| WTO
NEWS: 2000 NEWS ITEMS 25 February 2000
Services
negotiations formally launched
The special
session of the Services Council formally launched on Friday 25 February the new
negotiations on services. Members agreed to work in the next few months on guidelines and
procedures for the new negotiations. Overall, the negotiations will comprise two
phases:
- the
"rules-making" phase during which Members will negotiate new rules for services
on subsidies, safeguards and government procurement;
- and the
"request and offer" phase, where Members will negotiate further market access.
While work in
the first phase will mostly take place in the existing services committees - mostly in the
Working Party on GATS rules - market access negotiations will take place in special
sessions of the Services Council. |
