Brussels - Abu Dhabi: Europe and the Arabs
On the sidelines of the 13th Ministerial Meeting of the World Trade Organization, which began yesterday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, the European Union institutions in Brussels issued a statement in this regard, which stated: “The European Union is committed to an open, rules-based multilateral trading system, and at its core is the modern World Trade Organization.” The last Ministerial Conference (MC12) in June 2022 achieved many positive outcomes that WTO members should build on. The EU supports a useful set of outcomes for the Thirteenth Ministerial Conference of the WTO (MC13) which can serve as a starting point for further reforms to be agreed no later than the Fourteenth Ministerial Conference. It also calls on all WTO Members to contribute constructively according to their needs and capacities. More than ever, stability and predictability are needed for a rules-based system to act as a bulwark against An increasingly fragmented economy.
The Council strongly welcomes the accession of the Comoros and East Timor to the World Trade Organization, and notes that these accessions are expected to make a positive and lasting contribution to economic reform and sustainable development in both countries. Their accession, the first since 2016, demonstrates the continued appeal and strength of the WTO as a multilateral organization.
The Council highlights the importance of reforming the basic functions of the World Trade Organization, so that it can continue to effectively achieve its goals and meet the challenges of the twenty-first century. A full and effective dispute resolution system and agreement on a durable multilateral solution to the current obstruction faced by the Appellate Body are absolute priorities. The Council stresses the paramount importance and urgent need for reform and notes the commitment of the Twelfth Ministerial Conference to establish an effective dispute settlement system available to all members by 2024.
There is also a need for real reform regarding the monitoring and trading function of the WTO, as well as the role of the WTO as a negotiating forum for new and updated rules. Strengthening deliberations on key issues of the trading system, such as state intervention to support industrial sectors with the aim of ensuring a level playing field, the impact of global environmental challenges on global trade, trade and inclusion, is also a key priority for the EU.
The Council hopes that WTO members will be able to complete the procedures for ratifying the Fisheries Support Agreement reached at the Twelfth Ministerial Conference so that it enters into force as soon as possible. This agreement has important systemic importance: it demonstrates that WTO membership is capable of applying multilateral trade rules, and that the WTO is able to address today's global concerns about sustainability. The Council also stresses the importance of fulfilling the commitment of WTO Members to complete negotiations on additional rules, and fully implement UN Sustainable Development Goal 14.6 by Ministerial Conference-13, in line with relevant EU policies that ensure environmentally sustainable fisheries and in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 14.6. Achieving goal 14.6 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Economic and social benefits. The agreement should be aligned with the EU Common Fisheries Policy and the necessary support programs for EU fisheries, and ensure a level playing field with third country fisheries industries, taking into account the environmental sustainability objectives of the negotiations.
The Council looks forward to renewing the multilateral moratorium on customs duties on electronic transfers and views the Electronic Commerce Program of Action as a valuable framework. The extension of the moratorium goes hand in hand with the ongoing work under the Action Programme, and the Council wants to see both addressed in a single decision at the Thirteenth Ministerial Conference.
Action by the WTO remains needed in response to the food security challenges resulting from the war of aggression launched by the Russian Federation against Ukraine. Russian aggression, supported by Belarus, deliberately violates the UN Charter, ignores the rules-based international order, and undermines international security and stability. Furthermore, ongoing attacks on civilian and critical infrastructure in Ukraine are disrupting the international trading system and negatively impacting the food security situation around the world. Following the announcement of the Twelfth Ministerial Conference on Food Security, the Council stresses the need to make efforts at the Thirteenth Ministerial Conference to achieve results that address the food security crisis.
In the area of agriculture, the Council supports balanced outcomes to move these negotiations forward, in particular negotiations on trade reductions that distort domestic support, a durable solution to the issue of public stocks for food security, and greater transparency on export restrictions. The results should be consistent with the Common Agricultural Policy and with the efforts the EU has already made and is making in its relevant policies to adopt non-trade-distorting and environmentally friendly measures.
Responding to the development challenge is central to the WTO reform agenda. The stability and predictability provided by the rule of regulation
The multilateral trading system is a key factor in supporting sustainable development and helping achieve structural transformation in countries A hundred. The rules of the World Trade Organization help developing countries gradually integrate into global trade and enhance their ability to withstand external and domestic shocks and recessions. The EU approach focuses on the needs and challenges of developing countries, especially least developed countries, and facilitating their integration into global value chains. The Council welcomes the decision taken in October 2023 to support the least developed countries on their path to graduation. The decision should be accompanied by “another deal on least developed countries” at the Thirteenth Ministerial Conference.
The Council supports continued multilateral cooperation among WTO members through the Joint Statement initiatives, in particular on e-commerce, domestic regulation in the services sector, facilitating investment for development and in the area of trade and the environment, allowing members to address more pressing topics. Intensively. The Council welcomes the conclusion of negotiations on local regulation in the services sector in December 2021 and the investment facilitation for development in July 2023. The Council supports the implementation of the outcomes of the Joint Statement initiatives.
The Council approves draft declarations and statements regarding:
Joint Ministerial Declaration on the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement, Ministerial Statement on Fossil Fuel Subsidies and the SPS/Sustainable Food Systems Declaration, as well as the Ministerial Declaration on Strengthening Regulatory Cooperation to Reduce Technical Barriers to Trade
The Council supports the Committee in its efforts to make the Thirteenth Ministerial Conference a success and looks forward to good coordination between Member States and the Commission in this regard. The Council will evaluate the progress achieved with the aim of reaching a balanced result in line with the conditions set out above. To this end, the Council looks forward to the Committee's proposals regarding the texts of the draft declarations and statements discussed within the WTO.