Vol. 472 No. 1
82 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade if he has considered seeking amendments in international free trade agreements to ensure that the "polluter pays" principle applies and that trade will not supersede the need for local economies to function where this is necessary to feed local populations. [22066/96]
The "polluter pays" principle is one of a number of principles that underpins the development of environmental policy both at national and EU level. In the WTO, a committee on trade and environment has been set up to identify the relationship between trade measures and environmental measures, in order to promote sustainable development. Within that committee the EU has suggested a number of amendments to the rules of the multilateral trading system to promote sustainable development and has promoted discussion of a number of environmental policies, including the "polluter pays" principle. Further discussions on the role of trade-related environmental policies are likely to continue following the WTO ministerial conference in Singapore in December.
The WTO agreements do not hinder developing countries from pursuing appropriate policies to ensure adequate food supplies for their populations, whether produced domestically or imported. In their decision on measures concerning the possible negative effects of the reform programme on least-developed and net food-importing developing countries, WTO ministers agreed to establish appropriate mechanisms to ensure that the implementation of the results of the Uruguay round on trade in agriculture did not adversely affect the availability of food aid at a level which is sufficient to continue to provide assistance in meeting the food needs of developing countries, especially least developed and net food-importing developing countries.
