2007年2月WTO对欧盟贸易政策审议 -主席总结发言(英文)
TRADE POLICY REVIEW: EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
26 and 28 February 2007
Concluding remarks by the Chairperson
This eighth Trade Policy Review of the European Communities (EC) has allowed us to improve our understanding of its trade and related policies and their developments since its previous Review in 2004. We owe this to the active participation of Deputy Director General of DG Trade, Mr. Peter Balas, and his delegation. Our thanks are also due to our discussant, Ambassador Claudia Uribe, for her insightful contribution to our discussions, and the engagement of many delegations.
Members welcomed the EC's recent positive overall economic performance following the economic slowdown in 2001-03. They hoped that the recovery would be sustained given the positive impact this might have on unemployment and the long-term sustainability of public debt within the EC, and on the world economy in general. Members recognized the EC's continuing commitment to, and active participation in the WTO, including the DDA negotiations. They expressed appreciation for the EC's substantial contribution to technical cooperation, and for its non-reciprocal preferences to developing countries. Nonetheless, several Members raised concerns about the EC's already extensive network of preferential trade agreements and its decision to launch new negotiations which could further complicate its regime and divert trade; the EC was exhorted to ensure that its RTAs were complementary to the multilateral trading system.
Members commended the EC on its liberal trade regime for non-agricultural products. Nevertheless, some Members indicated that despite an increase in the exposure of farmers to world market signals due to the implementation of the 2003 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), mainly through the decoupling of payments from production, agriculture remained protected by a complex tariff structure, high tariffs, tariff quotas (with unfilled quotas), and benefited from high levels of domestic support and export subsidies. They argued that the reduction or elimination of such measures, through the further liberalization of the CAP, would benefit EC consumers, improve resource allocation, and contribute to global economic growth. Several Members also showed interest in the EC's specific regimes on, inter alia, tobacco, olive oil, cotton, banana, and sugar.
Various Members raised concerns about the active use of contingency trade remedies by the EC; its regime on technical barriers to trade and SPS measures, particularly the new REACH system for chemicals; its state aid and subsidies programmes; its classification of ITA products; and about the lack of harmonization within the EC in areas, such as internal tax rates and standards. Other issues of interest to Members included the EC's enlargement to 27 members; its new legislation on public procurement; the European Globalization Fund; business regulation and competition policy; protection of intellectual property rights; the dismantling of the remaining barriers to trade in services both at the intra-EC level and vis-à-vis third countries; and its regimes on, inter alia, fisheries, energy, financial services, telecommunications, and transport.
Members appreciated the responses provided by the EC delegation, and look forward to receiving written answers to any outstanding questions.
In conclusion, the active involvement of a large number of Members in this Review reflects the key role that the EC plays in the multilateral trading system. Members have shown appreciation to the EC for maintaining its market largely open as it is the world's leading exporter and the second-largest importer of goods, and the first exporter and importer of commercial services. It seems that the main area where many Members would like to have the EC's positive and prompt response is agriculture. Members encourage the EC to pursue its trade liberalization policy, both on goods and services, on a multilateral basis; in particular, liberalization of agriculture would, inter alia, reinforce its support for developing countries.
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26 and 28 February 2007
Concluding remarks by the Chairperson
This eighth Trade Policy Review of the European Communities (EC) has allowed us to improve our understanding of its trade and related policies and their developments since its previous Review in 2004. We owe this to the active participation of Deputy Director General of DG Trade, Mr. Peter Balas, and his delegation. Our thanks are also due to our discussant, Ambassador Claudia Uribe, for her insightful contribution to our discussions, and the engagement of many delegations.
Members welcomed the EC's recent positive overall economic performance following the economic slowdown in 2001-03. They hoped that the recovery would be sustained given the positive impact this might have on unemployment and the long-term sustainability of public debt within the EC, and on the world economy in general. Members recognized the EC's continuing commitment to, and active participation in the WTO, including the DDA negotiations. They expressed appreciation for the EC's substantial contribution to technical cooperation, and for its non-reciprocal preferences to developing countries. Nonetheless, several Members raised concerns about the EC's already extensive network of preferential trade agreements and its decision to launch new negotiations which could further complicate its regime and divert trade; the EC was exhorted to ensure that its RTAs were complementary to the multilateral trading system.
Members commended the EC on its liberal trade regime for non-agricultural products. Nevertheless, some Members indicated that despite an increase in the exposure of farmers to world market signals due to the implementation of the 2003 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), mainly through the decoupling of payments from production, agriculture remained protected by a complex tariff structure, high tariffs, tariff quotas (with unfilled quotas), and benefited from high levels of domestic support and export subsidies. They argued that the reduction or elimination of such measures, through the further liberalization of the CAP, would benefit EC consumers, improve resource allocation, and contribute to global economic growth. Several Members also showed interest in the EC's specific regimes on, inter alia, tobacco, olive oil, cotton, banana, and sugar.
Various Members raised concerns about the active use of contingency trade remedies by the EC; its regime on technical barriers to trade and SPS measures, particularly the new REACH system for chemicals; its state aid and subsidies programmes; its classification of ITA products; and about the lack of harmonization within the EC in areas, such as internal tax rates and standards. Other issues of interest to Members included the EC's enlargement to 27 members; its new legislation on public procurement; the European Globalization Fund; business regulation and competition policy; protection of intellectual property rights; the dismantling of the remaining barriers to trade in services both at the intra-EC level and vis-à-vis third countries; and its regimes on, inter alia, fisheries, energy, financial services, telecommunications, and transport.
Members appreciated the responses provided by the EC delegation, and look forward to receiving written answers to any outstanding questions.
In conclusion, the active involvement of a large number of Members in this Review reflects the key role that the EC plays in the multilateral trading system. Members have shown appreciation to the EC for maintaining its market largely open as it is the world's leading exporter and the second-largest importer of goods, and the first exporter and importer of commercial services. It seems that the main area where many Members would like to have the EC's positive and prompt response is agriculture. Members encourage the EC to pursue its trade liberalization policy, both on goods and services, on a multilateral basis; in particular, liberalization of agriculture would, inter alia, reinforce its support for developing countries.
> Problems viewing this page?
Please contact webmaster@wto.org giving details of the operating system and
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