92002E2446

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2446/02

by Nirj Deva (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(29 August 2002)

Subject: GATS negotiations

Will the Commission publish its views on how it would like to see GATS reformed before the European Parliament debates the issue in November 2002? In particular, will the Commission make available to Members what its requests are and how its requests were formulated?

Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(23 September 2002)

The Community submitted sectoral proposals to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in December 2000 setting out its negotiating objectives in 12 services sectors covered by the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and a Communication on the Community's general objectives for the negotiations was submitted in March 2001. These documents have been publicly available since the spring of 2001 through the Community and WTO web sites.

In addition, an extensive summary of the Union's requests to third countries has been published on the Commission's (DG Trade's) web site since July 2002(1). This summary describes the importance of these negotiations and provides an overview of the Community's negotiating objectives.

Although the Parliament has no formal role in the formulation of trade policy under the existing Treaties, it is in accordance with the Framework Agreement of 5 July 2000, regularly briefed on trade policy issues and consulted on key questions. Furthermore, in keeping with the Commission's desire to keep Members fully abreast of developments in the trade policy area, the initial requests to other WTO Members for improved market access on services have recently been made available to the Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy. Given their restricted status, special arrangements have been worked out with the Parliament to secure the appropriate treatment of these documents.

For the reasons clearly explained in the recent reply by the Member of the Commission responsible for Trade to an open letter from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) regarding the services negotiations also available on the Commission's (DG Trade's) web site , that although the Commission intends to be as transparent as possible with all stakeholders, it has no intention of making the initial requests available to the general public.

(1) http://europa.eu.int/comm/trade/wto_overview/index_en.htm.