European Parliament resolution on the assessment of the Doha Round following the WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong (2005/2247(INI))
Date: 2006-04-04
Institutions: Committee on International Trade, European Parliament
Subjects: World Trade Organisation, developing countries, development aid, international conference, liberalisation of trade, trade policy

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(b) ensuring that documents are not classified as confidential as a matter of routine, simply because they

refer to a issue which is or might be of concern from a security point of view, and

(c)

ensuring adequate control by the European Parliament (democratic parliamentary scrutiny).

The Regulation should also clearly provide that bilateral agreements with third countries or international
organisations may not prohibit the Council or the Commission from sharing confidential information with
the European Parliament (in particular, where the relevant documents are not accessible to national parlia-
ments, since they are EU documents).

Recommendation 4 (on the relationship between the EU and Member States as regards sharing
information/documents)

Taking into account the principle outlined in Article 296 EC according to which ‘no Member State shall be
obliged to supply information the disclosure of which it considers contrary to the essential interests of its
security’, the Regulation should be amended in such a way as to:

(a)

limit the right of Member States to limit access to their contributions/amendments in legislative/regu-
latory procedures;

(b) give full access to information submitted to the Commission when dealing with the implementation of

EC or EU legislation until such time as any proceedings before a court have begun.

Recommendation 5 (on the practicalities of ensuring citizens' access to documents)

Taking into account the experience of the first four-year period of the Regulation's being in force, the
Commission should amend the Regulation by making a coherent proposal for:

(a)

(b)

ensuring a single point of access in a clear and structured way to all preparatory documents dealing
with a legislative or regulatory procedure (see Recommendation 2);

reorganising the institutions' registers by adding a common interface so that the citizen/user is able to
find the same functionalities in the three registers;

(c) defining common rules for archiving documents, avoiding duplication and ensuring the authenticity of

the various versions;

(d) presenting in a clear and comprehensible way the work-flow of the Institutions and, where relevant, the

point of access to the documents.

P6_TA(2006)0123

WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong

European Parliament resolution on the assessment of the Doha Round following the WTO Ministe-
rial Conference in Hong Kong (2005/2247(INI))

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the Ministerial Declaration of the Sixth Session of the Ministerial Conference of the

World Trade Organization (WTO), adopted on 18 December 2005 (1),

— having regard to the Final Declarations by the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO at the conclusion
of its sessions in Hong Kong from 12 to 15 December 2005 and in Brussels from 25 to 26 November
2004,

(1) Document number 05-6248, document symbol WT/MIN(05)/DEC).

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— having regard to its resolution of 1 December 2005 on the preparations for the Sixth WTO Ministerial

Conference in Hong Kong (1),

— having regard to the Council conclusions on the WTO Doha Development Agenda (DDA), following
the extraordinary General Affairs and External Relations Council meeting in Luxembourg on
18 October 2005 (13378/05),

— having regard to its resolution of 12 May 2005 on the assessment of the Doha Round following the

WTO General Council Decision of 1 August 2004 (2),

— having regard to the WTO General Council Decision of 1 August 2004 (3),

— having regard to the Doha Ministerial Declaration of the WTO of 14 November 2001 (4),

— having regard to its previous resolutions of 15 December 1999 on the Third WTO Ministerial Confer-
ence in Seattle (5), of 13 December 2001 on the WTO meeting in Qatar (6) and of 25 September 2003
on the Fifth WTO Ministerial Conference in Cancún (7),

— having regard to the Sutherland Report on ‘The Future of the WTO: Addressing Institutional Challenges

in the New Millennium’ (8),

— having regard to its resolution of 9 March 2005 on the proposal for a Council regulation applying a

scheme of generalised tariff preferences (9),

— having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure,

— having regard to the report of the Committee on International Trade and the opinions of the Com-
mittee on Regional Development, the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, the Commit-
tee on Industry, Research and Energy and the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (A6-0051/
2006),

A. whereas the multilateral trading system embodied in the WTO contributes to enhanced fairness, secur-
ity, transparency and stability in international trade and to a better management of globalisation
through multilateral rules and disciplines and the judicial settlement of disputes, with priority being
given to sustainable development concerns and human rights;

B. whereas the Ministerial Conference held in Doha from 9 to 14 November 2001 committed all WTO
Members to a development round (the Doha Round), whose central purpose would be to promote a
fairer and more pro-development trade system based on multilateral rules,

C. whereas a successful conclusion of the Doha Round, providing for genuine further market opening and
stronger multilateral rules, could be an important parameter in stimulating worldwide economic
growth, development and employment and effectively contribute to the integration of developing coun-
tries into the world economy,

D. whereas the EU has played a leading role in the negotiations since the launch of the Doha Round and
submitted credible and substantial offers in all negotiating areas,
including agriculture, whilst other
developed and advanced developing countries have not shown the same flexibility or level of commit-
ment,

E. whereas a successful conclusion of the Doha Round leading to further mutual liberalisation of world
trade in goods and services will be an important element in achieving higher growth, employment and
competitiveness in the European Union and attaining the objectives of the Lisbon Strategy,

(1) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2005)0461.
(2) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2005)0182.
(3) Document number 04-3297, document symbol WT/L/579).
(4) Document number 01-5859, document symbol WT/MIN(01)/DEC/1).
(5) OJ C 296, 18.10.2000, p. 121.
(6) OJ C 177 E, 25.7.2002, p. 290.
(7) OJ C 77 E, 26.3.2004, p. 393.
(8) Report by the consultative Board to the Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi, WTO, December 2004.
(9) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2005)0066.

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F. whereas a new deadline of April 2006 has been established in Hong Kong for reaching an agreement
on full modalities and another one of July 2006 for the submission of draft implementation schedules,

G. whereas efforts to meet the 2006 deadline for the conclusion of the Doha Round should not compro-
mise the objective of reaching an ambitious and balanced outcome, reflecting the development objec-
tives enshrined in the Doha Ministerial Declaration,

H. whereas a failure to conclude negotiations in 2006 carries a risk of a collapse of the Doha Round
which, in turn, could challenge the credibility of the multilateral trading system and result in a shift
towards bilateral and regional trade agreements which often accentuate imbalances between the devel-
oped and the developing world,

I. whereas the Doha Round must deliver pro-development outcomes in all areas under negotiation, espe-

cially in the interests of poorer and vulnerable developing countries,

J. whereas there exists a great variety of situations among developing countries, which should both make
commitments and receive special and differential treatment commensurate with their level of devel-
opment as well as their general and sectoral competitiveness, while the least developed and vulnerable
countries should not have to make any commitments,

K. whereas the EU should respond to the requests for liberalisation of trade in agriculture in a way that
secures the sustainability, competitiveness and multi-functional character of the EU agricultural sector,

L. whereas an end-date of 2013 for the elimination of agricultural export subsidies has been agreed;
whereas comparable progress has not been achieved in the areas of domestic support and market
access,

M. whereas the EU is by far the world's largest importer of agricultural products from developing coun-

tries,

N. whereas the protection of geographical indications remains of crucial importance to the EU, which

enjoys competitive advantage for a number of high-quality regional products,

O. whereas non-agricultural market access (NAMA) has significant potential trade gains for the EU, but
equally for developing countries since a considerable amount of their trade is in industrial goods and
they face high tariff barriers in their trade with other developing countries,

P. whereas market access is also hampered by significant non-tariff barriers,

Q. whereas in the area of services, negotiations have not yet yielded any satisfactory results; whereas the
objective sought by the EU is further liberalisation which, while preserving WTO members' national
policy objectives and their right to regulate public services, should nevertheless take into account the
specific needs of developing countries,

R. whereas an improvement of WTO rules on Trade Facilitation, anti-dumping, and other rules issues
lowering the costs of

would be advantageous for all WTO members by improving legal certainty,
trade transactions and preventing abusive or protectionist use,

S. whereas the process of globalisation and the role played by the WTO are often misrepresented and

misunderstood, and there is a need for enhanced accountability and transparency in the WTO,

1.
Reiterates its commitment to the multilateral approach to trade policy, and its support for the WTO as
the guarantor of rules-based international trade; points out that a failure of the multilateral negotiations and
a shift to bilateral/regional agreements would lead to an unequal process of liberalisation and uneven devel-
opment and would thus adversely affect particularly the least developed countries (LDCs);

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2.
Deplores the slow progress in the negotiations so far and the predetermined low level of ambition for
the outcome of the Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong; notes that this low level of ambition threatens the
ability to deliver meaningful results for the Doha Round; calls on the Commission to prepare an alternative
action plan in case the Doha negotiations fail; hopes, however, that the Ministerial Declaration will pave the
way for a successful conclusion of the Round in all key areas;

3.
Believes that a greater commitment on the part of all mayor players, including the EU, the US and the
emerging economies, would be necessary to promote collective progress; calls on all WTO members, espe-
cially developed and advanced developing countries, to engage constructively in real negotiations with a
view to reaching a successful conclusion; especially appeals to the European Union to put its weight during
the undoubtedly complex and difficult negotiations in the coming months behind the achievement of freer
and fairer trade relations worldwide;

Stresses that, in a situation where many deadlines have been neglected throughout the course of the

4.
current Round, the target of 2006 for the conclusion of the Round simply must not be missed;

Reaffirms its strong support for placing development at the heart of the DDA and calls on the devel-
5.
oped countries, as well as the more advanced developing countries, to deliver on the ambitious goals set out
in the Doha Declaration in order to ensure that the new trade round is a development round;

Insists that the Round must not be focused only on the agricultural

6.
issues and therefore the key
negotiating areas should be treated in parallel, in line with the notion of the Single Undertaking and with
a similar high level of ambition and determination to contribute to development;

7. Welcomes the increased level of organisation and self-confidence achieved by the developing countries
(G-90 and G-20 in particular);

Stresses that the undertakings entered into by the Commission during the agricultural negotiations
8.
within the WTO cannot go beyond the bounds of the current CAP arrangements or the negotiating man-
date;

Believes that it is essential for the Commission's current offer to remain conditional in connection
9.
with the DDA and for it to remain possible to withdraw it during the course of the negotiations should
no satisfactory offers be forthcoming from other WTO partners;

10.

Reiterates the need to respect the multifunctional character of EU agriculture;

11.

Supports the right of farmers to have access to traditional seeds;

12.
Recalls that, due to the 2003 CAP reform, the EU has significantly reduced its trade-distorting
domestic support and asks for concrete commitments in that direction by other trading partners; welcomes,
in the Ministerial Declaration, the constraint imposed on ‘box shifting’ through the obligation to proceed to
an overall reduction in trade-distorting domestic support;

Recalls the scope of the Luxembourg Agreement on the CAP reform and insists on the need to define

13.
‘green box’ measures, including decoupled support;

14.
Stresses the important offer made by the EU to abolish its export refund system by 2013 and insists
that a parallel move by other WTO members is required in the areas of export credits, State trading enter-
prises and food aid; emphasises that 2013 is an end-date for this process and calls for a frontloading of a
substantial part of the cuts in the first half of the implementation period; supports the Commission's view
that export subsidy elimination should be expressed in value terms;

15. Welcomes the solid progress towards the agreement on a framework to determine new disciplines to
prevent the dumping of non-emergency food aid, which constitutes a disguised form of export subsidy, and
the creation of a ‘safe box’ for the exemption of bona fide emergency aid;

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16.
Suggests that there should be an independent audit of all forms of aid to international trade (export
credits, guarantee systems, State enterprises, food aid etc.); suggests that the aim of this audit should be to
distinguish between humanitarian aspects, which should be subject to public monitoring, and aspects that
distort the rules of competition in international trade, which should be eliminated;

17.
Considers that market access is an important issue for the negotiations and the implementation of
CAP reform; believes that, in view of this, the general reduction of customs tariffs should be assessed in the
light of the efforts made by all WTO members regarding the various aspects of the agricultural negotiations
and of the European Union's efforts with regard to domestic support and export competition, in which
connection it must remain possible to impose the same requirements on imported products as on home-
produced products;

18.
States, with regard to market access, that a limited degree of flexibility is needed through both the
formula for tariff cuts and the designation of sensitive products; welcomes the formulations on Special
Products and Special Safeguard Mechanism corresponding to the requests of the developing countries and
offering them some room for manoeuvre to safeguard their food security and rural livelihoods; refers, in
that respect, to the prescription of a common set of specific indicators;

19. Welcomes the agreement on the elimination, by developed countries, of export subsidies for cotton
by 2006 but highlights that this is already required under a recent WTO dispute ruling and notes that such
subsidies constitute only a small proportion of subsidies that the US gives its cotton farmers; stresses the
importance, therefore, of achieving positive results in reducing and eliminating its domestic subsidies; wel-
comes the provision of duty-free and quota-free market access for cotton exports from LDCs; however,
notes the limited impact that this will have; stresses the importance, therefore, of achieving positive results
in reducing and eliminating domestic subsidies; considers that these measures should be complemented by
structural supportive reform programmes for farmers and industry in the EU regions affected and with
development support measures for the developing countries to be taken by the World Bank and the Inter-
national Monetary Fund, the UN Development Programme and other international organisations;

Asks the Commission to consider the possibility of introducing a ‘development box’ for the LDCs
20.
into the agricultural negotiations, so that they can tackle food safety and rural employment, which are major
issues when it comes to eradicating poverty;

21.
Notes the need for the European Union to strengthen its relations with the countries with which it
shares a common vision in terms of agriculture, in particular the G10 and African, Caribbean and Pacific
(ACP) countries; considers in this regard that the opening of the Community market following recent com-
mitments should apply first and foremost to the LDCs and to the ACP states; stresses that full account
should be taken of the problems linked to the erosion of the preferential margins from which these coun-
tries benefit;

Considers that all concessions granted to developing and LDCs should be made conditional upon

22.
strict compliance with origin rules and the mechanism for the prevention of triangular trade;

23.
Deplores the absence of progress on the establishment of a register for wines and spirits as well as
on the extension of the protection of geographical indications to other products; recalls that these elements
are essential for a balanced outcome of the negotiations;

24.
Calls for ambitious and balanced results in the negotiations on NAMA, guaranteeing new real market
access opportunities, including in south-south trade, through substantial cuts in applied rates, taking due
account of the special and differential treatment required by vulnerable developing countries; insists that the
link established in the Ministerial Declaration between the levels of ambition in AMA and NAMA should
mean cuts in applied rates; calls on advanced developing countries to take their share of responsibility,
commensurate with their degree of development, while stressing that the outcome should reflect the agreed
principle of less-than-full reciprocity;

25. Welcomes the agreement to use a Swiss formula for tariff reductions; stresses, however, that the
harmonising effect of such a formula should not be lessened through the definition of multiple coefficients;
favours the pursuit of sectoral initiatives in sectors of export interest for the EU;

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26.
Acknowledges that a great deal still remains to be done to establish the arrangements and conclude
the negotiations; stresses also that difficult decisions will have to be made by 30 April 2006 on the tariff
reduction arrangements, with regard both to the number and the level of the coefficients;

27.
Notes that it is of strategic importance that all trading partners also remove their unjustified non-
tariff barriers, since they hamper market access and might counteract the possible benefits from tariff cuts,
while preserving the necessary policy space to protect non-trade concerns; calls for increased efforts in
promoting international standardisation and mutual recognition; regrets the lack of progress on this point
in Hong Kong;

28.
Is concerned about the back-loading of negotiations in the services area and calls for their intensifi-
level, with due regard for the interests of weak and vulnerable
cation at both bilateral and plurilateral
economies and without weakening their position by pressing them to liberalise additional services sectors;
notes that the WTO is altering the structure of the method of the General Agreement on Trade in Services
(GATS) negotiations method; insists on the necessity of a timely impact assessment; welcomes the fact that
the end of February 2006 deadline for the submission of plurilateral requests was met and considers this to
be a positive sign for the further progress of the negotiations; regrets the fact that the final Declaration does
not set any quantitative targets for the submission of revised offers; reiterates that essential public services,
such as health, education and audiovisual services should be excluded from liberalisation;

29.
Expresses concern about the fact that the intermediate deadlines for reaching a successful conclusion
of the services negotiations are ‘out of synch’ with those laid out for the completion of modalities and the
submission of draft schedules in agriculture and NAMA, and that such a different timeline may make it
more difficult to achieve a balanced outcome across all key areas;

30.
Insists that the EU continue emphasising in the WTO the liberalisation of services and the opening
of markets, such as those in the financial, tourist and distribution sector, which are important sectors for
European economy;

31.
Emphasises the progress made when examining the relationship between trade, debt and finance and
calls on the Commission to incorporate in its multilateral and bilateral requests to its WTO trading partners
new and improved GATS commitments in financial services, in order to ensure that trade liberalisation,
particularly as regards financial services, is mutually beneficial to the parties involved;

Notes that all WTO members have agreed to find the least trade distorting solutions when drafting

32.
new legislation and stresses the importance for the European Union to show leadership in this aspect;

33.
Reiterates that a successful conclusion of the negotiations must deliver on the commitment towards
concrete development benefits in all negotiating areas, notably in the interests of the LDCs, and must con-
tribute to achieving the 2015 Millennium Development Goals, the eradication of poverty, fairer distribution
of the benefits of globalisation, better market access for developing countries and the economic diversifi-
cation of developing countries, without weakening the most fragile economic sectors in those countries;

34. Welcomes the development package adopted in Hong Kong, although less ambitious than expected;
regrets, however, that the duty and quota free access for LDC products to markets, excluding 3 % of tariff
lines that cover some crucial products for the poor countries, substantially reduces the benefits for the
LDCs; calls on all developed and advanced developing countries to follow the model of the EU ‘everything
but arms’ initiative in guaranteeing 100 % duty and quota-free market access for LDCs; calls on the EU and
the LDCs to strive jointly to achieve 100 % duty and quota-free market access for LDCs in developed and
advanced developing countries;

35.
Regrets the slow progress of work on the important issue of preference erosion; considers that the
problems of the erosion of trade preferences and falling commodity prices should also be addressed in this
Round; calls on the Commission after dismantling the existing EU/ACP system of regulation, to contribute
positively to the identification and proposing of possible new solutions, both at bilateral and multilateral
levels, for the stabilisation of commodity prices;

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36.
Considers that special and differential treatment must form an integral part of the WTO agreements;
considers also that further progressive South-South market opening, especially regional trade and a commit-
ment to stronger multilateral rules can prove beneficial for the economic development and the integration
of developing countries into the global economy;

37.
Stresses the importance of adequate technical assistance to help developing countries formulate their
trade interests, engage effectively in negotiations, meet new obligations, adjust to reforms and effectively
implement WTO rules; stresses also the need to encourage weak and vulnerable economies in the inte-
gration of trade into their national development policies and poverty reduction strategies without jeopardis-
ing other development objectives; supports the expansion of ‘Aid for Trade’ to developing countries which
require assistance to build the capacity needed to realise benefits from improvements in market access and
trade rules, aimed at strengthening their commercial and exporting capacity, diversifying their production
bases if so required, and replacing customs resources by other fiscal resources;

38.
Calls on the European Union to ensure that the additional aid for trade announced in Hong Kong is
financed out of new resources through an addition to the Financial Perspectives and does not involve shift-
ing resources already earmarked for other development initiatives, such as the Millennium Development
Goals; calls at the same time for more coherence among various aid donors;

39. Welcomes the decision of the General Council of the WTO of 6 December 2005 on an amendment
of the TRIPS Agreement aimed at improving access to medicines for developing countries;

40. Welcomes the progress achieved so far in the negotiations on Trade Facilitation; calls for the estab-
lishment of multilateral commitments for increased legal certainty, especially in the field of trade defence
measures and rules on counterfeiting, simplification and modernisation of trade procedures; underlines the
particular importance of targeted technical assistance in this area;

41.
Calls for the strengthening of the WTO enforcement mechanisms of the TRIPS Agreement, which are
necessary for combating the sale of counterfeit products and the violation of EU patent rights; states that
protecting Europe's intellectual property,
the most
including geographical
important issues to be dealt with in the WTO; welcomes, in that context, the fact that the Commission
will be stationing a patent officer in Beijing as of 1 April 2006; stresses that the internalisation of counter-
feit products adversely affects tax receipts in developed countries, helps fund organised crime at the inter-
national level and reduces the incentives to invent and innovate in all countries, therefore posing a risk to
EU industries' heavy investment in high technology products and services;

indications, remains one of

42.
Calls on the Commission to make it clear in its talks with other trading partners that the EU dis-
approves of the regular violations of WTO rules, particularly with regard to intellectual property, product
piracy and non-tariff trade barriers;

43.
Calls for strengthened discipline with regard to anti-dumping and other rules issues in order to
prevent abusive recourse to trade defence instruments while preserving the legitimate use and effectiveness
of these instruments;

44.
Insists that all forms of dumping be prohibited and be defined as exports made at prices below the
average full production cost, taking into account all types of upstream and downstream subsidies and cross-
subsidisation;

45.
Notes the need for improved coherence and enhanced supportiveness of trade and environmental
legal and policy systems; asks for progress in the area of trade in environmental goods and clearer rules
regarding the relationship between WTO rules and Multilateral Environmental Agreements;

Emphasises the importance of taking into account non-trade concerns such as social, environmental

46.
and cultural issues in the Doha Round;

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Calls on the Commission to give due consideration to non-trade concerns (animal welfare and the

47.
environment) in the field of agriculture in the forthcoming negotiations;

Stresses the heavy distortion of competition suffered by European farmers as long as imported pro-

48.
ducts are not subject to the same standards as home products;

49.
Bearing in mind the growing importance of a social dimension in trade relations, regrets that the
strengthening of links between the WTO and the ILO has once again failed to find its expression in the
Ministerial Declaration; strongly believes in the importance of standards for the modern trading system;
reiterates its long-standing pledge to grant the ILO observer status at WTO meetings and strongly supports
the creation of a joint ILO-WTO Standing Forum on this issue;

50.
Reiterates its call for a thorough reform of the WTO and for its better integration in the general
framework of global governance; calls for greater coordination and coherence among all international insti-
tutions active in the field of trade and development, including UN-based organisations in charge of human
development, health and the environment, and calls on all WTO Members to provide it with a clear man-
date for enhanced cooperation;

51.
Supports negotiations on the improvement of the dispute settlement mechanism towards enhanced
effectiveness and transparency aiming inter alia at improving rules and procedures for panel composition,
addressing the ‘sequencing’ issue, encouraging compensation arrangements, enhancing third party rights,
granting remand authority to the Appellate Body, the facilitation of access by developing countries, and
taking into consideration environmental, social and human rights legislation in its decisions;

States that investment, competition and transparency in public procurement remain important areas

52.
to be negotiated within the WTO;

Proposes to the EU negotiators in the context of the WTO, to start formulating an EU position on
53.
energy that introduces greater security of supply and stronger market forces in the field of energy, which
covers industrial applications in the field of energy, facilitating investment in developing countries and
eliminating dual pricing and other forms of export restrictions or taxes that threaten the survival of many
EU industries;

Recalls the fact that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the economies
54.
of the EU and developing countries but their survival
in a global trading system requires that private
property rights be clearly defined, that there be clear limits to monopoly rents, and that such rights be
effectively enforced in order to act as incentives for SMEs to invest in research and innovation; proposes
that EU trade policy aim to reduce the risks of international trade and investment for SMEs by vastly
increasing market access in emerging countries with the effective removal of tariffs and non-tariff barriers
in those countries, by removing restrictions on European commercial activities (investment, establishment,
right to trade) and by creating strengthened WTO mediation mechanisms to deal with non-tariff barriers in
a rapid and efficient manner;

55.
Suggests that emphasis be placed on economic and social forecasting with a view to measuring, both
quantitatively and qualitatively, the economic and social impact of the developments resulting from inter-
national trade agreements; takes the view that this aid to decision-making is essential both to help negoti-
ation and to anticipate economic consequences of the agreements that may affect the Member States and
economic sectors concerned;

56.
Stresses the importance of encouraging public and political support for the WTO multilateral trading
system; notes that companies have a legitimate interest in shaping policies that affect how they do business
and that the participation of different groups, including NGOs, is crucial to the WTO's functioning; stresses,
however, that corporate and NGO priorities disproportionately influence the WTO's policy agenda and
could play a bigger role than democratically elected parliamentarians with regard to the final document;
urges the Commission to carefully examine the role of companies and NGOs in the negotiation process;
calls for increased transparency and the reduction of corporate and NGO privileges; stresses that better
information of the public and wider consultation of civil society are needed; reiterates, in this respect, the
important contribution the parliamentary dimension can make as a means of strengthening the WTO's
democratic accountability and openness to the citizens;

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Underlines the need for institutional reforms to improve the functioning of the WTO, on the basis

57.
inter alia of the recommendations contained in the above-mentioned Sutherland Report;

Stresses the importance of the work of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO in strengthening
58.
the democratic dimension of the WTO; notes, however, the lack of consideration given to its Final Declar-
ations by WTO negotiators; notes the effort made by EU negotiators to address the Parliamentary Confer-
ence on the WTO but deplores the lack of engagement of other WTO negotiators;

States its willingness to contribute positively to the negotiating process through the various contacts

59.
its Members have with their counterparts from countries with which the EU shares common interests;

60. Welcomes the strong spirit of unity among the three major EU institutions present in Hong Kong
and underlines the benefit of maintaining a close collaboration between them in these crucial months of the
negotiations; calls on the Council and the Commission to continue to keep Parliament properly involved
and fully informed on the EU post-Hong Kong strategy and the progress of the negotiations, also during the
next General Council meeting in Geneva;

61.
Stresses the importance of Parliament being represented at all WTO meetings at which major steps in
the negotiations are taken and where ministers are involved and not only on the occasion of official Minis-
terial Conferences; requests, therefore, that a small delegation of members of the Parliament be meaningfully
involved in the meetings to be convened in Geneva with a view to meeting the 30 April and 31 July 2006
deadlines set in the Hong Kong Declaration; invites the Council to extend an invitation to such a delegation
of members of the Parliament to participate, as observers,
in at least one of the meetings of the 133
Committee to be organised in Geneva at the end of April 2006; calls on the Commission to support this
initiative and to ensure that members of the Parliament receive appropriate information on the progress of
negotiations during their stay in Geneva;

62.
Reiterates the importance of a parliamentary dimension of the WTO in order to enhance democratic
legitimacy and transparency in the WTO negotiations, since members of parliament can constitute an
important link with citizens, in particular as a source of information and response to their concerns; wel-
comes the results of the Hong Kong session of the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO; calls on the
Commission and the Council to support actively a reference in the final document of the Doha Round
which highlights the role of legislators in trade policy-making;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission and to the
63.
parliaments of the Member States, the acceding countries and the applicant countries, the Director-General
of the WTO and the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

P6_TA(2006)0124

Broad economic policy guidelines for 2006

European Parliament resolution on the situation of the European economy: preparatory report on
the broad economic policy guidelines for 2006 (2006/2047(INI))

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the Commission's Integrated Guidelines for Growth and Jobs (2005-2008) (COM

(2005)0141) (the Integrated Guidelines),

— having regard to Article 99(2) of the EC Treaty,

— having regard to the Commission's Economic Policy Committee's Special Report No 4/2005, ‘The 2005
EPC projections of age-related expenditure (2004-2050) for the EU25 Member States: underlying
assumptions and projection methodologies’,