§ Mr. DafisTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make it his policy to propose amendments to the existing proposals to establish a multilateral trade organisation set out in the draft final act of the Uruguay round of GATT to secure(a) explicit commitments to the protection of the environment and incomes of the poor in Third-world countries and (b) revisions to the dispute procedures enabling increased accountability of panel members.
§ Mr. NeedhamThe GATT already allows for measures to be taken to protect the environment. The proposed Multilateral Trade Organisation (MTO), which is intended to provide the vehicle for the implementation of the results of the Uruguay round, would strengthen the ability of the international trading system to respond to environmental concerns. The Community has made proposals to improve the references to the environment, including wording on sustainable development in the preamble, a ministerial declaration on the environment with a work programme, and giving permanent status to the working party on trade and environment. The members of GATT dispute settlement panels do not act in their own right, but advise the GATT contracting parties, and are accountable in this way to national Governments.