Vol. 511 No. 6
46 Mr. Howlin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the position the Government will adopt at the World Trade Organisation ministerial meeting in Seattle; if her attention has been drawn in particular to the concerns expressed by Irish development organisations and non-governmental organisations regarding the potential impact of the proposed millennium round on developing countries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25027/99]
54 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the proposals she will put forward at the World Trade Organisation meeting in Seattle in December 1999; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25057/99]
89 Mr. Gormley asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will give details of the upcoming World Trade Organisation talks in Seattle. [24487/99]
113 Mrs. Owen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the proposals she will put forward at the World Trade Organisation meeting in Seattle in December 1999; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25100/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 46, 54, 89 and 113 together.
It is expected that the third ministerial conference of the World Trade Organisation which is taking place in Seattle from today, 30 November, until 3 December next will take the necessary decisions to launch a millennium round of trade negotiations across a broad range of trade issues. It is likely these negotiations will commence in 2000 and be completed within a specified timeframe. My departmental colleague, Deputy Kitt, as Minster of State with responsibility for trade, is representing Ireland at the ministerial conference.
Ireland's position on the new round has been developed in co-operation with our European Union partners, in keeping with our treaty obligations, and EU submissions have been made to the WTO outlining the European Union's view on the new round. The EU approach has been to call for a comprehensive round of trade negotiations involving a broad range of issues. It is our belief that this is the best way to address the challenges resulting from rapid and far reaching economic changes, to manage properly and effectively the globalisation process, to promote equitable growth and development and to respond in a balanced manner to the interests of all WTO members, in particular the developing countries.
In addition to proposing a detailed agenda to ensure the needs of developing countries are concretely reflected in the negotiations, we feel the agenda for the new round should, among other things, include further liberalisation or rule making in the fields of agriculture and services, non-agricultural tariffs, investment, competition, intellectual property, e-commerce, trade facilitation, government procurement, technical barriers to trade, core labour standards and trade and environment. Results in all areas should support and contribute to sustainable development.
Addressing the concerns of developing countries is a key strategy in the EU approach to the new round. Special and differential treatment for developing countries is already a cornerstone of existing WTO agreements and in the new round there is a need to examine how these provisions can be implemented or changed to have a better impact for developing countries. The traditional approach has been mainly to base special and differential treatment for developing countries on extended implementation periods. Other methods can be examined during the future negotiations.
In addition to special and differential treatment, Ireland along with the EU will sponsor a call for duty and tariff-free market access for products from least developed countries to all markets by 2003. Capacity building, technical assistance and coherence between international bodies have also been identified by the EU as a contribution to the concerns of developing countries.
Developing countries themselves are actively involved in addressing their particular concerns for the new round and considerable time has been spent on implementation issues in the discussions on the draft ministerial declaration. Given that the WTO operates by consensus, the approval of developing countries to any final arrangements will be essential before the negotiations can be successfully concluded.
In addition to a decision to launch a new round of trade negotiations, we hope this ministerial conference will take decisions that will strengthen the WTO as an institution. These could include improvements to the dispute settlement understanding, the creation of an institutional basis to better address development concerns, the improvement of co-operation between the WTO and other major international institutions and improved procedures to create greater transparency and public awareness of the WTO.
Will the Minister of State confirm that the Government representatives at the WTO round will not only support but advocate more involvement by the developing countries? Will he confirm that the Government will ask that the round stop unless there is agreement on assistance to the developing countries to be full trade partners with the rest of the world? The worry is that there might be one or two countries who are happy to do this but the pressure from other countries may be such that Ireland will go back on what it might put forward at the meeting. Will the Minister give a commitment that the needs of the developing countries in this round will be paramount in the Irish Government's proposals and that it will not support any proposals unless they include the developing countries?
It is obvious from my response that Ireland fully supports the European Union's proposals and the measures we want implemented. We will advocate a much greater role for the developing countries and Irish Ministers, their advisers and the excellent officials who work with them will not be found wanting when it comes to putting down our markers and what we want to achieve. The question of whether we will ask for the round to be stopped will be a serious consideration. We do not have any indication that that will be necessary. We hope a consensus will emerge rather than that a negative attitude will prevail, involving world trade wars that might have a serious effect on world economic development and the globalisation of our economy, and thus curtail opportunities that may be available to us.
Will the Minister indicate the basis for his conviction after the Uruguay round that a millennium round or a further round of liberalisation will get under way? Is it not the case that, as we stand today, there is considerable doubt whether the agenda can be reconciled with a view to a new round being put in place?
The basis for my conviction is very simple. The European Union is pushing strongly that the next round commence. We support that and hope it will commence. There are many issues to be discussed. The CAIRNS group of countries have particular issues relating to agriculture which affect Ireland. The United States have a similar instance and the G8 have another point of view. There is no doubt it will not be easy, but we are optimistic that commonsense will prevail and that the round will commence and ultimately reach a conclusion.
Has the Minister of State, Deputy Kitt, who is representing the Government at this round, been given any instruction to ask for a commitment to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the effect of the existing round of trade policy on developing countries? Is there any proposal that Ireland would ask for a food security box to support local production for domestic consumption because under the agricultural agreement there are grave imbalances for developing countries? Many of the organisations that have written to us on behalf of the developing countries have stressed that a number of the existing terms are unfair and unbalanced. Will there be an assessment of the development of the social impacts of the current trade system to ensure those same impacts cannot be built into the next round?
It has not been necessary to give instructions to the Minister of State, Deputy Kitt. A consensus had been reached as a result of decisions taken by Government. In discussions with the Tánaiste, officials in the Department, along with the Minister of State, Deputy Kitt, and myself on one occasion a consensus has emerged on the attitude we should adopt. The Government took a decision recently to make £2 million available to provide technical professional assistance to the least developed countries so that they can have the necessary structures in place to assist them and ensure they get the best deal possible out of any future round of WTO negotiations.
On a small point first, a Leas Cheann Comhairle, and with no disrespect to Ministers of State, Deputy Kitt and Deputy Treacy, is it the Tánaiste's intention to involve herself should these negotiations get under way? Will the Minister of State indicate if some Government Minister recently met a number of NGOs on this agenda and what specific measures the Minister of State, Deputy Kitt, is likely to pursue at Seattle that are in line with the representations made by the NGOs in respect of the developing countries?
On 29 October, the Minister of State, Deputy Kitt, met 19 different NGOs. He has the full support of Government. We will also be guided by the attitude of the European Union. Within those parameters and the priorities for Ireland we will do our utmost to make a major impact at the negotiations. Ireland has often come up with proposals that have led to an emerging consensus. If necessary the Tánaiste would be prepared to lend her full support. However the Tánaiste, myself and the Government have the utmost confidence in the Minister of State, Deputy Kitt, to do a good job on behalf of Ireland.
Arising from the meeting with the 19 NGOs will the Minister of State indicate, in broad terms, what kind of matters the Government decided to advocate that would be in keeping with what the NGOs represented to them?
At the invitation of the Minister of State, Deputy Kitt, these 19 organisations came to meet him. They attended a seminar on the new round. The meeting allowed an opportunity for a broad range of interest groups to discuss with the Minister both Ireland's and the European Union's objectives for the round. These objectives and general priorities are to have a reduction in tariffs; ongoing negotiations on services to enhance market access; to conclude negotiations on agriculture and a review of the SPS agreement; the creation of a framework for multilateral rules for investment and competition; the development of rules on trade and environment; enhanced rules on electronic commerce trade facilitation and procurement; enhancing IPR protection under the TRIPS aspect of the WTO, which relates to copyright; greater participation in the integration of developing countries, particularly least developed countries and moves to improve transparency within the WTO. These items which were discussed by the Minister of State, Deputy Kitt, and the NGOs will be given special attention at the conference and later, I hope, in the negotiations.
The Minister of State said Deputy Kitt had met 19 NGOs. Are any of those 19 NGOs or any others in Seattle at the fringe meetings and, if so, were they given any assistance by the Government to be present at the negotiations?
I cannot give a de facto response. So far as I know there is a reasonable representation from the NGOs.
Was any help given?
I cannot answer that question. I will have to consult my colleague the Minister of State, Deputy Kitt, about that.
Perhaps the Minister of State would let me know.
