97-5637  MORE  
TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT BULLETIN 
 
PRESS/TE/021 
19 December 1997 
WTO COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND ENVIRONMENT WELCOMES INFORMATION 
SESSION WITH MEA SECRETARIATS, DISCUSSES ITEMS RELATED TO THE  
LINKAGES BETWEEN THE MULTILATERAL ENVIRONMENT AND TRADE AGENDAS, 
SERVICES AND THE ENVIRONMENT, RELATIONS  
WITH NGOs AND IGOs, AND ADOPTS 1997 REPORT  
 The WTO Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE) held meetings on 22-24 September 
and 24-25 November 1997 under the chairmanship of Ambassador Björn Ekblom of Finland. 
 At its meeting on 22-24 September, the CTE invited Secretariats of several multilateral 
environmental agreements and multilateral financ ial mechanisms to brief Members on the trade-
related developments in their agreements and mech anisms.  Following the "cluster approach" adopted 
at the beginning of the year (See Trade and Environment Bulletin No. 17  ), delegations discussed the 
Items on their agenda related to the linkages betw een the multilateral environment and trade agendas, 
namely Items 1 & 5, 7 and 8.  Other Items whic h were raised by delegations for discussion were 
Items 2, 3 and 6.  The CTE extended observer st atus to the Latin American Economic System 
(SELA). 
 On 24-25 November, the CTE met to address It ems 9 and 10 and adopt its 1997 Report to the 
WTO General Council.  The US introduced a new pa per on how trade liberalization in the services 
sector could yield environmental benefits.  Other Item s raised at the meeting were 1 & 5, 6, and 8.  
The 1997 Report of the CTE has been issued separately in Trade and Environment Bulletin No. 20 . 
 This Bulletin summarizes the discussions in the CTE at the September and November 
meetings.  PRESS/TE/021 
 Page 2/3 
 
 
  MORE The CTE meeting held on 22-24 September 1997 
Items 1 & 5 The relationship between the provi sions of the multilateral trading system and 
trade measures for environmental purposes, including those pursuant to 
multilateral environmental agreements (M EAs);  & the relationship between the 
dispute settlement mechanisms in the mu ltilateral trading system and those found 
in MEAs 
 Members welcomed the papers submitted and presentations made by MEA Secretariats and 
financial mechanisms1, and expressed their desire to have mo re such presentations in future.  
Members also welcomed a paper, prepared by the WTO Secretariat, on GATT/WTO dispute settlement practice relating to Article XX of GATT. 
 New Zealand, Canada, the US, Australia a nd the EC were amongst the delegations that 
emphasized the importance of more dialogue betw een trade and environment policy makers.  The 
importance of national coordinati on in this regard was also re iterated by many delegations. 
 The EC, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Argentina, a nd other Members said that positive measures 
were important within the context of MEAs, and th at trade measures were only part of a package of 
measures.  In addition, Australia said that MEAs had a role in developing technical guidelines, 
providing technical assistance, facilitating technolo gy transfer and improving national capacities to 
manage environmental concerns.  
 The EC reiterated its commitment to the principles in its non-paper (19 February 1996) and 
noted the need to devise solutions in the WTO to  accommodate trade measures pursuant to MEAs.  
The necessary safeguards, particularly for MEA non-par ties, were already contained in the chapeau to 
Article XX, which precluded the use of trade measur es for protectionist purposes, and their arbitrary 
or discriminatory application.  The EC would not  accept the establishment of a framework concerning 
the use of trade measures in MEAs which would be more restrictive than current WTO rules.  
Although environmental protection was not explic itly mentioned in Article XX, environmental 
measures could be justified under Article XX(b) and (g).  However, whilst the dispute settlement 
process was playing a role in finding scope for accommodating environment-related trade measures in 
the WTO, this matter should also be addressed directly in the CTE.  In this respect, Japan, Canada, the 
EC and Nigeria, said that, beyond legal t echnicalities, political choices were required. 
 Japan, New Zealand and Korea suggested that work on the relationship between the WTO and 
trade measures in MEAs be based on the differentia ted approach, taking into account the fact that 
MEAs were the desirable form of cooperation to deal with transboundary or global environmental 
issues.  Japan felt that by providing a certain pred ictability for the use of trade measures pursuant to 
MEAs, the WTO would avoid unilateral trade restrictions.  In general, the objectives of MEAs should be widely shared and participation in MEAs  should be open to all concerned countries. 
 Switzerland said that Article XX had been interpreted on a case-by-case basis, which had led 
to a certain legal insecurity for MEA negotiators.  Article XX exceptions may be invoked as a right, 
Switzerland said, while noting that the obligations in the chapeau provided di sciplines against misuse 
                                                      
1Representatives from the following Secretariats made presentations:  the Convention on International 
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna, the Basel Convention on the Transboundary Movements 
of Hazardous Wastes and Their Dispos al, the Montreal Protocol, and the Global Environment Facility.  The 
Secretariat of the UN Framework Conv ention on Climate Change was unable to participate at the meeting, but 
submitted a statement.  Copies of the papers submitted are available upon request to the Trade and Environment 
Division, WTO Secretariat and can be accessed at http:/www.wto.org.  PRESS/TE/021 
Page 4  
 
  MORE of these exceptions.  For Switzerland, panels were not intended to study Article XX exceptions which 
had not been invoked by the defendant because of th e limited and conditional nature of the exceptions 
but because of the general principle of judicial economy of law.  Switzerland expressed reservations 
concerning panels' interpretation of the con cept that measures were necessary pursuant to 
Article XX(b) only if there were no other measures less incompatible with GATT (least trade 
restrictive measures). 
 Hong Kong, China said Article XX(b) and (g) we re mutually exclusive;  they established 
different legal standards.  Article XX(b) estab lished "necessity" requirements, while Article XX(g) 
stipulated that a measure be "related to" a stated obj ective.  If there were an overlap in their coverage, 
then Article XX(b) would have fallen into disuse,  since Members wanting to use Article XX would 
prefer the less stringent standard established by Article XX(g).  Brazil said WTO legal scope might be 
sufficient to deal with trade-related environmental matters. 
 The US said that experience showed that, in some cases, trade measures were the best tools 
available to achieve an MEA's goals, but, however, that this should be determined on a case-by-case 
basis.  Based on Tuna II, the US said, Article XX c ould be used with respect to measures dealing with 
environmental challenges located outside a country's te rritory or jurisdiction.  The EC made a similar 
argument.  Other Members said that they did not share this view. 
 ASEAN said that the scope of Article XX did not permit the use of unilateral trade measures 
to protect extrajurisdictional envi ronmental resources;  that Article  XX required Members to adopt the 
least trade restrictive measure available, applied in a non-discriminatory manner;  that the necessity 
test in Article XX(b) set limits to the use of tr ade measures for public policy goals;  and that WTO 
jurisprudence had not permitted import restrictions based on differences in environmental policies or 
processes and production methods (PPMs). 
 Egypt said unilateral actions to achieve e nvironmental objectives were not covered in 
Article XX, and the burden of proof was on the Memb er invoking such measures.  Unilateral action to 
deal with environmental challenges outside the jurisdiction of the importing country should be 
avoided.  Trade measures addressing transboundary or global environmental problems should, as far 
as possible, be based on international cooperation.  New Zealand said that unilateral measures should 
be addressed based on existing WTO provisions. 
 Another Member felt that given the complexiti es involved in this Item, it should not be taken 
for granted that reordering the legal aspect of trad e measures in the WTO would solve the substantive 
problems with MEAs.  It was necessary to define what was meant by an MEA.  Morocco and others 
said that the concepts of necessity, effectiveness  and proportionality of trade measures should be 
addressed in order to find a solution. 
 Norway raised the following questions:  (a) concerning the relationship between Parties and 
non-parties in view of the MFN principle, should a WTO Member, which was not a Party to an MEA, be treated like a Party provided it acted in accordance with the MEA's provisions; and,  (b) concerning 
dispute settlement, should the tests in Article XX, su ch as the necessity test, be carried out in the 
WTO or in the MEA when the measure was selecte d. The issue was how to provide protection for 
MEA non-parties.  It should be clarified how trad e measures in MEAs based on non-product related 
PPMs would be dealt with in the WTO.  If a special regime in the WTO were established, it should be 
determined which MEAs should qualify for speci al treatment, taking into account the issues of 
specificity of trade measures, and participation and openness in MEAs.  
 PRESS/TE/021 
Page 5 
   MORE Item 7  The issue of exports of domestically prohibited goods 
 Delegations welcomed a paper prepared by the WTO Secretariat, which reviewed the 
information available in the WTO on the export of domestically prohibited goods (DPGs).2 
 Nigeria recalled that the 1982 and 1984 GATT Decisions called on Contracting Parties to 
notify DPGs.  Nigeria agreed with the analysis in the Secretariat's paper that indicated there was not 
much information on DPGs in notifications under th e Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and Sanitary 
and Phytosanitary  Measures (SPS) Agreements , and the Notification System on Quantitative 
Restrictions (QRs).  TBT notifications rarely  addressed exports and the TBT Agreement was not 
designed to give information on domestic producti on for export.  Nigeria proposed that the CTE 
should request Members to recommence notification of DPGs pursuant to the 1982 GATT Decision. 
 Egypt supported Nigeria on the need to revive the DPG notification system.  Egypt, Morocco 
and the EC said that a precise definition of DPGs wa s necessary for the system to be revived.  The EC 
said that although some DPG product categories were already subject to international disciplines, a 
WTO notification system could operate as a 'safety net' covering DPG exports from WTO Members which were not Parties to other DP G-related agreements.  Several delegations said  that work would be 
needed on the format of notifications. 
 Japan said DPG notifications should be based on a format designed  for DPGs.  This was 
impeded by an inadequate definition of DPG pr oduct coverage.  To help  define DPGs, Japan 
suggested using the categories set out in the Secr etariat's paper.  To ha ve a comprehensive DPG 
notification system, it would be necessary for no tifying Members to understand what information 
DPG importing countries sought.  Examples of act ual problems concerning DPGs would improve 
Members' ability to notify useful information. 
 The US said that national standards and their e ffective enforcement were the most  important 
form of protection for developing countries agains t undesirable products.  Canada, Japan and the EC 
said that there was a need to bu ild capacity to address the effectiv e development and enforcement of 
domestic standards as the most important form of protection for developing countries.  Japan drew 
attention to the lack of requests for technical assistan ce.  In this respect, the EC and others referred to 
Article 11 of the TBT Agreement on technical assistance. 
 The US questioned the weaknesses in DPG notification requirements set out in 
WT/CTE/W/43, such as the fact that TBT and QR notifications did not provide information on whether the notifying country banned exports.  What was important for countries to know was 
whether a Member had found a product to present a serious  risk to health or safety.  Even if a country 
had banned the export of this pr oduct, other exporting countries would not necessarily view the risks 
identified as presenting the same hazard and may perm it its domestic sale and export.  Thus, the utility 
of knowing that one notifying country had banned a pr oduct was limited given that this product could 
also come from other countries and could impart a false sense of security. 
 Canada said the DPG issue should also be seen in the context of MEAs, given the number of 
MEAs that had been or were in the process of be ing negotiated to address DPG-related issues.  Based 
on Canadian technical regulations in this area, it wo uld appear that virtually all DPGs impacted on 
trade and would be captured by TBT or SPS notifications. 
                                                      
2Copies of this paper (WT/CTE/W/43) are available upon request to the Trade and Environment 
Division, WTO Secretariat and can be accessed at http://www.wto.org.  PRESS/TE/021 
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  MORE Item 8 The relevant provisions of the Agreem ent on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual 
Property Rights 
 One Member presented a new paper addressing the relationship between the TRIPS 
Agreement and MEAs containing intellectual propert y rights (IPR)-related obligations, specifically 
the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).  As  the CBD and the TRIPS Agreement were linked, 
it was felt that the CTE should discuss:  (a) the re lationship between the provisions of the CBD and 
the TRIPS Agreement;  and (b) how to reconcile any c ontradictions therein, in line with the CBD, or 
with the objective of conservation of biological res ources.  To further the CBD's objective of benefit 
sharing, the TRIPS Agreement could incorporate an obligation on patent owne rs to execute Material 
Transfer and Transfer of Information Agreemen ts (MTA/TIAs) for trad itional knowledge which was 
in the public domain or was a part of publicly accessible knowledge as a form of IP.  The CTE could 
also examine a system for patenting indigenous knowledge and local, contemporary innovations of 
traditional groups. 
 Colombia felt the relationship between th e TRIPS Agreement and the environment was 
important, particularly its compatibility with the CBD and with respect to technology transfer and 
protection of the knowledge acquired by traditional communities.  In July 1996, the Andean Group 
(Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezu ela) had approved Decision 391 on access to genetic 
resources.  The objectives of this Decision were to pr ovide conditions for an equitable participation in 
the benefits deriving from access to genetic resources in Andean countries;  to establish a basis for the 
recognition and valuing of genetic  resources and its intangible components;  and to promote the 
conservation of biodiversity and the sustainable use of  biodiversity that contai ned genetical resources.  
The Decision gave traditional communities the right  to decide on their own knowledge, innovations 
and practices associated with genetic resources.  Colombia was in the process of implementing this 
Decision and determining the terms of the first contract for access to genetic resources.  Members welcomed Colombia's national experience with issues related to this Item. 
 The US recalled that Article 16.5 of the CBD, which called on Parties to cooperate to ensure 
IPRs were supportive of its objectives had been negot iated at UNCED.  The TRIPS Agreement, which 
had been negotiated subsequently, had taken into account the obliga tions in Article 16.5 of the CBD 
and had comprehensively dealt with all types of  IP.  Although the new paper which had been 
submitted to the CTE noted the need to reconcile the TRIPS Agreement with the CBD, the US did not 
see any contradictions between these agreements.  The suggestion had been made that the TRIPS 
Agreement could be changed to support the CBD's objec tives.  In this respect, it could be considered 
what changes to WTO Agreements would be suppor tive of the Climate Change Convention, or the 
PIC Convention.  It would help to understand the proposal on indigenous knowledge if there were an 
indication of which mechanisms, such as had been provided by Colombia, were in place to ensure 
indigenous knowledge was protected and rewa rded as the TRIPS Agreement built on national 
approaches to IPR issues. 
 ASEAN supported the view that the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from 
patenting and commercial use of genetic resources had not been dealt with in the TRIPS Agreement.  
This was relevant to the CTE particularly in light  of Article 8(j) of the CBD.  ASEAN also supported 
the need for the CTE to examine issues related to  Article 16.5 of the CBD, and concerning the CBD's 
emphasis on the need to share the benefits of th e use of biodiversity with developing countries.  PRESS/TE/021 
 Page 7 
 
 
  MORE  Members welcomed the CBD Secretariat's paper3 , which identified issues for the CTE, 
including the need for cooperation between the WTO and the CBD.  Although opinions differed on their scope and substance and on how work to addr ess them should proceed, Canada said, this should 
not prevent further discussion and empirical analysis .  Several delegations, including Norway and the 
EC, said that consistency between developing and interpreting differe nt IPR-related instruments was 
important and that the interpretation of one ag reement should not undermine the interpretation of 
others.  The EC, Norway and Canada said that the relationship between both Agreements should be 
kept under review in the CTE in cooperation with the CBD Secretariat in view of its work on access 
to genetic resources and on the implementation of Ar ticle 8(j).  Members noted that Decision III/17 of 
the CBD provided ideas for studies and that the CBD Secretariat could provide the CTE with regular 
updates of its work. 
 Canada said that discussions were taking place between the Canadian government and 
Aboriginal groups on issues such as:  (a) the su itability of existing IP regimes for protecting 
traditional knowledge;  (b) alternative mechanisms to  IP systems, such as codes of conduct on access 
to traditional knowledge;  and (c) equitable sharing of  the benefits arising from its use.  Canada had 
noted the relevance of this dialogue in the context of  forests.  Empirical evid ence should be developed 
on the implications of IPRs for biodiversity con servation and the results of national research on 
related IP issues distributed through the CBD's cl earing-house mechanism.  Possible topics for CTE 
discussion included:  (a) cost internalization of co nservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in 
agriculture;  (b) subsidies for "biodiversity-friendly" agricultural practices;  and (c) trade liberalization 
and genetic erosion. 
 Canada said its regulatory policy did not  distinguish between products produced from 
conventional means or biotechnology;  it was the ef fect of the end product in terms of regulatory 
objectives that was important.  Cana da had an active biotechnology indus try that continued to develop 
innovative products.  Some agricultu ral products required reduced pes ticide use and were thus more 
environmentally-friendly than conventional crops.  In this respect, it was important for Parties to the 
Biosafety negotiations to reflect on IPRs, as well as  TBT and SPS considerations (i.e., science-based 
risk assessments).  Canada, amongst others, had notified technical re gulations related to genetically 
modified organisms under the TBT Agreement.  Scien tifically unjustified restrictions on genetically 
modified products not only impacted on existing market access opportunities, but also impaired the ability to exercise IPRs. 
 Argentina said there were two issues which the CTE could examine without having to discuss 
changes to the TRIPS Agreement.  First, the CTE could work on the basis of Article 16 of the CBD, 
which provided for Parties to introduce regulations in  their domestic legislation.  Article 63 of the 
TRIPS Agreement provided for IPR-related legisla tion to be notified.  Consequently, the WTO 
Secretariat could review notifications to the TRIPS Agreement to see if legislation had been notified 
pursuant to Article 16 of the CBD.  Second, the CTE could consider the built-in agenda of the TRIPS 
Agreement, whereby Article 27.3(b) would be review ed in 1999.  In this context, the TRIPS Council 
may consider environment-rela ted issues under discussion in the CTE and might look to it for 
guidance. 
                                                      
3Copies of this paper (WT/CTE/W/64) are available upon request to the Trade and Environment 
Division, WTO Secretariat and can  be accessed at http:/www.wto.org  PRESS/TE/021 
Page 8 
   MORE Item 6  The effect of environmental measures on market access, especially in relation to 
developing countries, in particular to  the least developed among them, and 
environmental benefits of removing trade restrictions and distortions 
 Several delegations said that one way to address the contribution which the multilateral 
trading system can make to enhance the potential fo r trade and environment policies to be mutually 
supportive was to identify "win-win" situations, where trade liberalisation could advance both 
economic and environmental objectives .  Several delegations, including Ar gentina, said that if prices 
were distorted by subsidies, they would not reflect  the shortage of a given resource and consequently 
this resource could be overexploited.  Environmen tal resources might be undervalued or not reflected 
in the market system.  Government interventions, such as subsidies or domestic support, and distorted 
market prices had negative e nvironmental impacts.  Conversely, their removal could yield 
environmental benefits. 
 Some delegations said that trade liberalizati on would not automatically yield environmental 
benefits. The EC, for instance, noted that subsid ies were not automatically trade-disruptive or 
environmentally-damaging;  some were designed to overcome the market failure to account for 
environmental benefits.  Several delegations, including Switzerland a nd Norway, supported this view.  
The EC noted that well-designed subsidies could play  a role in environmental policies by encouraging 
sustainable production and consumption.  Where s ubsidies were linked to environmentally-harmful 
activities, steps could be taken to reduce and elimin ate them.  In certain circumstances, liberalisation 
might lead to an increase in agricultural intensity.  The EC said that adverse production and 
consumption externalities should be integrated into  the decision making process.  Norway said that 
the agricultural sector also contributed to enviro nmental benefits, including preservation of cultural 
landscape, securing biodiversity and sustainable resource use. 
 A number of delegations said that trade liberalization in the fisheries sector could yield 
environmental benefits.  Australia said further CTE work on the fisheries sector could:  (a) review 
information on the provision and use of subsidies;  (b) examine WTO rules and their adequacy in 
disciplining these subsidies;  (c) review studies on the use of other trade and trade-related measures 
(e.g., high tariffs, tariff escalation, non-tariff access barriers);  (d) review information on the 
environmental effects of subsidisation;  a nd (e) identify trade reforms which would have 
environmental benefits.  Several delegations said that it would be useful for UNEP to provide more 
information on its workshop on The Role of Trade Policies in the Fisheries Sector .  Canada said that 
market reforms in the fisheries sector would help  reduce 25 per cent of world fish catch that was 
currently wasted.  New Zealand stated that a distinction could not necessarily be drawn between positive and negative subsidies in the fisheries sector ;  positive payments were not likely to lead to 
environmental benefits. 
 Other delegations, including the EC and Japan, said that market reform would not necessarily 
improve fisheries management as there was no direct link between subsidies and overfishing.  The EC 
said that subsidies could be designed to assist sustai nable fisheries management.  The US said that the 
CTE should not duplicate work in other fora on fisheries subsidies. 
 Norway said that energy-relat ed policies that were environmentally-harmful had interfered 
with market mechanisms and led to a level of gl obal energy consumption that was not optimal from 
an economic and environmental perspective.  Worl d Bank analysis had concl uded that price reforms 
were necessary in the energy sector.  In implemen ting price reforms, envir onmentally-friendly energy 
sources should be taxed less than polluting sources;  it should be a policy goal to reduce and eliminate 
subsidies relating to polluting energy sources.  The EC emphasized the importance of the energy 
sector in view of the UN General Assembly Special Session and the December 1997 Conference of 
the Parties to the Convention on Climate Change.  As  environmental externalities were not effectively  PRESS/TE/021 
 Page 9 
 
 
  MORE internalised, the EC said, renewable energy so urces were at a price disadvantage compared to 
conventional energy sources.  Incentives to devel op renewable energy sources should be promoted. 
 Several delegations, including Brazil and Moro cco, stated that a discussion of the market 
access impacts of environmental measures should take  into account different country-specific natural 
and socio-economic conditions and refer to the links  between poverty and enviro nmental degradation.  
Brazil stated that an open, equitable and n on-discriminatory multilateral trading system and 
environmental protection were essential to promote sustainable development.  The 1996 Report of the 
CTE referred to the linkage betw een poverty alleviation and improv ed environmental quality and the 
role of increased trade and market access opportunities in this regard.  To be less detrimental to 
developing economies, Brazil said, environmental m easures with trade effects should be transparent, 
be based on consensus, and should not be unilateral or discriminatory. 
 One Member presented a new paper on the relationship of the TRIPS Agreement to the 
development, access and transfer of environm entally-sound technologies a nd products (EST&Ps) in 
the following cases:  (a) where proprietary EST&Ps were mandated to be phased-in directly or 
indirectly by an MEA;  (b) where proprietary EST&Ps were related to  national environmental 
standards or measures affecting imports into a count ry having such standards, especially imports from 
developing countries;  and (c) where proprieta ry EST&Ps were related to multilaterally-agreed 
environmental standards or measures affecting im ports into a country having such standards. 
 Members welcomed the US intention to submit a paper on market access for environmental 
services.  Environmental services, the US said, included implementation of new or existing systems for environmental clean-up;  pollution prevention;  source reduction and monitoring;  implementation 
of environmental quality control and pollution re duction services;  maintenance and repair of 
environmental-related systems;  on-site environmen tal investigations;  evaluation monitoring;  and 
consulting relating to each of these sectors.  The US  said that trade liberalisation in environmental 
services would result in benefits for both trade and environment. 
Item 2  The relationship between enviro nmental policies relevant to trade and 
environmental measures with significant trade effects and the provisions of the 
multilateral trading system 
 The US made a presentation of its experience in conducting environmental reviews of trade 
agreements.  In the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and WTO reviews, the analysis 
had used existing government resources.  While bot h reviews had drawn on published private sector 
analyses on the possible environmental impacts of lib eralized trade and on public input, the bulk of 
the analysis had drawn on US government exper tise.  For NAFTA, an initial review had been 
conducted at the outset of the negotiations to id entify the environmental issues raised, assess the 
possible environmental impacts, and develop reco mmendations for US negotiators on ways in which 
these issues might be addressed.  The WTO review ha d been conducted at the end of the negotiations, 
and identified possible environmental impacts of these WTO Agreements. 
 Both the NAFTA and WTO reviews had involv ed legal analyses of the impacts of the 
agreements on US laws on health, safety and en vironment.  The NAFTA review had required more 
analysis of the potential environmental impacts of changes in trade flows on environmental factors (such as air and water quality, and species conser vation), particularly on the US-Mexico border.  
While the WTO review had also examined certain environmentally-sensitive sectors, the analysis was 
more general. PRESS/TE/021 
Page 10  
 
  MORE Item 3  The relationship between the provisi ons of the multilateral trading system and 
(a) charges and taxes for environmental purposes and (b) requirements for 
environmental purposes relating to produc ts, including standards and technical 
regulations, packaging, labelling and recycling 
 Switzerland made a presentation of its ne w incentive tax on volatile organic compounds 
(VOCs), which was an example of progress in environmental policy focusing on economic 
instruments.  This tax aimed to achieve efficien t environmental protection by offering price-based 
financial incentives, and supplementing conventi onal command and control instruments.  The VOC 
tax was levied according to the VOC content of a product, by calculating the per cent of VOC to the 
product's total mass.  The main VOC products were organic solvents, such as paints, varnishes and 
cleaning products. 
 The EC said eco-taxation was an increasingl y important issue as recognized by the UN 
General Assembly Special Session, and in view of  its wide use in OECD countries.  This was a 
positive development as eco-taxes we re less trade-restrictive, more market-friendly, and their 
operation more transparent than conventional comma nd and control instruments.  The relationship 
between eco-taxation and the WTO raised complex i ssues, particularly on border tax adjustment.  
WTO rules on taxation applied to instruments irr espective of their policy purpose.  The ability to 
devise and enforce disciplines for a specific categor y of charges and taxes, such as environmental 
ones, was difficult as taxes responded to various obj ectives.  Also, as noted in the OECD Report on 
Environmental Taxes and Green Tax Reform , the definition of what constituted an eco-tax had not 
been agreed.  The OECD Report indicated that  international coordi nation could minimise 
competitiveness effects in some sectors.  The EC proposed that the CTE recommend increased 
coordination on eco-taxation in ap propriate international fora. 
 The US said that although the EC had rai sed interesting issues related to border tax 
adjustment, this was only part of a debate being developed in another forum.  One issue was the 
extent to which multilateral agreem ents could coordinate policies a nd measures such as taxation.  
Coordination on taxation was a complex process whethe r within a country or between countries.  The 
US did not feel the CTE could reach con sensus on the EC's proposed recommendation. 
 Canada welcomed Japan's notification of its  eco-labelling programme.  Canada understood 
such notifications were under the terms of paragraph 185 of the 1996 Report of the CTE. 
******************* 
The CTE meeting held on 24-25 November 1997 
Item 9 The work programme envisaged in the Decision on Trade in Services and the 
Environment 
 The US presented a paper on how trade liberalization in the services sector could yield 
environmental benefits.4  The paper described environmental services, such as waste handling and 
facility operations, and implementati on and installation of new or ex isting systems for environmental 
cleanup.  Given that in solving environmenta l problems a package of environmental goods and 
services tended to be designed, it was difficult to separate goods from services.  Estimates of the size 
of the environmental services industry ranged from US$420 billion to US$600 billion by 2010.  The 
key barrier to expansion of work had been that industry was responsive rather than proactive to 
                                                      
4Copies of this paper (WT/CTE/W/70) are available upon request to the Trade and Environment 
Division, WTO Secretariat and can  be accessed at http:/www.wto.org   PRESS/TE/021 
 Page 11 
 
 
  MORE environmental issues, and growth and demand for environmental services had been tied to 
government regulations.  Recently there had been a shift from regulations and standards as the main 
instruments for environmental policy to econo mic instruments, which placed a premium on 
innovation.  With private sector innovation, su ch as the ISO 14000 environmental management 
standards, traditional barriers to trade would be less relevant.  Improved market access increased the 
availability of services while lowering their costs.   Competition also increased the availability of 
services and encouraged innovation;  liberalization in  this sector encouraged technology flows which 
could help especially developing countries build  domestic capacity to better achieve their 
environmental goals. 
 Members welcomed the US paper.  Argentina sai d it was timely to include the issues raised in 
the US paper and suggested discussing the paper fu rther under market access, which offered an 
opportunity to analyze the "win-win" situations  which may result from liberalizing services trade 
along with the other sectors referred to under Item 6. 
 Japan and the EC and others supported trade lib eralization in environmental services.  The 
Decision on Trade and Services and the Environment called on the CTE to examine the relationship 
between trade in services and the environment, incl uding the issue of sustainable development.  The 
CTE had devoted insufficient attention to this It em, the EC said, which did not correspond to the 
increasing economic significance of services trade and given the potential for "win-win" situations in 
which trade liberalization would yield direct e nvironmental benefits.  More open markets would 
contribute to reducing the cost and increasing the choice of environmental services.  Increased services trade was also a vehicle for the tran sfer of environmentally-sound technologies. 
 Reference was made by several delegations to  the fact that there was no clear distinction 
between services trade and goods trade, particularly  concerning an analysis of the environmental 
effects as environmental damage was connected to the goods linked with the supply of a service.  
Thus, environmental services shoul d be examined in parallel with  environmental goods.  Although 
there was an overlap between goods and services, Ja pan said these areas basically fell under different 
WTO disciplines.  Argentina said it would be difficult to progress in this regard without progress on 
examining Article XX under Item 1;  there was no po int in having a discussion of services trade until 
an analysis of goods trade had been undertaken. 
 Some Members, including Switzerland and Japan , suggested that work on this Item should 
examine specific sectors, such as tourism and transpor t.  Others felt that it was necessary to have a 
clear picture of the approach which would be follow ed before identifying sp ecific sectors to analyze. 
 Several Members, including Egypt, said that an analysis of environmental goods and services 
should be viewed from the perspective of sustai nable development and should be dealt with in 
conformity with the WTO Agreements.  The US said that its paper highlighted the role liberalization 
could play in development by increasing the acce ss of developing countries to environmentally-
friendly technologies that could help avoid many of the mistakes in the development process of 
developed countries. 
 Norway said that the CTE should clarify wh ether GATS Article XIV was sufficient, or 
whether there was a need to include environmen tal concerns in other GATS Articles.  Norway 
preferred a combination of the two alternatives, wh ereby environmental concer ns would be integrated 
in Article XIV and other relevant parts of the GATS as had been done for goods, which was in 
accordance with the CTE's horizontal mandate.  It should be ensured that GATS Working Parties took 
account of environmental considerations. 
 UNCTAD said that its Commission on Trad e in Goods, Services and Commodities would 
hold expert meetings on liber alization of environmental services and tourism in 1998. PRESS/TE/021 
Page 12  
 
  MORE Item 10 Input to the relevant bodies in respect  of appropriate arrangements for relations 
with intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations referred to in Article 
V of the WTO 
 Members said that this Item was an important  issue for the WTO, particularly for the CTE 
given the range of civil society interests in trad e and environment.  The CTE had responded to the 
need for outreach to civil society, Canada and others said.  The May Symposium with non-
governmental organizations (NGOs), organized by the Secretariat, and the September information 
session with MEA Secretariats had enriched Members'  appreciation of persp ectives and developments 
outside the WTO, as well as encouraging a greater understanding of WTO Members' views among civil society and MEA Secretariats. 
 The Secretariat's initiative to hold an NGO Symposium on 17-18 March 1998 was welcomed 
by Members.  Japan said that Members would benefi t from more time to interact with NGOs.  The EC 
said that the Symposium should have a broad ag enda and include representatives from associations 
for environmental services and technologies and ag riculture.  Members also welcomed further 
information sessions with MEA Secretariats to in crease trade negotiators' awareness of developments 
in environmental negotiations.  Japan said that re levant MEA Secretariats should be invited to CTE 
meetings. 
 Switzerland, Canada and others said consid erable progress had been made by the CTE to 
enhance transparency of it s work, such as through the Trade and Environment Bulletin .  Canada 
proposed that agendas for CTE meetings be issued  as derestricted and Secretariat documents be 
derestricted promptly on a case-by-case basis.  Cana da's policy was to issue its CTE contributions as 
derestricted after they had been consulted in Ca nada and encouraged other Members to do so to 
increase civil society's awareness of proposals on trade and environment. 
 Several Members, including the US and Austra lia, supported Canada's proposal to derestrict 
the CTE's agenda to increase NGOs awareness of the issues under discussion and contribute to the 
formulation of Members' positions at the national level.  Several Members said the CTE's agenda 
would not be of use for civil society without the accompanying documentation.  Japan supported 
Canada's proposals for derestriction as transparen cy of CTE activities should be enhanced.  Prompt 
derestriction of CTE documents should also be c onsidered on a case-by-case basis, keeping in mind 
the General Council procedures.  Brazil said that given the governmental status of the WTO, 
consulting with civil society could be undertaken  at the national level according to national 
procedures.  Egypt and Brazil, among others, sai d that documents should be considered for 
derestriction after having been discussed in the C TE and in view of the General Council procedures. 
 The US, Poland, the EC, Hungary, Egypt and others said that NGO Symposia provided for an 
exchange of views between Members and civil society.  While this was a useful tool, the US said, the CTE could find further innovative ways to draw on  the knowledge in civil society and ensure an 
understanding of the CTE's work.  Korea said that if symposia were regularized, a more focused 
approach was necessary. 
 Australia proposed that the Secretariat docum ent on the environmental benefits of removing 
trade restrictions and distortions should be promp tly derestricted.  Poland,  Morocco, ASEAN, Brazil, 
the EC, Korea and others said that CTE documents s hould be discussed prior to being derestricted to 
give a balanced picture of Members' views.  Th e US said that it would be better to derestrict 
documents then derestrict the report of the meeti ng at which they were discussed so Members could 
have a fuller domestic discussion.  Argentina, Aust ralia and others said that, although it was desirable 
to derestrict documents after they had been discusse d, the circumstance relating to the finalization of 
this document was an argument for its prompt derestriction.  PRESS/TE/021 
 Page 13 
 
 
  MORE  The EC referred to Article V.2 of the WT O Agreement and the General Council's Decisions 
of 18 July 1996, which recognized the role that in ternational organizations could play in facilitating 
the flow of WTO information.  The NGO Decision noted that NGOs could contribute to the richness and accuracy of public debate on WTO issues a nd had called for greater transparency, prompt 
derestriction of documents and for the Secretar iat to increase interaction with NGOs.  The EC 
requested that its non-papers on Items 1 & 5, 3(b) and 6 be derestricted. 
Items 1 & 5 The relationship between the provi sions of the multilateral trading system and 
trade measures for environmental purposes, including those pursuant to 
multilateral environmental agreements;  a nd the relationship between the dispute 
settlement mechanisms in the multilateral trading system and those found in 
MEAs 
 Brazil said multilateral negotiations were th e best way to address global environmental 
problems. MEAs were composed of a several provi sions, some of which were market-oriented and 
were called "trade measures";  others were coope rative, "positive" measures providing the means for 
an MEA's  implementation.  Article XX and the Di spute Settlement Understanding could deal with 
trade-related environmental disputes.  So far no pa nel had been formed because of a dispute over a 
trade measure in an MEA and the disputes before  the Dispute Settlement Body had resulted from 
unilateral actions allegedly aimed at environmen tal concerns.  Unless a specific trade-related 
environmental measure were a disguised trade restriction, Brazil felt it should find multilateral 
support.  Brazil welcomed the follow-up to UNC TAD's "Expert Meeting on Positive Measures to 
Promote Sustainable Development". 
Item 6  The effect of environmental measures on market access, especially in relation to 
developing countries, in particular to  the least developed among them, and 
environmental benefits of removing trade restrictions and distortions 
 Members welcomed a new Secretariat documen t on the environmental benefits of removing 
trade restrictions and distortions in several sector s, which provided a basis for further CTE work on 
this Item.  Several Members said that the analysis suggested that trade liberalization presented both 
challenges and opportunities for improved enviro nmental protection.  Many Members, including 
Australia, Brazil, the EC, Canada, Cuba and the US, said that they would circulate the document at 
the national level to obtain input from interested parties. 
 Australia said that in countries where subsid ies and market access barriers had stimulated 
high levels of resource use and wasteful production processes, reform of these trade distorting 
measures offered opportunities for e nvironmental improvement.  However, as was noted by several 
delegations, including Brazil, Egypt, Australia, Sw itzerland and others, it should not be assumed that 
environmental improvement would flow automatically from trade liberalization.  Trade policy reform 
could help correct policy failures that had co mplicated the achievement of good environmental 
management.  Many delegations sai d that governments should also en sure that appropriate policies 
were in place to take advantage of the op portunities presented by trade liberalization. 
 Brazil said trade liberalization caused a chain of results which would eventually lead to higher 
levels of environmental protection.  By incr easing the exchanges of goods, trade liberalization 
stimulated production, generated productivity, increased income, accelerated technological changes 
and opened new and profitable possibilities for th e generation, acquisiti on and application of 
environmentally-sound technologies.  The positive re lationship between trade liberalization and the 
environment would enhance compe tition and generate more effici ent factor-use and consumption PRESS/TE/021 
Page 14  
 
  MORE patterns;  reduce poverty by expanding trade;  en courage sustainable rate of natural resource 
exploitation;  and increase the availability of  environmental-related goods and services. 
 Several delegations, including Canada and Australia, suggested that the potential contribution 
of subsidy removal to improved environmental outcomes should be undertaken sector-by-sector.  
Significant subsidies were provided in the agriculture , fisheries and energy sectors, and their removal 
could have major environmental be nefits.  These subsidies, Australia said, provided a focus for the 
CTE's work.  Such subsidies may have a range of environmental effects through the encouragement of 
higher energy use and energy-inefficient production methods, overcapacity in fishing fleets, excessive 
use of chemical and mechanical inputs and irriga tion water in agricultural practices, as well as 
over-intensive cropping and livestock systems.  Brazi l said that tariff escalation was another distortive 
practice which negatively affected sectors such as fisheries, forestry, clothing and leather. 
 Australia, Brazil and others said that improvements in market access opportunities may have 
a role to play in helping countries promote eco nomic structures that were more conducive to 
sustainable development.  A key issue was the n eed to promote patterns of economic growth that 
would effectively contribute to  poverty reduction given the close relationship between poverty and 
environmental degradation in many countries.  Although these issues were much broader than trade 
reform, Australia said, there was a role for the CTE to examine the scope for trade reform to facilitate 
changes in the structure of economic activity central  to the achievement of sustainable development. 
 Egypt said that work should focus on the need s of small and medium size enterprises, poverty 
reduction and the achievement of environmental obj ectives, and transfer of environmentally-sound 
technology.  The EC said that an analysis of environmental services should be included under this 
Item. 
 Nigeria and others recalled the importance of poverty reduction in addressing environmental 
concerns and given the CTE's mandate to examine this issue from the perspective of sustainable 
development.  From this perspectiv e, several delegations said that trade instruments were not the first-
best policy for addressing environmental problems.   Norway said environmental degradation had 
many causes, in some cases poverty was an important  factor, in others unsustainable patterns of 
consumption and pr oduction were the underlying reason. 
 Australia said that studies on agricultural trade s uggested that support directly linked to levels 
of input use or production had significant environm ental effects.  Eviden ce suggested that most 
support was still conditional on input use or output levels, although there was growing acceptance of 
the need to reform these types of support.  Alterna tive policies, however, may still have the effect of 
maintaining current high production levels.  Although these policies may be justified on the basis that 
they would be more environmentally-friendly than  support directly linked to input use or output 
levels, if they kept in place production struct ures involving inefficient resource use and waste 
generation, they could have adverse environmenta l effects.  By blocking proper adjustment of 
production structures, these policies may provide di sincentives to the adoption of technologies that 
could reduce resource use or employ material and en ergy inputs more efficiently.  Other types of 
appropriately targeted and designed environmental po licies may be more effective than subsidies in 
securing environmental benefits. 
 Argentina and Brazil said that given distorted international prices generated by subsidies, 
farmers were faced with the choice of either ove rexploiting resources to increase immediate earnings 
or leaving the market.  In either case, the results  may be the growth of rural poverty, a decrease in 
environmental protection, the perpet uation of poverty, and an increase in  rural and urban marginality.  
Less subsidies would generate higher prices for ag riculture products from developing countries.  
Brazil said that although some delegations had ar gued that well-designed environmental subsidies 
may have an important role to play in promoti ng sustainable agriculture and forestry, the negative  PRESS/TE/021 
 Page 15 
 
 
  MORE effects of these policies on other countries, such  as their implications on market access opportunities, 
should not be disregarded. 
 In the case of commodities, Argentina said it was essential to eliminate existing measures 
which distorted prices.  Principle 16 of Agenda 21  noted that in order to implement sustainable 
production policies it was necessary for prices to inte rnalize production costs.  Environmental costs 
could not be internalized on the basis of prices whic h were distorted by export subsidies.  The first 
step to internalize environmental costs rest ed with the countries causing these distortions. 
 Japan, Korea, Norway and the EC said a co mprehensive analysis should be undertaken on 
both the positive and negative envir onmental effects of trade liberalization.  Japan said that there was 
a common understanding in the CTE that efficient r esource allocation would be enhanced if market 
mechanisms adequately valued environmental ex ternalities.  There were positive environmental 
externalities, such as in cases wher e agricultural activities supported biodiversity and the conservation 
of land and landscape.  Reforming agricultural polic ies might have negative environmental effects. 
 Norway said that although environmental be nefits would ensue from agricultural trade 
liberalization, the possible negative effects and the multifunctional role of agri culture should be noted 
and it should be recognized that there were country -specific and socio-economic conditions as set out 
in the 1996 Report of the CTE.  Korea said that Me mbers' contributions of their national experiences 
would be useful.  Korea had implemented a "Green  Belt" policy which designated certain farmland 
and forestry zones and prohibited their development.   Agricultural decline resulting from agricultural 
trade liberalization in small, densely populated countries such as Korea in creased the chance that 
farmlands would be converted into less environmentally-friendly areas. 
 To ensure environmental benefits ensued fro m trade liberalization, Switzerland said, domestic 
environmental protection policies should be impl emented at the same time to internalize 
environmental costs.  In certain sectors, such as co al, the elimination of some trade restrictions could 
have environmental benefits, but in other sector s, the long term consequences from changes in 
practices on the environment were difficult to determine.  Depending on their objectives and the 
manner in which they were implemented, certain fo rms of support could have environmental benefits. 
 Norway said the energy section of the S ecretariat document was balanced, describing 
government interventions in the energy sector, such  as subsidies, taxes and other non-price measures, 
which had led to a composition and level of energy consumption that was far from environmentally or 
economically optimal.  Whilst studies had shown that  removing energy subsidies resulted in economic 
and environmental gains, certain properly desi gned subsidies could contribute to sustainable 
development.  Norway emphasized th e need for reform of electricity markets.  The Nordic countries 
had developed an integrated electricity market th rough adjusting environmental policies.  Brazil said 
that removing energy subsidies would be an incenti ve to develop clean technologies and to switch to 
renewable energy sources.  In this respect, the results of the Climate Change Convention's Kyoto 
Conference would indicate the willingness of some c ountries to contribute to solving environmental 
problems. 
 The Czech Republic said that as it had a high energy consumption ratio per unit of 
production, it would have to increase energy effici ency, introduce energy-saving technologies, and 
promote renewable energy.  The Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade was working on an energy 
policy to introduce environmentally-fri endly energy taxes after removing distorting energy subsidies.  
With the help of Danish experts, the Czech Republic was also considering eco-tax reform. 
 Members said that resource management was an  important factor to achieve the sustainable 
use of fisheries resources.  Several delegations, including Norway, said that resource management was, however, outside the WTO's scope.  A dis tinction should be made, Norway said, between PRESS/TE/021 
Page 16  
 
  MORE overexploited and efficiently managed stocks when  discussing the environmental impact of trade 
liberalization.  Brazil said that removing fisheries subsidies could lead to a contraction of capital, a reduction of overfishing by limiting overcapacity, a decrease in the participation of inefficient 
producers, and the phasing-out of old and enviro nmentally-damaging equipment.  With a more 
balanced competitive atmosphere, structural transf ormations could be achieve d, diversification of 
exports could be attained and a shift to higher va lue-added goods facilitated.  Environment benefits 
may thus ensue from the growth effect of trade liberalization. 
 Argentina and others said that a discussion of forestry should include attention to the link 
between rural poverty and deforestation.  Consump tion of wood in developing countries was mainly 
linked its use for fuel.  The 1997 FAO State of the World Forests  cited fuelwood as the main source of 
domestic energy for two fifths of the world.  The European Forest Institute estimated that fuelwood 
demand was inversely proportional to income grow th, whereby rural poverty entailed that forests 
were used to produce wo od for basic needs. 
 ASEAN said export controls on unprocessed l ogs were levied to achieve sustainable 
development.  Eliminating tariff escalation on value-added forestry products would enhance 
sustainable forest management along with other conservation measures in developing countries.  
Certification of sustainable forests and labelling of  forest products were not a compulsory component 
of forest management policies;  what was importa nt was the formulation a nd implementation of sound 
management policies. 
 At this stage, the US said, it was up to Member s to provide input to the discussion.  Trade had 
an important role to play in achieving environmenta l objectives;  at the same time, in the absence of 
environmental policies, the environm ental benefits of trade liberaliza tion would not be achieved.  It 
was important to distinguish between income growth  effects, which were n ecessary but not sufficient 
conditions for achieving environmental objectives, a nd direct effects through the process of trade 
liberalization, which would need to be examined by  sector and product.  Determining environmental 
impacts was a complex issue to examine, particularly as Members were not environmental experts. 
 Nigeria said that the CTE should devote more attention to valuation techniques to measure the 
environmental benefits of trade liberalization. In this respect, another Secretariat paper, which had 
been prepared for this meeting, initiated work  by compiling a bibliography on environmental 
valuation. 
 The US commented on one Member's paper, submitted at the September meeting, which 
presumed a problem existed in relation to the global use and availability of patented environmentally-
sound technologies and products (EST& Ps) due to the standards for patent protection in the TRIPS 
Agreement.  Patent protection was one of many fact ors in a country's foreign investment climate that 
influenced trade in patented technology and go ods.  Requiring the use of EST&Ps in an MEA or 
national law was unlikely and could be counterprod uctive as it would eliminate incentives to create 
improved EST&Ps.  The US said that reducing envi ronment-related research and development would 
result in a corresponding reduction in EST&Ps.  A Member could revoke a patent under the TRIPS 
Agreement only if the invention was found not to m eet the standards of patentability established in 
Article 27.1. PRESS/TE/021 
Page 17 
   MORE  One Member said the discussion showed that many kinds of trade measures had market 
access impacts, which were relevant to the CTE's disc ussion of the impact of trade restrictions on the 
transfer of EST&Ps, especially those mandated in ME As.  Restrictions on technology transfer led to 
market access barriers and created obstacles to e nvironmental protection in developing countries.  
Among the objectives of Article 7 of the TRIPS Agre ement was "the transfer  and dissemination of 
technology, to the mutual advantage of producers and users of technological knowledge in a manner 
conducive to social and economic welfare".  This provision did not indicate how to ensure such 
welfare, especially where technology was mandated in  MEAs.  To achieve the Montreal Protocol's 
objectives developing countries n eeded to convert to ESTs.  Experience with acquiring technology 
under the Protocol indicated that its provisions on  technology transfer were inadequate.  The CTE 
could usefully analyze this issue. 
Item 8  The relevant provisions of the Agre ement on Trade-Related As pects of Intellectual 
Property Rights 
 The US commented on a paper, submitted at th e September meeting, which set out that the 
TRIPS Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) were linked and proposed that 
the CTE reconcile their provisions.  Discussion of the control of access to genetic resources and benefit sharing should focus on national legislation of source countries.  The assertion that, prior to 
the CBD, genetic resources were a freely availabl e heritage of humankind was not true as access to 
biological resources was governed by the laws of th e country in which they were located.  The TRIPS 
Agreement established minimum levels of IPR protec tion, and did not specify contractual obligations 
governments were to impose on access to genetic materials in other count ries.  If any question were to 
be examined, the US said, it should be how coun tries could assist their traditional and indigenous 
communities to acquire rights and how these rights could be exploited thr ough domestic investment 
and licensing. 
 One Member said that identifying the source of origin of biodiversity resources would clarify 
the examination of patent applications in the sense of safeguarding the origin of biodiversity 
resources. 
 Canada and others encouraged Members to focus on the CBD Secretariat's submission to the 
CTE, which raised complex issues a nd requested feed-back from the WTO.
5 
1997 Report of the CTE 
 Members welcomed the adoption of the Report of the CTE's work in 1997, which was 
forwarded to the General Council at its meeting on 10 December (See Trade and Environment 
Bulletin No. 20 ).  The EC and Poland said that they would have wished the Report to have been more 
substantial and forward-looking.  Egypt said the Report should have specified the number of CTE 
meetings in 1998. 
 The Chairman said the CTE had deepened and br oadened the analysis of all the Items on the 
work programme and advanced its discussions in 1997.  Members had built on  their positions set out 
in the CTE's 1996 Report.  During the course of 19 97, an educational process for everyone concerned 
in the discussions on trade and environment had been advanced, including intergovernmental and 
non-governmental organizations.  The informati on session with the Secretariats of MEAs and 
multilateral financial mechanisms at the September meeting had been a valuable experience, which 
                                                      
5Copies of this paper (WT/CTE/W/64) are available upon request to the Trade and Environment 
Division, WTO Secretariat and can be accessed at http:/www.wto.org.  PRESS/TE/021 
Page 18  
 
 could usefully be repeated.  Another form of out reach, which had helped to  deepen and broaden the 
CTE's understanding of the issues on its agenda , was the May Symposium with environment, 
development, consumer and business NGOs. 
END