Apr 26, 1991

COUNCIL TO HOLD STRUCTURED DEBATE ON ENVIRONMENT LINKAGES.

GENEVA, 24 APRIL (TWN) – The GATT Council is to hold a "structured debate" at its next meeting on May 29-30 on the subject of International Trade and Environment.

The Council Wednesday agreed to this course recommended by t he Chairman of the GATT CPs, Amb. Rubens Ricupero of Brazil, who reported to the Council on the his consultations on the issue.

He had been asked to hold such consultations at the February meeting of the GATT Council where the EFTA countries had sought the "resurrection" of the moribund 1971 Group on Environmental Measures and International Trade and it had met with considerable opposition from the Third World countries.

Ricupero reported Wednesday that he had held two broad-based consultations on the subject, as well several bilateral discussions. As a result of these, a consensus had emerged to hold a "structured debate" in the Council at its May session. In his view, in the light of the interest shown in the consultations, it might be necessary to hold a day or two half-days of Council meetings for a full and comprehensive airing of views.

In his consultations, Ricupero said, he had also on his own personal responsibility, suggested the points to enable the delegations to structure their views in the debate and he would over the next few days make these points available to the Council.

As for the view, raised in the consultations, that there should be a second or perhaps a series of such debates, Ricupero said this could be taken up in the light of the debate in May.Ricupero said that he was dealing separately with the issue of the reconvening of the 1971 working group and that he would continue his consultations on the institutional framework with the aim of finding some common ground between now and the May Council meeting. He would also be consulting delegations on GATT's contribution to the UNCED process.