Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-02-04-Speech-3-325"
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"en.20090204.18.3-325"2
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"In response to Mr Medina Ortega’s question, which relates to the WTO, I think it is an important issue. We have all read the reports of – some of us even took an active part in – the Davos World Economic Forum, and have listened to the recent comments by Pascal Lamy and others. There is no doubt that there is a fear of rising protectionism, so we are all very well aware of the challenges ahead of us.
I would like to point out that on 15 November last year the members of the G20 emphasised the importance of establishing the modalities for an agreement by the end of 2008, which has already passed. In this context the delegations of the WTO members, including the European Commission on behalf of the EU, intensified their work in Geneva with a view to providing a political impulse.
A lot of work has been done, and the effort led to the new revision of the AGRI and NAMA texts. Moreover, in the light of the current political and economic development, the European Council in mid-December last year stated in its conclusions that it endorsed the objective of arriving this year, within the WTO, at an agreement on the modalities leading to the conclusion of the Doha Round with an ambitious global and balanced report and result.
The Council and Commission stood ready for constructive EU participation at the ministerial talks, if and when convened. However, on 12 December 2008, the WTO Director-General, Pascal Lamy, at an informal meeting of the heads of delegation, indicated that he would not convene the ministers to finalise modalities by the end of the year, because the conditions did not yet exist for a successful ministerial meeting, despite intensive consultation.
The aim of the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) is to achieve transparent liberalisation of trade at multilateral level which will bring about long-term advantages and a major boost for the world economy, in particular for developing countries, due to the development-oriented character of this round.
Therefore, despite the fact that no conclusion was possible by the end of 2008, the Council remains fully committed to the multilateral trade system, as well as to the conclusion of an ambitious, balanced and comprehensive outcome of the WTO Doha Round. This is even more important given the current economic and financial situation.
Although the Presidency is well aware of the obstacles that exist on the way toward successful completion of the whole process, it will undoubtedly seek to give an effect to these commitments by working on the renewal of discussions on the DDA as soon as the conditions allow. It will also support more intensive work within the framework of other WTO agendas, in particular in the areas of services and TRIPS."@en1
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