Exte
rnal Tra
de
Trade and Environment
The EU approach
Paolo Caridi First Secretary, Delegation of the European
Commission to Japan
Exte
rnal Tra
de
1. The EU approach to Climate Change
2. The EU in World trade
3. The contribution of the EU trade policy to environment
• WTO
• Bilateral relations
4. An example : biofuels
Exte
rnal Tra
de
• A sense of urgency
• Ambitious objectives: Council Conclusions of May 2007
- Foster renewable energy -> 20% by 2020- Foster energy efficiency -> reduce CO² by
20% by 2020- Globalize carbon trade
• Need international cooperation to limit global warming to 2°C
- Action in the EU not enough
• Trade can be part of the solution - Factor in environment in our trade negotiations
- Address the competitiveness impact
The EU approach to climate change
Exte
rnal Tra
de
The EU in world trade
19% of world trade, 17.1% world trade in goods (2006), 26% world trade in services
First exporterSecond largest
importer
Foreign direct investment: EU-25
a major source of the world’s FDI
(€171.8 billion) and host of the
world’s FDI (€ 94.1 billion) in 2005
A MAJORA MAJOR
TRADING POWERTRADING POWER
Exte
rnal Tra
de
The EU in world trade
EU2526,0%
United States18,4%Japan
6,9%China3,8%
Others44,9%
Source: Eurostat
SHARE IN WORLD TRADE IN SERVICES (2005)
Others50,6%
China9,6%
Japan6,6%
United States16,0%
EU2517,1%
SHARE IN WORLD TRADE IN GOODS (2006)
Source: EurostatA
MAJORTRADINGPOWER
Exte
rnal Tra
de
The EU Trade policy - basic features
Policy concept
A competitive European economy in an open world trade system organised by multilateral rules
Ensure that the European economy is open to the world and competitive in foreign marketsSecure real market access in foreign countries
Support a strong multilateral trading systemMost effective means of managing trade and enforcing rules
Promote European valueson democracy, rule of law,
environment, social rights... enforce sustainable development
Exte
rnal Tra
de
The contribution of the EU trade policy
to environment
Policy objectives
1. Liberalize environmental goods - services
2. Seek global market for CO² emission trading
3. Develop renewable energy (increase sustainable trade in biofuels)
4. Foster trade cooperation to improve energy efficiency
5. Help reversing deforestation (FLEGT Voluntary Partnership Agreement negotiations : seeking commitments on illegal logging and incentive policy)
Measures must remain WTO compatible.
Exte
rnal Tra
de
The contribution of the EU trade policy to environment
Existing EU trade instruments in support of environment
• The GSP : additional trade preferences to countries committed to implementing environmental and labour standards.
• The Sustainability Impact Assessments (SIAs) look at the impact of each trade negotiation in the economic, social and environmental field…
• …so as to link with specific funding and assistance.
Exte
rnal Tra
de
The EU multilateral environment agenda / WTO Doha Round
Implementing the Doha Declaration on trade and environment (paragraph 31) :
open trade for environmental goods and services: no quota/no tariff trade for goods and services that contribute to combating climate change
equal relationship between WTO rules and Multilateral Environment Agreements (MEAs) need legal certainty that trade multilateral rules acknowledge environmental commitments
observership status for MEAs in the WTO
Exte
rnal Tra
de
The EU bilateral environment agenda
• "Global Europe" communication of November 2006 : a set of new FTA negotiations
• Environment will be part of the negotiations, with a view to ensuring substantial commitments – from both sides
• Possible market access/development assistance incentives
Exte
rnal Tra
de
An example : renewable
energies/biofuels
• Objective : 10% of biofuels in road transport by 2020
• Room for increased market access in EU
• Foster imports through ethanol tariff reduction and tariff free quotas in FTAs
• Biofuels should be produced in a sustainable way to bring real benefits
Exte
rnal Tra
de
The EU focus on sustainably produced biofuels
• Commission working on an incentive based scheme
− to be applied without discrimination to domestic production and imports
−potentially taking into account : greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity
• FTA negotiations to encourage sustainable production and import