De News Report de Europarl le 27 de februario 1998

Le OCM ZELOSE A ADJUTAR PAISES DISVELOPPANTE

Le Director General del Organization de Commercio Mundial (OCM), Sr. Renato
RUGGIERO, parlante al Committee super le Disveloppamento e le Cooperation
(presidente: Michel ROCARD, PES, F) e le Committee de Relationes Economic
Externe (presidente: Luciana CASTELLINA, EUL/NGL,I) describeva le
principios directive de su organization como nondiscrimination (tote
membros del OCM es titulate al clause del nation le plus favorate),
le regula de consenso e le flexibilitate (special arrangiamentos pro
paises disveloppante). Secundo Sr. RUGGIERO, paises disveloppante ha
beneficate del liberalization del commercio que es le objecto del OCM.

Membros del Committee de Disveloppamento esseva anxie a cognoscer si o non
le arrangiamentos preferential del Convention de Lom basate super le
reciprocitate esserea capace de continuar sub le regulas del OCM. Illes
anque exprimeva anxietate super le disputa de bananas, le application
al commercio de regulas environmental e le regulas del Organization
International de Labor (OIL), e le diffusion de pensamento de mercatos
libere.  Sr. RUGGIERO respondeva que le solution esseva liberalization
complete del commercio e le liberalization de mercatos UE. Nonobstante,
ille addeva que systemas regional continuarea exister (e.g. le Union
Europee, le Convention de Lom) in tanto que illos se conforma al regulas
del systema multilateral.  Alternativemente, Articulo 24 del Organization
de Commericio Mundial faceva provision pro requestas pro derogationes.
Le problemas se leva si un systema preferential discriminava contra
un altere gruppo, per exemplo, de paises disveloppante.  In tal casos
le derogation non pote esser permanente.  Con respecto al caso de
bananas, ille credeva que, in additional al systema del preferentias,
il habeva un numero de instrumentos que poterea facer le paises
producente bananas competitive o in iste sector o in altere sectores.

Membros del Committee REX esseva anxie super le accordo multilateral
super le investimento (AMI), que illes diceva es sub negotiation per
le majoritate de paises disveloppate (membros del OCED) e imponite super
le resto del mundo.  Illes argueva que illo es in conflicto con le
principio de nondiscrimination advocate per le OCM.  Secundo Sr.
RUGGIERO, le AMI non esseva un problema del OCM, que es apparentemente
consciente del reluctantia del paises disveloppate de assumer le
responsabilitate pro un accordo contracte per un association consistente
del nationes le plus ric. Un partita laborante del OCM studiava le
affaire, e le conferentia ministerial de 1999 esseva debite a decider
si o non investimentos esserea in futur le subjecto de negotiation sub
le OCM.  Sr. RUGGIERO anque tractava un poco le liberalisation del
agricultura, ben que ille diceva que tote optiones esseva ancora
possibile pro le nove torno de negotiationes que esseva previste a
commenciar in le prime menses de 1999. Le cultura ha essite excludite
del negotiationes del OCM e le identitate cultural certo debe esser
semper respectate.  Le mundo, diceva Sr. RUGGIERO, exigeva melior
governantia, considerante le golfo que ha aperite se inter le existentia
de un economia global e politicas que remaneva local e national in scopo.

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WTO KEEN TO HELP DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Mr Renato RUGGIERO,
speaking to the Committee on Development and Cooperation (chair:
Michel ROCARD, PES, F) and the Committee on External Economic Relations (chair:
Luciana CASTELLINA, EUL/NGL, I) described the guiding principles of
his organization as non-discrimination (all members of the WTO are entitled to t
he most-favoured-nation clause), the consensus rule and flexibility (special
arrangements for developing countries). According to Mr RUGGIERO, developing cou
ntries have benefited from the liberalisation of trade which is the WTO's
goal.

Members of the Development Committee were anxious to know whether the
preferenti al arrangements of the Lom Convention based on reciprocity
would be able to continue in the light of the WTO's rules. They also
expressed concern about t he banana dispute, the application to trade of
environmental rules and the rules of
the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and the spread of free market
think ing. Mr RUGGIERO replied that the answer was complete liberalisation
of trade and the opening up of EU markets. However, he added, regional
systems would cont inue to exist (e.g. the European Union, the Lom
Convention) as long as they conformed to the rules of the multilateral
system. Alternatively, Article 24 of the WTO did provide for requests for
derogations or "waivers". Problems arose if
 one
preferential system discriminated against another group, for example, of
develop ing countries. In such cases, the waiver could not be permanent.
To take the cas e of bananas, he believed that, in addition to the system
of preferences, there was a range of instruments which could make
banana-producing countries competitive either in this sector or in other
sectors.

Members of the REX Committee were concerned about the multilateral
agreement on investment (MAI), which they said was being negotiated by the
most developed countries (members of the OECD) and imposed on the rest of
the world. They argued that it conflicted with the principle of
non-discrimination advocated by the WTO. According to Mr RUGGIERO, the MAI
was not a problem of the WTO, which is apparently aware of the reluctance
of developed countries to take responsibility for an agreement drawn up by
a club made up the wealthiest nation s. A WTO working party was studying
the matter and the 1999 ministerial conference was due to decide whether
investments would in future be the subject of negotiation under the WTO.
Mr RUGGIERO also touched on the issue of the liberalisation of
agriculture, although he said that all options were still open
for the new round of negotiations which was due to start in early 1999.
Culture had been excluded from the WTO negotiations and cultural identity
must
certainly alw ays be fully respected. The world, said Mr RUGGIERO, needed
better governance, given the gulf which had opened up between the
existence of a global economy and policies which remained local and
national in scope.


.....

Stan Mulaik