On Tuesday 24 February, MEPs on Parliament’s Committee on International Trade (INTA) validated the European Parliament’s position on the forthcoming multilateral negotiations as part of the 14th ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO), to be held from 26 to 29 March in Yaoundé (Cameroon).
Committee members supported the text co-authored by Jörgen Warborn (EPP, German) and Bernd Lange (S&D, German) by 34 votes to 4, with one abstention.
In the context of modernising the organisation, the report calls for the adoption of a comprehensive set of measures to review the WTO’s surveillance, negotiation, deliberation and dispute settlement functions.
It also stresses the need to explore “more efficient and flexible” decision-making methods, in particular by implementing the concept of “responsible consensus”, whereby members would be encouraged to exercise their right of veto only when necessary and to provide a clear justification.
A plenary vote is due to take place in Strasbourg in March, before the start of the ministerial meeting. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)