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<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Saturday, December 18, 1999 9:28 AM
Subject: WTO alert heads up from White House
> THE WHITE HOUSE
>
> Office of the Press Secretary
> ________________________________________________________________________
> For Immediate Release December 17, 1999
>
>
> US - EU SUMMIT STATEMENT ON THE WTO
>
>
> The United States and the European Union consider the multilateral
> trading system one of world's principal bulwarks of peace, sustainable
> development, and economic growth; and a primary engine for rising living
> standards and broad-based prosperity in the future. As we approach the
> new century, we must ensure that the trading system retains its dynamism
> and ability to respond to changing needs of an increasingly diverse
> membership.
>
> Accordingly, both sides note their disappointment at the failure to
> reach agreement on a new Round of trade negotiations at Seattle, but
> they agree it is now important to find a way forward. In this context,
> the EU and the US both pledge continued readiness to work with Director
> General Mike Moore and our partners to launch an inclusive new Round as
> soon as possible. A new Round has to be definitively different from its
> predecessors. It should encompass the built in agenda of agriculture
> and services, further and effective market access liberalization,
> support our efforts to harness globalization by strengthening and
> extending WTO rules, and address the concerns of both developing
> countries and civil society.
>
> With the Director General and all other members of the WTO, we need to
> take full account of the lessons of Seattle. In particular, work should
> be directed towards a set of measures that will: provide better
> opportunities for wider participation by all members (including
> developing countries) in the decision-making processes of the WTO; offer
> greater transparency (both within the organization and vis a vis the
> outside world); and improve public access, including through broader
> access to WTO documents and enhanced consultation procedures with civil
> society. This work should also consider measures to improve the
> efficiency of the WTO, and to boost overall public support for the
> organization. We should also seek agreement by all members on the
> separate review of WTO dispute settlement procedures, including measures
> to enhance transparency.
>
> The US and EU are committed to maximizing the benefits developing
> countries gain from being in the WTO. We agreed to take forward a
> preferential market access initiative for least developed WTO members,
> initially with our Quad partners. We will work with other WTO Members to
> establish as soon as possible a new, revitalized program for capacity
> building and technical assistance undertaken by the WTO, beginning with
> the Integrated Framework established in 1996, and in cooperation with
> other international institutions. We also agreed to consider what we
> would do to address the concerns of a number of developing countries
> with implementation of existing multilateral trade agreements.
>
> On issues of interest to our civil societies, we agreed that changes to
> global economy have brought new challenges to the trading system.
> Nowhere is that more evident than the debate that is now joined
> regarding the relationship between trade and labor. The US and EU are
> committed to working with our partners to engage the WTO and ILO in a
> constructive dialogue, including consideration of the relationship
> between core labor standards, further liberalization, trade policy and
> social development, in order to foster understanding and consensus. And
> on trade and environment, we will work together to ensure that trade
> rules support and do not undermine the ability of governments to
> establish and achieve high levels of environmental protection.
>
> The cooperative relationship between the US and the EU has been crucial
> to the development of the multilateral trading system over the past 50
> years. We recognize our shared responsibilities to continue this work,
> but also the need to involve all our WTO partners more directly. This
> will pave the way for continued prosperity, whose? sustainable
development,
> and
> long-term growth for the 21st century.
>
>
> # # #
>
>
>
