EU FOREIGN AFFAIRS COUNCIL WELCOMES DRAFT PACKAGE OF 9TH WTO MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
EU trade ministers on December 6 in Bali, Indonesia, welcomed the draft results of the 9th WTO ministerial conference. EU Foreign Affairs Council on trade issues evaluated the contents of the final draft of Bali package, presented by the WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo.
In particular, the EU ministers welcomed the draft Trade Facilitation Agreement which is seen as the core of this package, accompanied by decisions on three issues in agriculture (food security, tariff rate quotas administration and export competition) as well as a number of development issues.
President of the Foreign Affairs Council, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius stressed that the results of the WTO conference in Bali will be highly beneficial to all WTO members, especially the least developed countries.
“It is especially notable that the first results in the Doha Development Agenda will be delivered under the Lithuanian EU Presidency,” said Minister Linkevičius.
The Council also approved the draft Ministerial Decision on the post-Bali work programme and in particular its overall objective of concluding the Doha Development Round.
The Council reconfirmed the importance of achieving a comprehensive, ambitious and balanced final outcome within and across all of the areas of the Doha Development Agenda, while also exploring the ground for liberalization of trade in environmental goods and services.
