Rule Of Future Trade

In September 2000, DG Trade a draft communication on ‘Towards a sustainable trade policy “, as a contribution from the Commission to the Cardiff integration process. The document was drawn up without input from other Commission services. It was then stopped by the Environment DG, because the attention was focused on the WTO and not trade policies in a broader context. In addition, it gave insufficient attention to the environment.

The document was then just an informal discussion paper "The non-trade impacts of trade policy – asking questions, pursuing sustainable development." In March 2001, the Commission is also working on integrating the environment into the policy for external relations. This was a reasonably tailored description of the portfolio of the DG External Relations, which the environmental dimension of the different types of buiten lands policy was examined, and which were described some proposals about what the future should be done.

A series of Council conclusions on environmental integration was approved by the General Affairs Council in April 2001. These conclusions include a report by the Council . The findings reiterate the issues should be dealt with in a strategy of integration, describing the objectives, and set a timetable for completing a strategy. In the section highlighting the need for action, a number of categories which are relatively specific proposals. Regarding foreign trade, the Commission adopted a methodology for sustainability impact assessments of trade agreements and required accompanying measures to refine. In addition, the Commission and Council should give priority to the earliest possible completion of work on the methodology for sustainability impact assessments.

Also the Commission should continue to work to clarify the legal relationship between WTO rules and based on multilateral environmental agreements adopted trade measures. There are also incentives to the address of other countries to take action, such as following the example set by the EU gave the ‘Everything But Arms’ Regulation 416/2001, which duty-free imports from the poorest countries in the world is allowed for all products except arms.

On March 11, 2002 approved the Council for General Affairs ultimate strategy for integrating well in time for the summit in Barcelona in the spring of 2002. The part of the strategy on trade is limited. It is little more than a summary of the results of the talks in Doha in December 2001. It is also a commitment to the development of sustainability impact assessments mentioned, with the aim in forthcoming negotiations on trade het component of sustainable development a more powerful and more geïntegreerde role to play.