October 2018 European Services Forum release on WTO modernisation
Executive Summary
ESF is a strong supporter of the multilateral system. The World Trade Organisation is the right tool to set international trade rules that will ensure a level playing field among all exporters and investors. ESF calls on WTO members to modernize the organisation so as to transform the rules of the world trade of yesterday into a new rules book of the 21st century, by notably:
- Need to better comply with existing obligations, like notification and transparency requirements;
- Need to reduce market distorting behaviour of State Owned Enterprises;
- Need to accept new negotiating methods, like plurilaterals, allowing countries to go beyond existing rules. ESF supports the joint initiatives on e-commerce, on services domestic regulation, on investment facilitation and on MSMEs;
- Need to discuss the “Development Question”, so that WTO rules are the norm, and not the “special and differential treatments”;
- Need to give more power to the Secretariat of the Organisation in the running of the negotiations and in helping actively in finding compromises;
- The Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU) is the jewel of the WTO that must be preserved at all cost. So ESF calls upon the WTO Members to reform it as necessary, but by respecting the need of an appeal process
October 2018 European Services Forum release on digitally-enabled agriculture
“Digitally enabled services have transformed every economy and sector throughout the world, including agriculture. While many have taken advantage of the opportunities this presents, both developed and developing countries face significant obstacles in fostering an environment for farmers and ranchers that enables innovation, productivity, and growth,” said CSI President Christine Bliss.