Meeting on the Prospects for the New Round and preparations for the Seattle Ministerial Agenda

October 7, 1999

We would like to thank you for this opportunity to present some views on behalf of a number of NGOs on the process of information exchange between the EC and NGOs since the June meeting. We once again welcome the initiative to give civil society representatives the opportunity to present views on the forthcoming WTO negotiations and on the dialogue process between the civil society and the Commission.

We also welcome the Commission’s efforts to improve this dialogue by allowing NGOs to make short presentations. In addition we applaud the fact that meetings with NGOs on specific subjects such as core labour standards and TRIPS have been convened and that further meetings on agriculture and the sustainability impact assessment have been scheduled.

We appreciate Commissioner Lamy’s initiative to convene a meeting with NGOs shortly after his appointment. However, the short notice given for this meeting has prevented a number of NGOs from participating. At the moment many NGOs are actively monitoring the EU’s approach to the New Round at the national level and engaging in discussions with parliamentarians and government officials. Given the limited financial and human resources of NGOs, timely planning and announcements of upcoming meetings are essential if representation of NGOs not based in Brussels and national NGOs is to be increased at the EU level.

There is still a lack of clarity about the EC’s objectives for this dialogue process in terms of scope, outcome and the EC’s mandate. We would appreciate a clarification on how NGO positions have been taken into consideration by the EC. In order to achieve that purpose we would propose that a mechanism be set up to evaluate and to receive feedback on how NGOs’ concerns have been integrated in the EC’s position. NGOs should be able to monitor progress in the WTO negotiations in relation to their concerns. We propose that the EC use the model developed by DG XI in its wide ranging consultation on a Community strategy for dangerous substances from small installations which set out the individual positions of member states, commission DGs, and industry and environment NGOs on the main issues being considered.

Furthermore, in the interest of transparency, we would like to receive more information concerning discussions and outcomes of the meetings the Commission has held with representatives from other groups, including business interest groups, research institutes, and member state national experts.

Concerning the process leading up to and following Seattle, we would like to make the following recommendations:

1. We strongly urge the commission to respect the EU Treaty’s recognition of the need to fully integrate social rights and the protection of the environment, human health, as well as gender concerns and human rights into economic decision making.

2. We must insist that UN multilateral agreements in the field of women’s, children and human rights, environmental protection, health standards, labour standards and animal welfare not be superseded by WTO rules, which are not intended to second-guess government decision-making in these and similar areas.

3. We continue to insist on an assessment of the existing WTO agreements on sustainable development, environment, human and labour rights and gender concerns. We believe that such assessments should become a mandatory mechanism of trade policy formulation.

4. In the context of civil society consultation and increased transparency, we suggest that a first step would be that NGOs and Parliamentarians be invited to join the Commission delegation at the Seattle ministerial meeting.

In its submissions to Member States and meeting of the WTO, the EC has presented positions that support increased transparency and participation by civil society in the procedures of the WTO. How does the Commission intend to live up to the expectations it has created ?

How does the Commission intend to meet its commitments made to developing countries during the Uruguay Round and ensure the implementation of the WTO action plan for LDCs?

Thank you.