We do not aim at new protectionism or sanctions but at breakthroughs which are to be made with regard to core labour rights by economic incentives. The progress we are trying to achieve concerning the establishment of binding WTO provisions in the environment sector is the logical consequence of our endeavours to contribute to an improvement of the environment by domestic regulations and by multilateral environmental agreements. Trade and environmental policy are to complement each other in the interest of achieving sustainable development. This requires a clarification of the compatibility of multilateral environmental agreements with WTO rules. In the interest of the next generation nobody can be allowed to shirk from responsability for the environment.
Food safety is of vital concern for our people.
Therefore we support in particular the clarification of the precautionary principle in the WTO Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures as well as adequate rules on labelling which fulfill the needs of our consumers for information. In the framework of further liberalization we also strongly advocate a reduction of tariffs for industrial goods. In particular, we see a need to dismantle still existing tariff peaks and to further remove non-tariff barriers, making improved market access possible for all WTO members. Globalization strengthens the link between trade and investment as well as between trade and competition and therefore calls for an intensified WTO work on these issues. The analytical studies carried out by WTO Working Groups so far have proved very valuable indeed.