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. ---- 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