Brussels, 24/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - Trade ministers of around 15 WTO member nations are meeting in Davos to negotiate an agreement on trade liberalisation of green goods.
Building on the success of the WTO ministerial conference in Bali, which resulted in a partial agreement on the Doha Round known as the “Bali package” (see EUROPE 10980), Australia, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Hong Kong, Japan, Norway, New Zealand, Switzerland, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, the United States and the EU will be seeking to abolish customs tariffs on a broad list of green goods. This decision was taken by the ministers of the above countries, including Commissioner Karel De Gucht of the EU, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, on 24 January. Talks will be based on a list of 54 green goods, identified in October 2013 by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). They will first focus on goods but the WTO members behind the initiative hope to create a “living agreement” that will grow and evolve according to future needs, thereby making it possible to address other barriers to trade in green goods and services. Green goods, which are seen as a vital component in sustainable development, cover areas as diverse as tackling air pollution, managing waste or generating renewable energy like wind or solar power. (EH/transl.jl)