Washington, 04/01/2000 (Agence Europe) - During the publication of a report announcing a new rise in electronic commerce across the Atlantic "beyond all expectation", the United States Trade Representative, Charlene Barshefsky underlined the need to "ensure this engine of global economic growth can develop unimpeded" in insuring that "the rules on free-trade and commercial policy are in harmony with this new borderless marketplace." A "large consensus" is emerging among the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Member States in favour of the continuation of the moratorium regarding the customs rights on electronic trade and the validity of the free-trade rules to this electronic trade. To this she added that also returning the steps taken by the United States at the regional level of APEC and ALENA. Also to reminded them of the call, recently made by the private sector, notably by the Europeans and Americans, for the European Union to support "positively the cyberspace being free of duty."
A message to this affect was addressed, on the eve of the Christmas holidays, to the President of the European Commission Romano Prodi and to Commissioner Pascal Lamy by the Global Business Dialogue on Electronic Commerce, the Union of Industrial Employers Confederation of Europe, the EU Committee of the American Chambers of Commerce in Belgium and the International Communications Round Table.