§ Lord Stanley of Alderleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether improvements in the European Union meat inspection system will form part of the next round of talks in the World Trade Organisation; and what they expect the outcome might be. [HL3106]
§ The Minister of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Simon of Highbury)The agenda for the new round has not yet been decided. The Government would hope to see a comprehensive round launched at the Seattle WTO Ministerial Conference in December and would not wish to see anything excluded at this stage. It is too soon to anticipate the detailed outcome of the next round.
36WA
§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
What are their intentions and those of the European Union for the World Trade Organisation's third Ministerial Meeting to be held in the United States later this year; and whether the need to co-ordinate the activities of the WTO with those of the International Labour Office and of the United Nations' environmental programme will be uppermost. [HL3163]
§ Lord Simon of HighburyThe Government, together with the other member states of the European Union, hope to see a comprehensive round of trade negotiations launched at the Seattle WTO Ministerial Conference later this year. The agenda for the new round has not yet been decided. We are examining strengthening the links between the WTO and other international organisations, including the United Nations Environmental Programme and the International Labour Organisation.
§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Which government departments are developing their and the European Union's policies for the World Trade Organisation Ministerial Meeting to be held later this year; and whether the economic, social and environmental interests of developing countries will be uppermost in the formation of these policies. [HL3164]
§ Lord Simon of HighburyThe Government, together with the other member states of the European Union, wish to see a comprehensive round of trade negotiations launched at the Seattle WTO Ministerial later this year. The agenda for the new round has not yet been decided. The Department of Trade and Industry is co-ordinating the UK's preparation for the round, in close consultation with all other departments whose interests may be affected. In preparing our position, we will take full account of our sustainable development objectives and the needs of developing countries.
§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will propose to the World Trade Organisation that it adopt as its motto or slogan the statement, "the world economy is a subset of the world environment". [HL3165]
§ Lord Simon of HighburyWe do not intend to propose that the WTO should adopt any motto or slogan. However, the parties to the agreement establishing the WTO did recognise that "their relations in the field of trade and economic endeavour should be conducted with a view to raising standards of living, ensuring full employment and a large and steady growing volume of real income and effective demand, and expanding the production of and trade in goods and services, while allowing for the optimal use of the world's resources in accordance with the objective of sustainable development, seeking both to protect and preserve the environment and to enhance the means for doing so in a manner consistent with the respective needs and concerns at different levels of economic development" (preamble to the Marrakesh Agreement).
37WA
§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they and the European Union intend to propose (a) that all World Trade Organisation countries give foreign investors the right to enter those countries and establish themselves with 100 per cent. ownership, and (b) that governments, in their procurement and contracts for projects (including privatisation deals), should no longer be able to give preference or advantage to citizens or local firms, if so, whether the political and social implications of such proposals have been fully considered, and by whom. [HL3166]
§ Lord Simon of HighburyThe Government, in common with their EU partners, have called for a comprehensive new round of negotiations in the World Trade Organisation. We see benefits for the UK, for developing countries in particular and for the world economy as a whole, if one item on the agenda of these negotiations could be the pursuit of an open, non-discriminatory and transparent framework for foreign investment. However, we also recognise that most countries currently operate restrictions in foreign investment in some circumstances, and that some restrictions will inevitably remain for the foreseeable future.
The main multilateral discussions which are being conducted on government procurement at the moment are in the WTO Transparency Working Group. The Government hope that these will lead in due course to a Transparency Agreement. This will not have any impact on preferences or local advantages, but will allow any interested parties to see what conditions apply to procurement opportunities.
§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the approach of the World Trade Organisation to the fact that the necessary scientific studies undertaken to assess the harmlessness or otherwise of a product or process may take longer than originally anticipated. [HL3180]
§ Lord Simon of HighburyArticle 5.7 of the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary Methods allows WTO Members provisionally to adopt sanitary or phytosanitary measures on the basis of available pertinent information in cases where relevant scientific evidence is insufficient. In such circumstances, members are required to seek to obtain the additional information necessary for a more objective assessment of risk and review the sanitary or phytosanitary measure accordingly within a reasonable period of time. No specific time scale is set or required for the completion of such studies.