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eu/wto negotiations to impact
badly on the environment
Studies presented by the European
Commission reveal that the liberalization of
sectors such as forests, distribution
services and agriculture will have major
negative impacts on the environment. The
studies, which assess the impacts of
multilateral trade negotiations underway in
the WTO, have found that the environment will
be the main loser from liberalisation.
According to the studies' findings, climate
change will be a major result of
liberalization due to the increase in
transport and greenhouse gas emissions.
Biodiversity loss will also be a bi-product,
due to pressures for increased agricultural
production in biologically sensitive areas,
increased pesticide use, land conversion and
deforestation.
The studies conclude that actions need to
be taken by governments to strengthen
environmental and health regulation, forest
governance mechanisms and regulatory capacity
as well as to “control the pace of
liberalization”. The studies also identify a
number of negative social and developmental
impacts of liberalization.
the studies are available at
www.sia-trade.org/wto/
draft ruling imminent on trade
dispute between eu and us
Opposition to genetically modified (GM) foods
is likely to increase if the WTO rules in
favor of a US-led complaint against European
GM policy, Friends of the Earth Europe warned
in early February. A draft final WTO ruling
is expected next week. The United States,
Canada and Argentina launched a trade dispute
with the EU through the WTO in May 2003,
arguing that Europe's reluctance to embrace
GM foods damaged their farmers and was a
barrier to trade. In line with WTO secrecy,
the draft ruling will only be sent to the
countries in the dispute. A final ruling is
expected later in the year.
A special
media briefing
on the GM
trade dispute is available
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