The issue of trade in services—including telecom—is high on...
The issue of trade in services -- including telecom -- is high on the European Union’s agenda for next week’s World Trade Organization meeting in Cancun, Mexico, Comr. Pascal Lamy said Thurs. Services are “extremely important” to Europe in…
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terms of opening markets, he said in a news briefing on the upcoming trade talks. Europe’s key objectives include: (1) Removing barriers to trade in several sectors, including telecom and computer. (2) Ensuring a more transparent and nondiscriminatory regulatory environment. (3) Making sure WTO negotiations in the services arena preserve public services regulated by individual nations. (4) Helping developing countries benefit from the trade negotiations in such areas as capacity- building in telecom and information technology services. Europe doesn’t distinguish between telecom and Internet services in trade talks, Lamy said: “Technology is neutral and it doesn’t bring changes in the way we have to handle trade negotiations.” Lamy called the Cancun talks “a sort of midpoint review” of whether WTO members are on track for next year’s Doha Round. The basic test for Europe of whether Cancun succeeds or fails will be whether negotiators leave feeling they have only half way to go to complete negotiations, Lamy said. Various countries have put services offers on the table, he said, but those proposals need to be accelerated so negotiations can begin soon. “We are leaving for Cancun with an open mind,” he said.