. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(09)/ST/30 
1 December 2009 
 (09-6083) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Seventh Session Geneva, 30 November - 2 December 2009 Original:   English 
 
  
ITALY 
 
Statement by Mr Amedeo Teti
 
Director-General for International Trade Policy  
   Italy strongly rejects protectionism and is deeply committed to working towards a positive 
and prompt conclusion of the Doha Round. 
 
 As a G-20 Member and President of the L'Aqu ila G-8 Summit, Italy actively contributed to 
re-launching the DDA negotiations and establis hing the 2010 deadline for closing the Round. 
  Technical negotiators are doing their best, but meeting such a deadline requires more:  it requires real political will which will make it possible to address the outstanding issues, both in 
agricultural and non-agricultural areas, opening ma rkets and removing tariff and non-tariff barriers. 
  Our position has been well represented here yesterday by the European Union Commissioner 
for Trade.  
 Let me take this opportunity to stress some  aspects to which Italy attaches particular 
importance.   The Round should reach a positive outcome for all participating countries;  therefore its 
results should be complemented by greater assi stance to Least Developed Countries, transferring 
technology and creating opportunities for new North-S outh business partnerships.  To this regard, we 
welcome all the efforts to deliver on Aid for Trade. 
  In particular, Italy has contributed to acceler ating African countries' development through the 
adoption of modern trade and investment faciliti es, and the improvement of human and professional 
local resources. 
 
 This Round is also the occasion to develop to ols for improving the protection of Intellectual 
Property Rights.  We have to ensure a high level of  protection for geographical indications all over the 
world.  In this regard, we strongly support the ad option of a compulsory multilateral Register and the 
extension of protection to products other than wine  and spirits.  The products concerned are a limited 
number but they are very significant  for our economies. 
  Moreover, we consider that WTO trade obj ectives should be coherent with social and 
environmental policies.  In view of the Copenha gen Conference, we deem it necessary to reach an 
agreement to facilitate the environmental goods a nd services trade alongside a monitoring system on 
carbon leakage. 
 WT/MIN(09)/ST/30 
Page 2  
 
   Italy is strongly committed to opposing protectionism and stresses the utmost importance of 
struggling against unfair trade by maintaining trade defence instruments such as anti-dumping.  In our 
view, these instruments should not be perceived as protectionist measures but as instruments which 
make possible opposing unfair commercial practices.  
 Lastly, we attach the utmost importance to the accession processes to the WTO.  In particular, 
we strongly encourage any possible efforts to fa vour the prompt conclusion of the Russia accession 
process.   WTO will thus be recognized as having an authentic character of universality.   Today, 1 December 2009, is the day of a new European era, when the Lisbon Treaty enters 
into force.  We also take this is the time to ente r a new age of global trade, an age, having overcome 
the current crisis, rich of benefits for the whole of mankind.  
__________