|
Singapore Ministerial Conference (1996) back to top
The Singapore
Ministerial Conference of the WTO (1996)
set up the Working Group on the Interaction between Trade and
Competition Policy “to study issues raised by Members relating to the
interaction between trade and competition policy, including
anti-competitive practices, in order to identify any areas that may
merit further consideration in the WTO framework”.
> Singapore Ministerial Declaration para 20
Doha Ministerial
Conference (2001) back to top
 At
the WTO
Ministerial Conference in Doha (2001), Ministers “recognized the
case for a multilateral framework to enhance the contribution of
competition policy to international trade and development, and the need
for enhanced technical assistance and capacity-building in this area”.
They “agreed that negotiations will take place after the Fifth Session
of the Ministerial Conference on the basis of a decision to be taken, by
explicit consensus, at that Session on modalities of negotiations”. They
instructed the Working Group to focus, until the WTO Ministerial
Conference in Cancún (2001), “on the clarification of:
- core principles, including transparency,
non-discrimination and procedural fairness
- provisions on hardcore cartels;
- modalities for voluntary cooperation; and
- support for progressive reinforcement of
competition institutions in developing countries through capacity
building”.
> Doha Ministerial Declaration para 23-25
Cancún Ministerial
Conference (2003) back to top
At the
Ministerial
Conference in Cancún (2003), no consensus could be reached on
modalities for negotiations in this area, although Ministers “reaffirmed
all there Doha Declarations and Decisions and recommitted themselves to
working to implement them fully and faithfully”.
The “July Decision”
(2004) back to top
In the
“July 2004 package”
adopted 1 August 2004,
the WTO General Council
decided that the
issue of competition policy “will not form part of the Work Programme
set out in that Declaration and therefore no work towards negotiations
on any of these issues will take place within the WTO during the Doha
Round”. The Working Group is currently inactive.
|
