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The WTO ministerial conference in Seattle - results and future prospects for environmental protection; Die WTO-Ministerkonferenz in Seattle - Ergebnisse und Perspektiven fuer den Umweltschutz

Abstract

The third Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) took place in Seattle (USA) from November 30{sup th} to December 3{sup rd} 1999. WTO members failed to agree on an agenda for a new round of trade-negotiation that should also include environmental and sustainability aspects. The Seattle Ministerial Conference provoked massive protests from non-governmental organisations (NGO) dealing with environment and development issues. They see the GATT/WTO regime - and globalisation in general - as a threat to their concerns. Against this background, the study analyses possibilities for the integration of environmental and sustainability aspects into upcoming WTO-negotiations. The focus is on views and proposals from international NGOs and critical scientists. First, the study deals with current and potential future areas of conflicts between environmental and trade policies. Furthermore, the environmental aspects of trade liberalisation in specific sectors and regulatory fields are discussed, which are currently negotiated in the WTO (agriculture, services) or which should be included in further negotiations (forest products, investment, etc.). The study moves on to an account of the WTO-Conference in Seattle from an environmental perspective and demonstrate a multitude of factors contributed to the failure of the conference. (orig.) [German] Vom 30.11. bis 03.12.1999 tagte  More>>
Authors:
Fuchs, P; Pfahl, S; Reichert, T [1] 
  1. AG Handel des Forums und Entwicklung im Deutschen Naturschutzring (DNR), Bonn (Germany)
Publication Date:
Oct 01, 2000
Product Type:
Conference
Report Number:
ETDE-DE-969
Reference Number:
EDB-01:053248
Resource Relation:
Conference: 3. ministerial conference of World Trade Organization (WTO), 3. Ministerkonferenz der Welthandelsorganisation (WTO), Seattle (United States), 30 Nov - 3 Dec 1999; Other Information: PBD: Oct 2000; Related Information: Umweltbundesamt. Texte v. 40/00
Subject:
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY AND ECONOMY; TRADE; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT; GLOBAL ASPECTS; CONFLICTS OF INTEREST; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; RESOURCE DEPLETION; ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT; ENERGY POLICY; MEETINGS; INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS; INTEREST GROUPS; POLITICAL ASPECTS
Sponsoring Organizations:
Bundesministerium fuer Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit, Bonn (Germany)
OSTI ID:
20148558
Research Organizations:
Umweltbundesamt, Berlin (Germany)
Country of Origin:
Germany
Language:
German
Other Identifying Numbers:
Other: Contract UBA 312 01 125; ISSN 0722-186X; TRN: DE01G3153
Availability:
Available to ETDE participating countries only(see www.etde.org); commercial reproduction prohibited; OSTI as DE20148558
Submitting Site:
DE
Size:
138 pages
Announcement Date:
Jul 02, 2001

Citation Formats

Fuchs, P, Pfahl, S, and Reichert, T. The WTO ministerial conference in Seattle - results and future prospects for environmental protection; Die WTO-Ministerkonferenz in Seattle - Ergebnisse und Perspektiven fuer den Umweltschutz. Germany: N. p., 2000. Web.
Fuchs, P, Pfahl, S, & Reichert, T. The WTO ministerial conference in Seattle - results and future prospects for environmental protection; Die WTO-Ministerkonferenz in Seattle - Ergebnisse und Perspektiven fuer den Umweltschutz. Germany.
Fuchs, P, Pfahl, S, and Reichert, T. 2000. "The WTO ministerial conference in Seattle - results and future prospects for environmental protection; Die WTO-Ministerkonferenz in Seattle - Ergebnisse und Perspektiven fuer den Umweltschutz." Germany.
@misc{etde_20148558,
title = {The WTO ministerial conference in Seattle - results and future prospects for environmental protection; Die WTO-Ministerkonferenz in Seattle - Ergebnisse und Perspektiven fuer den Umweltschutz}
author = {Fuchs, P, Pfahl, S, and Reichert, T}
abstractNote = {The third Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) took place in Seattle (USA) from November 30{sup th} to December 3{sup rd} 1999. WTO members failed to agree on an agenda for a new round of trade-negotiation that should also include environmental and sustainability aspects. The Seattle Ministerial Conference provoked massive protests from non-governmental organisations (NGO) dealing with environment and development issues. They see the GATT/WTO regime - and globalisation in general - as a threat to their concerns. Against this background, the study analyses possibilities for the integration of environmental and sustainability aspects into upcoming WTO-negotiations. The focus is on views and proposals from international NGOs and critical scientists. First, the study deals with current and potential future areas of conflicts between environmental and trade policies. Furthermore, the environmental aspects of trade liberalisation in specific sectors and regulatory fields are discussed, which are currently negotiated in the WTO (agriculture, services) or which should be included in further negotiations (forest products, investment, etc.). The study moves on to an account of the WTO-Conference in Seattle from an environmental perspective and demonstrate a multitude of factors contributed to the failure of the conference. (orig.) [German] Vom 30.11. bis 03.12.1999 tagte in Seattle (USA) die 3. Ministerkonferenz der Welthandelsorganisation (WTO). Sie scheiterte bei dem Versuch, eine Einigung ueber die Agenda fuer eine neue WTO-Verhandlungsrunde herbeizufuehren, die auch Umwelt- und Nachhaltigkeitsaspekte einschliessen sollte. Die Konferenz stand unter dem starken Eindruck massiver Proteste von zahlreichen Umwelt- und Entwicklungsorganisationen, die im GATT/WTO-Regime - sowie grundsaetzlich in der Globalisierung - eine Bedrohung fuer Umwelt- und Nachhaltigkeitsanliegen sehen. Vor diesem Hintergrund untersucht die Studie die Moeglichkeiten einer umfassenden Integration vom Umwelt- und Nachhaltigkeitsaspekten in zukuenftige WTO-Verhandlungen und geht dabei insbesondere auf die Position internationaler und deutscher Nichtregierungsorganisationen sowie kritischer Wissenschaftler ein. Zunaechst werden aktuelle und potentielle Konfliktfelder zwischen (inter-)nationaler Umweltpolitik und Handelspolitik diskutiert. Weiterhin werden die umweltpolitischen Aspekte einer weiteren Liberalisierung in speziellen Sektoren und Regelungsbereichen aufgezeigt, ueber die in der WTO aktuell verhandelt wird (Landwirtschaft und Dienstleistungen) bzw. Verhandlungen aufgenommen werden sollten (Forstprodukte, Investitionen etc.). Abschliessend werden Ansaetze vorgestellt, die einen konstruktiveren Umgang mit dem Themenkomplex Handel und Umwelt auf internationaler Ebene foerdern koennen. (orig.)}
place = {Germany}
year = {2000}
month = {Oct}
}