of the meeting is contai ned in document WT/CTE/M/42.  
2Hereafter paragraph numbers refer to thos e of the Doha Ministerial Declaration. 
3The full text of Paragraph 32(i) reads:  "the effect of environmental measures on market access, especially in 
relation to developing countries, in partic ular the least-developed am ong them, and those situations  in which the elimination 
or reduction of trade restrictions and distortions would benefit trade,  the environment and development". WT/CTE/13 
Page 2  
 
  6. Under other business, the Committee took note of the request from the Energy Charter 
Conference for observer status in the Committee, and agreed to postpone its discussion on this, 
pending the discussion in the General Council.   
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