• Non-trade standards
• NTS and environment
• NTS and SPS

Non-trade standards

Recently, there have been WTO negotiations on environmental goods and services (EGS). This has raised concerns with many developing countries. They are notably worried about a possible inclusion of goods only vaguely linked to environmental protection and about the impact of WTO EGS rulings on their domestic industries. Key issues for WTO EGS negotiations are:

• emphasising the negotiation's focus on the environment
• reaching a common ground on what is an environmental good
• product coverage, classification and technological evolution
• market access
• non-tariff barriers
• broadening the export basket for developing countries
• the effects of EGS imports on domestic industries and tariff-revenue
• creating and enhancing domestic capacities
• enabling technology transfer
• building a 'broader sustainable development package’
  

Also, it remains controversial whether to use a list approach or to liberalise only those goods and services destined for designated environmental projects.

The paper argues that developing countries should liberalise EGS only in the context of a strategic sustainable development policy. A methodology for crafting an appropriate domestic policy framework is proposed. Within the WTO, GATS commitments should be arranged and supported by appropriate instruments such as:

• a Sectoral Annex
• an optional document such as an understanding or reference paper
• schedule-based clarifications

However, solutions cannot be generalised and each country will need to find an individual approach to EGS.

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