With less than three weeks remaining before a target date for the chairs of WTO negotiating committees to submit revised draft agreement texts for the Doha Round trade talks, a session of the Negotiating Group on Rules witnessed strong statements on the need for disciplines on government support to the fisheries sector, as well as a new submission on developing countries’ interests.
At a 1 April informal meeting of the group, the chair, Ambassador Dennis Francis of Trinidad and Tobago, outlined the “incremental” progress made in several informal plurilateral sessions on fisheries subsidies he had conducted during the preceding week. The sessions focussed on general disciplines, notification and surveillance, dispute settlement, transitional provisions, and special and differential treatment for developing countries (S&DT). Additionally, the “friends of the chair” – individuals who have been appointed to work on the issues of reciprocal and shared access, fisheries management, and assignment of fishing rights – as well as “contact groups” working on fuel subsidies, income support, and artisanal and small-scale fishing also presented and discussed their final reports.
Francis said that the ability to move forward on fisheries subsidies disciplines depends greatly on progress in the overall Doha Round negotiations, which have been stalling as the Easter target for revised texts approaches (see related article, this issue). Noting that he may nevertheless be called upon to provide a text by Easter, the chair said he needed a period for reflection on possible avenues that could bridge differences. Francis said he would not be calling any more meetings in April nor would he accept any bilateral meetings on anti-dumping, subsidies, and fisheries subsidies after this week.
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