Hello everyone,
In the recent Doha Round of WTO talks, I saw that Iceland's proposal
to use the GATT's Subsidies and Countervailing Measures Agreement to
negotiate away fisheries production subsidies had more or less been
adopted in the formal Ministerial Declaration.
I am wondering if Oceanlaw members have any thoughts to share on the
private negotiations leading up to the declaration, and I would also
be keen to hear from anyone willing to predict likely outcomes of
this agreement to negotiate . It would seem, from the wording of the
declaration, that some hedging took place: members only pledged to
clarify and improve SCM disciplines with respect to fisheries
subsidies, not explicitly to eliminate those subsidies. The
relevant paragraph is appended.
Yours,
Doug
Doha Ministerial Declaration
World Trade Organization
WT/MIN(01)/DEC/W/1
14 November 2001
28. In the light of experience and of the increasing application of
these instruments by Members,
we agree to negotiations aimed at clarifying and improving
disciplines under the Agreements on
Implementation of Article VI of the GATT 1994 and on Subsidies and
Countervailing Measures,
while preserving the basic concepts, principles and effectiveness of
these Agreements and their
instruments and objectives, and taking into account the needs of
developing and least-developed
participants. In the initial phase of the negotiations, participants
will indicate the provisions,
including disciplines on trade distorting practices, that they seek
to clarify and improve in the
subsequent phase. In the context of these negotiations, participants
shall also aim to clarify and
improve WTO disciplines on fisheries subsidies, taking into account
the importance of this sector to
developing countries. We note that fisheries subsidies are also
referred to in paragraph 31. [DY: only insofar as fisheries are
noted to be an environmental issue].
--
Douglas W. Yu, Lecturer in Conservation Biology
Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation (CEEC)
School for Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich,
England NR4 7TJ UK
Tel: UK(0)1603-593-835, Fax: UK(0)1603-592-250
Fax to email: US 707-222-7112, UK (0)870-167-5371
For details of our one year taught M.Sc. in conservation please see
http://www.uea.ac.uk/bio/AEC/index.html
For details of the School of Biological Sciences please see
http://www.uea.ac.uk/bio
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