§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had since 17 September 2003 with(a) the World Trade Organisation, (b) the European Commission and (c) the United States about the use of special and differential treatment. [146585]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienI have been asked to reply.
It is important that WTO rules more fully reflect different WTO Members' implementation capacities and stages of development. We are therefore disappointed at the lack of progress which has been made in addressing Special and Differential Treatment issues post-Doha.
We had hoped to see agreement in Cancun to at least an initial package of measures, however limited, which might then have opened the way to a wider dialogue on Special and Differential Treatment within the WTO, perhaps through the creation of an expert working group. In the event, no such package of measures 647W was agreed and no progress made on establishing a wider dialogue, through an expert working group or otherwise.
We will continue to press the case for appropriate Special and Differential Treatment within the WTO system with all relevant interlocutors.