Commission launches a 'new partnership' with South East Asia

The European Parliament today adopted a resolution setting out its views on the upcoming WTO Ministerial Conference in Cancun in September 2003, a half-way point in the negotiations under the Doha Development Agenda. EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy welcomed this move: "I am pleased to see that the European Parliament has endorsed the Commission's negotiating positions for Cancun across the board, on both market access and rule-making. This support for the EU negotiator is particularly valuable at this critical time in the preparation of Cancun. The European Parliament's insistence that development concerns be taken into account across the whole range of the negotiations is well taken. We will continue to work closely with the EP in the run-up to Cancun, at Cancun and beyond."

A highlight of the issues addressed in the Resolution includes:

• Development dimension of the Doha Development Agenda: ensure that the outcome of the negotiations translates in increased growth, development and economic opportunities for developing countries. Importance of providing technical assistance to developing countries. Emphasises that a solution to the access to medicines issue which does not limit WTO members to protecting their own public health must be found as a matter of urgency.
  
  
• Agriculture: stresses the need to reduce export support and domestic support, to increase market access and take into account non-trade concerns. Calls on developed countries, in particular the USA and countries of the Cairns Group to show flexibility and match EU's commitments;
  
  
• Industrial goods: calls for addressing tariff peaks, tariff escalation and high tariff, non-tariff barriers and calls on the European Commission to help least-developed countries take advantage of trade preferences;
  
  
• Underscores the importance of geographical indications to contribute to rural development and presses for the establishment of a system of notification and registration of these products;
  
  
• Singapore issues: supports the formal launch of negotiations on competition, investment, trade facilitation and transparency in public procurement, while ensuring that the legitimate concerns of developing countries are addressed;
  
  
• Stresses the importance of enhancing rules on trade defence instruments both for developed as well as for developing countries.

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