(EU) and the Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR)? - FDCL
(EU) and the Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR)? - FDCL
(EU) and the Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR)? - FDCL
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50<br />
2.3.4 The Relationships <strong>of</strong> “Trade <strong>and</strong> Investment”<br />
Since 1996 <strong>the</strong>re have been working-committees within <strong>the</strong> WTO who have<br />
been debating <strong>the</strong> issues pertaining to “trade <strong>and</strong> investment.” 103 The objective <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong>se committees is to elaborate <strong>and</strong> pass a multilateral framework agreement,<br />
which should establish rules on investment in all its facets for all WTO member<br />
states. The aims <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> so-called Doha Agenda for <strong>the</strong> area <strong>of</strong> “trade <strong>and</strong> investment”<br />
range from identifying <strong>the</strong> comprehensive scope <strong>of</strong> application <strong>and</strong> definition<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> term investment, <strong>of</strong> transparency, <strong>of</strong> non-discrimination, <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> MFN <strong>and</strong> NT<br />
clauses, <strong>of</strong> rules for “pre-establishment” on <strong>the</strong> basis <strong>of</strong> GATS-definitions, to positive-sector<br />
lists, concessions on development-issues, as well as defined exceptions<br />
<strong>and</strong> predetermined safeguard clauses for balance <strong>of</strong> payment crises, as well as a<br />
dispute-settlement mechanism. 104<br />
In November 2001 <strong>the</strong> 4th Ministerial Conference <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> WTO in Doha, Qatar,<br />
decided that negotiations on a<br />
“multilateral framework to secure transparent, stable <strong>and</strong> predictable conditions<br />
for long-term cross-border investment, particularly foreign direct investment”<br />
(§20 Ministerial Declaration, 14.11.2001, Doha 105 )<br />
should only be initiated on <strong>the</strong> basis <strong>of</strong> a consensual decision on <strong>the</strong> modalities<br />
<strong>of</strong> negotiations which were to be treated at <strong>the</strong> 5th Ministerial Conference in Cancún<br />
from September 10-14, 2003:<br />
“[W]e agree that negotiations will take place after <strong>the</strong> Fifth Session <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Ministerial Conference on <strong>the</strong> basis <strong>of</strong> a decision to be taken, by explicit consensus,<br />
at that session on modalities <strong>of</strong> negotiation.” (ibid.).<br />
First <strong>the</strong> “modalities <strong>of</strong> negotiations” were to be defined “by explicit consensus”<br />
<strong>and</strong> after Cancún <strong>the</strong> negotiations could have started.<br />
According to <strong>the</strong> chairman <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Ministerial Conference <strong>the</strong> formulation “by explicit<br />
consensus” left a wide margin not only to debate “how” to negotiate, but also<br />
to pose <strong>the</strong> general question if negotiations should take place at all. Never<strong>the</strong>less,<br />
<strong>the</strong> Ministerial Declaration defined <strong>the</strong> establishment <strong>and</strong> desired conclusion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
negotiations as having already been determined, since <strong>the</strong> deadline for <strong>the</strong> conclusion<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> negotiation round on investment had already been set by <strong>the</strong>m to be:<br />
103 http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/invest_e/invest_e.htm.<br />
104 http://www.wto.org/english/<strong>the</strong>wto_e/minist_e/min01_e/mindecl_e.htm#relationship.<br />
105 http://www.wto.org/english/<strong>the</strong>wto_e/minist_e/min01_e/mindecl_e.htm.