DECISION ON TRADE IN SERVICES AND THE ENVIRONMENT

DECISION ON TRADE IN SERVICES AND THE ENVIRONMENT

       Ministers decide to recommend that the Council for Trade in Services at its first meeting adopt the decision set out below.

The Council for Trade in Services,

       Acknowledging that measures necessary to protect the environment may conflict with the provisions of the Agreement;  and

       Noting that since measures necessary to protect the environment typically have as their objective the protection of human, animal or plant life or health, it is not clear that there is a need to provide for more than is contained in paragraph (b) of Article XIV;

       Decides as follows:

1.    In order to determine whether any modification of Article XIV of the Agreement is required to take account of such measures, to request the Committee on Trade and Environment to examine and report, with recommendations if any, on the relationship between services trade and the environment including the issue of sustainable development.  The Committee shall also examine the relevance of inter-governmental agreements on the environment and their relationship to the Agreement.

2.    The Committee shall report the results of its work to the first biennial meeting of the Ministerial Conference after the entry into force of the Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization.