European Parliament resolution on the suspension of negotiations on the Doha Development Agenda
Date: 2006-09-07
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: World Trade Organisation, developing countries, economic development, least-developed country, trade agreement, trade policy

C 305 E/244

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

14.12.2006

Thursday 7 September 2006

21.
Calls on the Commission to undertake an in-depth analysis of the consequences and repercussions of
natural disasters, especially those affecting the Union's forests, including the impact on the Natura 2000
Network, and to submit proposals for the development of a Community policy for controlling forest fires
and for a joint protocol on preventing and combating such fires;

22.
Advocates a Community strategy for the coordination of fire prevention measures in the framework
of the rural development regulation; calls for a reforestation policy based on respect for bio-climatic and
environmental characteristics, using plant varieties that resist fire and drought better and are better adapted
to the climate;

Calls on the Commission to reintroduce aid to farmers for creating and maintaining firebreaks as

23.
part of the implementing rules for the new European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD);

24.
Considers that voluntary civil protection action should be promoted and supported without delay,
with basic training and equipment that might harness advanced technologies, since this is one of the major
resources available to the Member States when dealing with states of emergency arising from natural dis-
asters;

25.
Regrets that Russia neglected to cooperate with its neighbouring countries during its recent forest
fires; calls for the Commission to raise this issue in the framework of the EU-Russia Partnership and Coop-
eration Agreement;

Calls on its Bureau to authorise a delegation to the worst-affected areas ahead of the public hearing

26.
planned for October 2006, during which the Barnier report will be considered;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of

27.
the Member States and the regional authorities affected by the fires and floods.

P6_TA(2006)0350

Doha Development Agenda

European Parliament resolution on the suspension of negotiations on the Doha Development
Agenda

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the Doha Ministerial Declaration of

the World Trade Organization (WTO) of

14 November 2001,

— having regard to its resolution of 4 April 2006 on the assessment of the Doha Round following the

WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong (1),

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

WTO, adopted on 18 December 2005 (2),

— having regard to Rule 108(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas the Doha Round was launched in 2001 with the objectives of rectifying the existing imbal-
ances in the multilateral trading system in the common belief that only a multilateral system based on
fair trade and just and equitable rules could spur genuine development and of placing the needs and
interests of developing countries at the heart of the Doha Development Programme,

(1) Texts adopted, P6_TA(2006)0123.
(2) Document number 05-6248, document symbol WT/MIN(05)/DEC).

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Thursday 7 September 2006

B. whereas a failure to conclude the Doha Round would 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 developed and the developing world,

C. whereas developing countries and the least developed countries (LDCs) would suffer most from the
suspension of the Round, as the long-awaited rebalancing of trade rules, putting trade at the service
of sustainable development and respecting the wider system of global governance, cannot be achieved
outside the multilateral framework,

D. whereas any prolongation of the current atmosphere of uncertainty about the future of multilateralism
and the WTO itself would add to global economic and political uncertainty and entail economic,
financial and social consequences,

E. whereas the current structure of the WTO needs to be reformed in order to facilitate negotiations and

enhance accountability and transparency,

Reiterates its full commitment to the multilateral approach to trade policy and the role that the WTO
1.
should play as the guarantor of a rules-based international trade system; regrets, therefore, the suspension
sine die of the Doha Round negotiations in July 2006 and is especially disappointed that insufficient flex-
ibility on the part of some of the major players led to deadlock;

Is concerned that a failure to reach agreement on the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) could lead to
2.
the collapse of the present multilateral trading system; stresses that a shift to bilateral/regional agreements
would lead to unequal and less transparent negotiations, often putting the poorer countries at a disadvan-
tage;

3.
Stresses that the short- and medium-term consequences of this suspension will affect the developing
countries and the LDCs most, especially if pro-development commitments entered into in Hong Kong are
no longer respected;

4.
Is concerned that the suspension of the multilateral negotiations could result in the expansion of trade
disputes, whereby WTO members would try to achieve by litigation what could not be achieved by negotia-
tion;

Urges a strong commitment on the part of all major players, including the EU, the US and the G-20,
5.
to come to a balanced agreement on each of the Round's main negotiation topics, putting development at
the heart of the conclusions and further evaluating the outcome in order to ensure that the DDA ultimately
results in meaningful and sustainable economic gains, particularly for the developing countries; stresses that,
in order fully to implement the Doha mandate, the positive achievements of the negotiations must be
preserved and offers made to date on various elements of the negotiating agenda should form the basis of
the negotiations;

6.
Considers that the developed countries should continue to create more favourable trading conditions
for the developing countries and the LDCs, independently of the final outcome of the round; calls on the
developed and advanced developing countries to follow the EU Everything but Arms initiative, guaranteeing
100 % duty- and quota-free market access for the LDCs;

7.
Underlines the need for institutional reforms to improve the functioning of the WTO and reiterates the
importance of enhancing the accountability and democratic legitimacy of the WTO negotiations and orga-
nisation; is convinced that the multilateral process based on the bottom-up and transparent approach should
be at the core of the negotiations; stresses at the same time the need for an inclusive process involving all
members;

Is convinced that the suspension of negotiations must be used as a call to reflect on the conditions

8.
necessary to improve future trade negotiations;

Calls on the Commission and the Council to establish an agreement to ensure full participation of the

9.
European Parliament in the European Union's international trade negotiations;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments

10.
and parliaments of the Member States and the Director-General of the WTO.