I. MAJOR TRENDS AND POLICIES IN FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
I. PRINCIPALES TENDANCES ET POLITIQUES EN MATIERE D'ALIMENTATION ET D'AGRICULTURE
I. PRINCIPALES TENDENCIAS Y POLITICAS EN LA AGRICULTURA Y LA ALIMENTACION

8. Progress Report on the GATT Multilateral Trade Negotiations (Uruguay Round) and Implications for FAO
8. Rapport intérimaire sur les négociations commerciales miltilatérales du GATT (négociations d'Uruguay) et conséquences pour la FAO
8. Informe parcial sobre las Negociaciones Comerciales Multilaterales del GATT (Ronda Uruguay) y repercusiones para la FAO

C.H. BONTE-FRIEDHEIM (Assistant Director-General, Agriculture Department): It is my honour and pleasure on behalf of the Director-General of FAO, Dr Saouma, to read his introduction to this important agenda item.

Mr Chairman, distinguished delegates and observers: "As your agenda shows, Commission I is the rain policy formulation organ of the Member States of FAO, spanning important issues in agricultural and rural development. Among these issues, for instance, your agenda provides excellent opportunities under items 6.1 and 6.2 for exchanges of views on the broader problems and challenges in the areas of agricultural protectionism, trade liberalization and policy reform. Moreover, under agenda item 8, Members are to consider aspects of the current Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotations which have special implications for the work of FAO.

"As Members are aware, originally Commission I was scheduled to commence its work tomorrow. However, a number of Honourable Ministers and Heads of delegations have expressed special interest in agenda item 8 "Progress Report on the GATT Multilateral Trade Negotiations (Uruguay Round) and Implications for FAO", and have particularly stressed the imtportance of those aspects relating to sanitary and phytosanitary regulations. The original agenda has therefore been changed and brought forward to enable Honourable Ministers to participate themselves in the deliberations on agenda item 8 today.

"Mr Chairman, there are two documents before the Commission for this purpose. Document C 89/23 provides a broad-based progress report on the Uruguay Round in the areas of negotiation of primary concern to FAO, namely agriculture and tropical products and natural resources-based products, which include the fishery and forestry sectors. This document also provides a summary of the support to the Uruguay Round negotiations provided by FAO, and includes sanitary and phytosanitary regulations and barriers to trade, notably as regard the International Plant Protection Convention and the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

"The other document, C 89/25,. on the "International Plant Protection Convention - Future implementation and Cooperation with GATT and Regional Plant Protection Organizations", sets out the key features of the IPPC and the agreement reached by Ministers with respect to sanitary and phytosanitary regulations in the Mid-Term Review of the Uruguay Round. Finally, and most importantly, this document sets out the action subsequently taken by FAO, and proposed for the future, in order to provide the fullest possible support by FAO to the Uruguay Round negotiations and their follcw-up.

"As benchmarks for the Comriission's deliberations, I will firstly refer to the broader issues concerning the need for strengthened disciplines on sanitary and phytosanitary regulations. I will then focus on the particular role of FAO in this area, as underpinned by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Finally, I would like to refer briefly to FAO's technical support to the Uruguay Round in relation to agriculture, tropical products, and fishery and forestry products.

"Sanitary and Phytosanitary regulations in an improved trading system for agriculture

"Mr Chairman, FAO is fully supporting the Uruguay Round in respect of sanitary and phytosanitary regulations, particularly as regards the IPPC and the Codex Alimentarius. The importance of these particular aspects of FAO support stems from the fact that, while the negotiations on agriculture in the Uruguay Round itself will end by December 1990, the agreements reached and the commitments made by then could have profound implications for the agricultural trading system for many years to come. There is no doubt that FAO will be called upon to and, if resources are made available, should play its part in a strengthened GATT system for this purpose, particularly through the Codex Alimentarius Commission and the IPPC. Essentially, what is at stake is to ensure that the functioning of a more liberal world agricultural trading system, with strengthened GATT rules and disciplines, is not frustrated by the use of existing trade barriers or by the erection of new ones, such as the unilateral application of sanitary and phytosanitary barriers.

"In this regard, I would emphasize those objectives set out in the Mid-Term review of the Uruguay Round for a work programme on sanitary and phytosanitary regulations which have major implications for FAO:

- firstly, the harmonization of such regulations and measures, on the basis of appropriate standards established by relevant international organizations, including the IPPC and the Codex Alimentarius Commission;

- secondly, the strengthening of GATT Article XX so that measures taken to protect human, animal or plant life or health are consistent with sound scientific evidence and use suitable principles of equivalency;

- thirdly, and linked to this, the improvement of the effectiveness of the multilateral dispute settlement process within the GATT in order to provide the necessary input of scientific expertise and judgment, relying on relevant international organizations; and

- fourthly, assessment of the possible effects on developing countries of the GATT rules and disciplines for sanitary and phytosanitary measures, and evaluation of the need for technical assistance.

"Already, FAO has been providing support for the GATT negotiations on sanitary and phytosanitary regulations in the areas of concern to the IPPC and the Codex Alimentarius, including through full participation in the t Working Group of the GATT Negotiating Group on Agriculture, but I should like to emphasize the more recent developments and initiatives.

"We are convinced that a general acceptance of the International Plant Protection Convention by all FAO member countries will be the first but important step in helping to reduce some of the barriers in international agricultural trade. For this purpose we have sent a Note Verbale to the signatories of the IPPC requesting them to formally adopt those amendments adopted by the 20th Session of the FAO Conference in 1979 - ten years ago -and, furthermore, we have invited the countries not yet signatories to the Convention also to do so.

"Furthermore, as indicated in the documentation for this agenda item, we convened technical consultations with the Regional Plant Protection Organizations and some selected experts in September of this year. This meeting was highly successful and made a number of recommendations for consideration by the Conference which are set out in paragraphs 9 to 15 of document C 89/25 and which are designed to facilitate the expectations set out in the GATT programme of work with regard to IPPC natters.

"We are in general agreement with these recommendations. However, we consider that it might be premature, or even unnecessary, to consider already at this stage the establishment of an official technical body under FAO in support of the IPPC, as proposed in paragraph 15 of the document. We feel that a secretariat created within FAO, the convening of annual consultations of the Regional Plant Protection Organizations and the necessary expert consultations would be sufficient to meet the likely requirements for some years to come and we look forward to the reaction to these recommendations from the Conference.

"The Uruguay Round Mid-Term Review decisions will also have a significant impact on the relevance of the work of the Codex Alimentarius Ccmmission and on the work of the expert scientific committees and panels which provide the sound scientific evaluations on which the Codex work is based.

"The relevance of the work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which already provides a firm basis for international harmonization in many areas, will be further enhanced by the decisions reached in the Mid-Term Review. Codex standards, which cover areas of food quality and accurate and informative labelling in addition to sanitary or safety questions, are being increasingly accepted by member countries, and are being used to establish or revise food regulations at the national level. The Mid-Term Review decisions will accelerate this process by underlining the necessity for a harmonized approach to the removal of unnecessary barriers to trade in food, whether for sanitary or for other reasons.

"Of course, always subject to the availability of necessary resources, we do envisage that there will also be a need to strengthen FAO's output aimed at providing the necessary scientific information on which the Codex Alimentarius' work is based, particularly to accelerate the work of evaluations of the safety of food additives, environmental contaminants, and residues of veterinary drugs and pesticides in foods. In addition, the Mid-Term Review decisions will mean that FAO will have to stand ready to call ad hoc expert consultations, and arrange for special consultancy services to provide the necessary input of scientific expertise and judgement for use in a strengthened multilateral dispute settlement process within the GATT, and to provide expert advice on new or unexpected problem areas of immediate concern to international trade in foods. FAO will also stand ready to y the major potential health and sanitary barriers to international food trade in order to assist member countries of both organizations, GATT as well as FAO, to achieve bilateral resolution of potential disputes through consultation. FAO is uniquely fitted to do this work. Our work on food standards, pursued in cooperation with WHO, has established the Codex Alimentarius as the world authority on this subject. However, the availability of resources for this seems to have been placed in doubt.

"Mr Chairman, a summary of other aspects of FAO's technical support to the Uruguay Round negotiations, including support to the GATT secretariat and technical assistance to interested participating countries, is given in paragraphs 10 and 11 of document C 89/23.

"Finally, Mr Chairman, the fact should not be overlooked that FAO's total role, activities and expenditures in relation to the issues with which negotiators are grappling in the Uruguay Round, are already impressive, as shown in the Programme of Work and Budget. Thus, the International Plant Protection Convention provides for functions already undertaken by FAO, especially information exchange on the distribution of pests, on legislation and on regulations. In addition, FAO is also providing technical assistance to countries in the field of Plant Quarantine. The Regular Programme budget for these activities is under Sub-programme 2.1.2.4 and provides for nearly 500 thousand dollars in staff and other resources for plant quarantine alone in the next biennium 1990-91. Furthermore, resources of about 330 thousand dollars are devoted to information exchange under the same Sub-programme. Similarly, with regard to the Codex Alimentarius, Sub-programme 2.1.6.5, which embraces the joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, has an allocation of over 3 million dollars including staff time. Moreover, many of the commodity policy and trade activities of the FAO, particularly under Sub-programme 2.1.8.3, are also in accord with, and support, the objectives of the Uruguay Round of trade negotiations.

"In conclusion, Mr Chairman, I would propose that for the Commission's deliberations on the present agenda item, delegations may wish to focus their interventions exclusively on the issues and implications relating the sanitary and phytosanitary regulations in the context of the role of the IPPC and the Codex Alimentarius. In putting forward this suggestion, I have in mind, as I have already indicated, the fact that other agenda items provide for deliberations on the broader issues of agricultural protectionism, trade liberalization and policy reform.

"Thank you, Mr Chairman."

That was the statement from the Director-General.

CHAIRMAN: I thank Mr Bonte-Friedheim for his presentation. I should like to address the delegates on this issue. We have a very important subject to address; the progress in the GATT Multilateral Trade Negotiations is an area of concern to FAO and of implication for the Organization. The Uruguay Round is very large subject, involving, as it does, problems and issues of agricultural protectionism, trade liberalization, market access and indeed all dimensions of agricultural policy reforms. Of course, there will be excellent opportunities for addressing these important matters of wider concern in the days to come, particularly in the agenda items dealing with the state of food and agriculture and the (guidelines on international agricultural adjustment.

Thus, I put to you the suggestion that this afternoon delegations may wish to limit their contributions to the debate of those specific matters in the Uruguay Round which have implications for FAO's activities. In particular, I urge that delegations, in their interventions under this agenda item, focus on the roles of the International Plant Protection Convention and the Codex Alimentarius Commission, in relation to the Programme of Work and the objectives concerning sanitary and phytosanitary regulations as agreed by the Ministers in the Mid-term Review of the Uruguay Round in April this year. Then in debates on succeeding days, and on other agenda items such as those mentioned previously by myself and also by Mr Bonte-Friedheim, the broader trade issues could be addressed. I hope there is agreement on this? As I see no objections, I understand that there is agreement on this procedure.

May I now ask permission of the delegates to suspend the session so that we can attend the Plenary Meeting to welcome the President of Chad.

The meeting is adjourned.

The meeting was suspended from 15.00 to 16.00 hours
La séance est suspendue de 15 à 16 heures
Se suspende la sesión de las 15.00 a las 16.00 horas

CHAIRMAN: We will resume the meeting that we interrupted to welcome the President of Chad. We are dealing with agenda item 8; Progress Report on the GATT Multilateral Trade Negotiations (Uruguay Round) and Implications for FAO.

May I ask those delegations that wish to speak to indicate their willingness.

Argentina, China, United States, Brazil, Australia. You can start now and the other delegations will indicate their willingness in due course. The first speaker on my list is Argentina.

Ernesto Pablo DE LA GUARDIA (Argentina): Señor Presidente, la delegación argentina desea felicitarle por su elección con la seguridad que usted, dada su capacidad, podrá llevar a buen término las deliberaciones sobre los temas que ocupan a esta Comisión. Asimismo, deseamos hacer extensivas las felicitaciones a los Vicepresidentes designados.

Por otra parte, nuestra delegación ofrece su más amplia disposición para colaborar en todas las tareas que tenemos por delante.

Respondiendo a las sugerencias formuladas precedentemente por la Secretaría, mi Delegación explicitará nuestra posición respecto a las negociaciones comerciales multilaterales del GATT, durante el tratamiento de otros temas en esta Comisión.

Con referencia al documento C 89/25, deseamos destacar nuestro beneplácito por la labor que realiza la FAO en apoyo de las negociaciones sobre agricultura, sobre productos tropicales y sobre productos obtenidos de la explotación de los recursos naturales de la Ronda Uruguay del GATT. En particular destacamos la importancia que tiene actualmente la colaboración técnica de organismos dependientes de la FAO tales como la Comisión del Codex Alimentarius y la Convención Internacional de Protección Fitosanitaria.

Apoyamos además el concepto de reforzar la asistencia de la FAO al GATT en la elaboración de normas multilateralmente reconocidas, ya que esto colaborará a impedir que los países proteccionistas continúen recurriendo a la utilización de las medidas sanitarias y fitosanitarias como un obstáculo encubierto al comercio.

Con posterioridad a la Reunión de Ginebra, los países del Grupo de Cairns han elaborado su propuesta sobre este tema, que incluye elementos tanto de corto como de largo plazo.

El objetivo de largo plazo en esta materia, cuya consecusión representaría una solución ideal para la eliminación de los obstáculos al comercio presentados por las medidas sanitarias y fitosanitarias, es el de llevar a la armonización de las normas o a la aceptación del principio de equivalencia entre normas que tienen el mismo efecto.

Queremos hacer mención a los principios que no fueron tenidos en cuenta en la Revisión de Mediano Plazo, pero que para los países del Grupo Cairns son muy importantes.

En primer lugar, las regulaciones sanitarias y fitosanitarias deberían estar basadas en el concepto del riesgo mínimo aceptable, que permita las mayores oportunidades al comercio, y que sean consistentes con la responsabilidad del país exportador de proteger la salud de sus habitantes, de sus animales y de sus plantas.

En segundo lugar, para países con una gran superficie y diferencias marcadas en las enfermedades y pestes existentes en sus distintas regiones, deberían desarrollarse procedimientos y reglas que permitan el comercio basándose en la existencia de zonas libres de enfermedades.

También es necesario concentrarse en lo estrictamente sanitario y fitosanitario, separando aquellas normas que se refieran a la calidad de los productos, ya que los estándares de calidad afectan a todos los productos y no solamente a los agropecuarios y pesqueros, consultando a los organismos competentes cuando se esté ante normas que contengan aspectos tanto sanitarios como de calidad.

A corto plazo, lo que es más importante para que estos principios se vayan poniendo en marcha, es el desarrollo de una mecánica más efectiva para asegurar la transparencia en las legislaciones nacionales y en los acuerdos bilaterales, de un sistema de consulta y conciliación y de un sistema más efectivo de solución de diferencias que incorpore el asesoramiento de los expertos.

El objetivo de la transparencia es evidente: Se trata de permitir a los socios comerciales expresar rápidamente su preocupación por cualquier legislación, regulación o acuerdo bilateral. Para instrumentarla, se podría usar el "Standards Code" expandiéndolo; sería necesario además que todos los participantes de la Ronda Uruguay del GATT se adhieran al mismo. Otra posibilidad sería construir, al margen del Código, un nuevo mecanismo de notificación y contranotificación de los estándares y regulaciones sanitarias y fitosanitarias.

Otro aspecto sobre el cual se puede ir trabajando en el corto plazo es el del mejoramiento de los procedimientos de consultas y conciliación, usando a los organismos especializados que fijan estándares internacionales (CODEX Alimentarius, Oficina Internacional de Epizootias, Convención Internacional e Protección Fitosanitaria), para resolver los problemas técnicos antes de que se conviertan en un tema para el mecanismo de solución de diferencias.

Finalmente, para las disputas que no pudieron ser resueltas por el mecanismo de consultas y conciliación, debería establecerse un mecanismo de solución de diferencias efectivo, en el narco del GATT, que contaría con la asistencia de los entes especialistas mencionados precedentemente.

Por consiguiente, Sr. Presidente, y atento a la importancia que mi país concede a esta cuestión, apoyamos la propuesta de la Secretaría de reforzar las Direcciones de Nutrición y Protección Vegetal. Tenemos la esperanza de que los países miembros cumplirán con sus obligaciones financieras para con la Organización en el más breve plazo, lo que haría posible la ejecución de las medidas sugeridas.

En relación a lo sugerido en el párrafo 21 del documento C 89/25, expresamos el aprecio de la Argentina por el estudio emprendido al respecto. Sin embargo, estimamos necesario continuar el análisis de la cuestión del establecimiento de un organismo oficial para la CIPF, pues nos parece prematuro encarar una tarea de tan gran aliento en el futuro próximo.

EL PRESIDENTE: Al agradecer los cumplimientos de la delegación argentina, la Presidencia gustaría de reiterar el llamamiento que hizo al inicio de nuestros trabajos para que en aras de la economía de tiempo, las delegaciones se abstengan de presentar sus cumplimientos a la Mesa directiva. Como dijo antes la Presidencia anticipadamente, ha indicado su gratitud en atención de todos los delegados que tenían la intención de hacerlo.

MA GENG-OU (China) (original language Chinese): With respect to C 89/23, I will briefly give the views of the Chinese delegation.

Over the past years we have seen protectionism in agricultural products greatly increase, and competition is being sabotaged on a very large scale. The implications of the situation mean that on one hand the developed countries are giving enormous subsidies to agricultural products while on the other hand the trade of developing countries in agricultural products is being seriously harmed. The income deriving from such sources is decreasing. The economic development of these countries is also in a very bad state.

Faced with this very drastic situation, the new cycle of Multilateral Trade Negotiations of GATT basically focuses on trade in agricultural products and trade in tropical products.

FAO has made many great efforts in the area of technology information :regarding international trade in agricultural products and commodities, and this is something for which we wish to express appreciation.

The meeting on trade negotiations of senior officers of GATT over the past year has also shown some progress. The meeting led to an outline agreement and approach. This meeting referred to a trading system which would be equitable and based on long-term planning. The meeting also prepared a programme of work with respect to short-term measures. The participating countries pledged not to further strengthen their trade barrier systems.

In view of the economic situation in developing countries, particularly with respect to those who have to import grains, the meeting gave these countries l treatment of a special nature. We feel that, for technical, financial and other reasons, the developing countries still find themselves in a very hazardous situation with regard to trade in agricultural commodities. We hope that new negotiations will make it possible gradually to find solutions to the problems that have surfaced in this sector, particularly taking into account the needs of the developing countries, so that they can develop their economies and ensure food security.

Over the past years, grain production throughout the world has dropped considerably. For two years running grain prices have spiralled upwards. This has resulted in developing countries, particularly low-income ones who have grain shortages, undergoing very serious difficulties. We hope that FAO and other international organizations involved in this sector, while seeking to wipe out protectionism in trade in agricultural commodities, will carry out an in-depth study of these deleterious effects and thus proceed to implement efficient measures so as to keep to a minimum the losses that are incurred to the detriment of these countries.

In order to unify and codify plant health regulations in different countries and to do away with the negative implications on trade and agricultural commodities, we would want the international community to take fully into account the economic development levels existing at present in the developing countries. We must, in the first place, see to it that these international plant protection measures are not made into barriers to trade, and we should strive to improve plant health conditions, as well as to enhance quarantine measures. We have noted that FAO can make great contributions in these regards.

Ms Ann M. VENEMAN (United States of America): We strongly believe that the Uruguay Round offers the last best opportunity this century for bringing agriculture under international discipline and eliminating unfair trade practices. We were pleased yesterday to hear the Director-General's comments that a successful Uruguay Round will be of great benefit to developing countries. We in the US could not agree more. The proposal that the United States made in Geneva last month clearly laid out a direction for growth in agriculture worldwide, and for developing countries in particular.

Our proposal indicates that we hope to address four major areas in the Uruguay Round negotiations which are all critical to the future of global agriculture. These include market access, export subsidies, internal support and finally sanitary and phytosanitary regulations. It is this fourth area, sanitary and phytosanitary regulations, that I should like to focus on today.

The United States believes that success in negotiations in this area of sanitary and phytosanitary regulations should be a high priority for all nations, and we believe that the FAO has a significant role to play in this process. One of the priorities in these negotiations on sanitary and phytosanitary regulations is to strengthen the GATT approach to all of these types of measures so that countries will move towards harmonizing national regulations and international standards. GAIT contracting parties have agreed to strengthen GATT rules and enhance the GATT dispute settlement process so that it can address health related agricultural trade issues. This initiative will result in the creation of a GATT process capable of dealing effectively with scientifically unjustified barriers to trade.

Within this strengthened system, it has been agreed to rely on the scientific expertise of FAO's Codex Alimentarius Commission for issues involving food y and the International Plant Protection Convention for issues concerning plant health. We believe that these organizations are extremely well-suited for this enhanced international role. The particpation of Codex and IPPC is indispensable to this effort. The participation of representatives of these organizations in the Uruguay Round working group on sanitary and phytosanitary regulations and barriers has been especially useful to progress in this area. In discussions of the GATT, many have pointed out that the IPPC in its present form as only a Convention may not be sufficient for the new process being developed for plant health measures in the Uruguay Round.

We are extremely pleased that FAO recognized the situation and moved quickly to respond by calling together a technical consultation of regional plant protection organizations this past September. The recommendations resulting from the September consultation are precisely the actions needed at this time to advance the Uruguay Round effort in improving the GATT approach to these plant health measures.

The United States strongly supports the adoption of these recommendations, including the establishment of the IPPC secretariat and the possible creation of an official technical body composed of IPPC signatories. Through the adoption of these recommendations, FAO and the IPPC signatories can move ahead to provide the plant health expertise which must be an essential part of any successful Uruguay Round effort regarding sanitary and phytosanitary measures. With the Uruguay Round scheduled to be completed at the end of 1990, this work must proceed as quickly as possible.

Paulo Estivallet DE MESQUTEA (Brazil): I will also limit myself to comments on the issue of sanitary and phytosanitary regulations at this time.

Brazil welcomes the recognition of FAO's role in the establishment of internationally-accepted rules and standards and as a source of scientific and technical advice. For Brazil, the first and foremost task is the elimination of the discriminatory treatment which developing countries have been facing, and we expect FAO to be instrumental in this respect by providing the standards and the advice which will allow us to differentiate between legitimate health and security concerns and those disguised trade barriers.

We believe that another important task for FAO will be the provision of technical assistance to developing countries for the implementation of sanitary and phytosanitary standards, both for the protection of human, animal and plant health and for the compliance with export market requirements.

We would like, however, to recall that this is not yet the time, and this is not quite the place, to discuss possible changes in Article 20 of the GATT or to propose novelties regarding the GATT dispute settlement procedures. These are issues which have wider implications and which are still under consideration in Geneva, and the Brazilian Government would like to reserve its position on these issues at this moment.

Apart from this, we should like to say that FAO definitely could, and should, support the Multilateral Trade Negotiations and the implementation of their results in the areas of agricultural products, tropical products and natural resource-based products. We must, however, take a close look at the question of how we are going to finance these new activities. It would be illogical to t a tight lid on the Organization's Regular Budget and then require it to make room for a new item. If there are new demands, then there must be new funds, and it would seem natural that those who make the demands in this area should come up with suggestions of hew we are to face this situation.

David COUTTS (Australia): Mr Chairman, we will also do our best to go along with your request earlier that we focus our remarks basically on the implications for FAO of these GATT developments. You will forgive me if it makes things slightly disjointed, because we had prepared our intervention on the basis of the title of the document and focussed, to some extent, on the Uruguay Round in general, but we will transfer those remarks to another item in the debate.

Just to add to that, I would note that the document that is before us C 89/23 is naturally, as it was drafted in August, out-of-date in terms of the general developments in FAO, and so when we do refer to this under a later item we will be underlining where we think the information should be updated in the context of what we reflect in our Commission 1 Report, so we may want to refer back to that when we make that later intervention.

Australia appreciates the work FAO has been doing in giving technical support to the Multilateral Trade Negotiations, and hopes that this will continue and even be strengthened in the coming months and years. It is noted in document C 89/23, a significant element in FAO's role relates to the area of sanitary and phytosanitary regulations - an area in which Australia has a particularly keen interest.

Cairns Group experts have met on a number of occasions, most recently in September and November 1989, on this subject, and a Cairns Group paper was tabled at the September meeting of the Agriculture Negotiating Group in Geneva. The main principles in that paper include that sanitary and phytosanitary measures should only be applied to the extent necessary to protect human, animal or plant life and health, be based on verifiable scientific evidence, and not applied in a manner which creates arbitrary, disguised or unjustifiable obstacles to international trade. They should be based on objective risk assessment, taking into account relevant scientific and economic considerations. There should be recognition of the concept of area freedom, harmonization, as far as practicable, of standards, processes, procedures, methods of analyses, inspection, etc. The principle of equivalency should be applied where harmonization is not possible. By that, I mean acceptance that different parties may use different regulations and techniques and procedures which achieve equivalent results in terms of ensuring acceptable levels of risk. As regard, technical cooperation and linkages with relevant international organizations, we believe there should be such linkages, such as OIE, IPP, and Codex. Transparency in decision-making should exist - that is, willingness to demonstrate the basis for decision-making, and provisions for consultation, dispute sett lement, informal and ad hoc negotiations.

We agree with the fact that the decisions of the TNC have substantial implications for the future work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission and the IPPC. We understand that these implications involve FAO playing a major technical role in helping GATT resolve agricultural trade disputes.

In relation to the IPPC in particular, Australia supports the recommendations nade at the consultations of the Regional Plant Protection Organizations, as set out in document C 89/25. We feel that those recommendations give proper consideration to the need for adequate and justifiable quarantine measures. We do think this is a very sensitive issue and would have to reflect further if there were any amendments to that principle.

Our support is consistent with the broad principles on quarantine that we have endorsed which relate to transparency of decision-making, technically-justifiable decisions, decisions based on quantifiable risk assessments, and the utilisation of internationally-acceptable treatments.

Relating to harmonization of requirements, particularly in relation to pest risk assessment, which is a major focus of the proposed programme of activity, Australia's experience is that this is an effective mechanism for the operation of plant quarantine but that it requires a confidence in the other countries' plant quarantine service. The concept is not readily understood by many of the industries that it affects, and may therefore be opposed in a sense through ignorance. The harmonization of regulations and operations is based on procedures developed from technical considerations and practical applications, not from the application of standardized principles. Once harmonized requirements are adopted between two countries, there tends to be more effective and efficient dialogue in relation to all aspects of international cooperation and negotiation.

In relation to these IPPC regulations, Australia also is supportive of the need for assistance to developing countries and will continue to be involved in aid projects aimed at strengthening plant quarantine systems, especially in the Asia and Pacific Region.

Paragraph 21, Mr Chairman, of C 89/25 indicates the Conference is requested to establish the IPPC Secretariat and agree to allocation of resources to it. It is also requested to approve a study by FAO on the establishment of an official body for IPPC. Mr Chairman, Australia is not clear just what costs are involved in those proposals, that is, whether they already appear in the Programme of Work and Budget or how they relate to the additional $ 900 000 requested by the Director-General in paragraph 35 of his comments on the review. Perhaps the Secretariat can clarify that for me later.

Turning to the Codex Alimentarius, while we once again support the overall idea of stronger support for developments in the Uruguay Round, we are again unsure of what particular activities and resource commitments the Secretariat has in mind here, and how this relates to the Director-General's review proposals again. As I said, we would appreciate clarification on these questions, but in any case we would point out that any agreement on rules for dispute settlement on sanitary and phytosanitary issues in the Uruguay Round is some distance away yet, perhaps the end of 1990, and it will be even longer before any actual use of such rules occurs, because although the development of the technical capacity should in these areas certainly continue, it should not involve substantive support for some time. In that case, any significant consideration of allocation of additional resources might better wait until the 1992-93 Budget.

Gonzalo BULA HOYOS (Colombia): Señor Presidente, intervengo por primera vez en esta Comisión, que usted preside. Hago un esfuerzo considerable, pero humildemente me someto a su decisión de austeridad, porque es constructiva. Los representantes del Gobierno de Colombia compartimos plenamente la ión afirmativa que ha hecho esta tarde nuestra distinguida colega la Delegada de los Estados Unidos de América, en el sentido de que consideramos de importancia trascendental los acontecimientos que se están llevando a cabo en el seno del GAIT alrededor de la Ronda Uruguay.

El Gobierno de Colaribia participó activamente en la reunión de Punta del Este y sigue con atención este proceso, del cual este informe parcial parece indicar que todo está sometido a una cierta lentitud, obstaculizado por tropiezos y dificultades; siguen prevaleciendo los ánimos poco receptivos de algunos Estados industrializados, y, sobre todo, en ciertos mementos hemos tenido la impresión de que particularmente los países en desarrollo somos víctimas impotentes de la guerra comercial que se adelanta entre dos importantes y poderosos sectores económicos del mundo.

Sin embargo, después del suspense de Montreal, nos complace que, por lo menos en estos dos documentos, C 89/23 y C 89/25, se indique que algo está moviéndose todavía, lo cual permite concebir ciertas esperanzas, aunque no mucho optimismo.

Estamos igualmente convencidos de que la FAO tiene una función muy importante que desempeñar en relación con la Ronda de Uruguay en el GATT, porque nuestra Organización ha acumulado experiencias valiosas, a través de los años, posee conocimientos útiles y adecuados y competencia generalmente reconocida sobre el comercio, el consumo y las proyecciones en todos esos campos, y naturalmente, como lo dijo el colega de Brasil, la única falla que la FAO puede tener en su deseo de participar es la carencia de recursos, por lo cual celebramos que el Director General haya hecho sus propuestas, que por lo menos están destinadas a que se asignen 900 000 dólares inicialmente en el próximo bienio para fortalecer la cooperación FAO/GATT.

El párrafo 10 del documento C 89/23 señala muy bien los aspectos específicos en los que la FAO está participando, con asistencia a las reuniones de los tres grupos de negociaciones que están vinculados a los campos del mandato específico de nuestra Organización y aporte de estadísticas, documentos analíticos y comentarios, que sin duda están siendo muy bien recibidos en el GATT, organización a la cual estamos reconocidos, porque progresivamente ha permitido que la FAO vaya participando cada vez más de manera incisiva en este proceso.

Los representantes de Colombia consideramos esencial que la FAO continúe e intensifique su asistencia a los países en desarrollo que la soliciten, y encontramos muy bien que la asistencia técnica de la FAO no se limite solamente a asistir a los países para que puedan estimar el equivalente en subvenciones al productor (ESP), sino también para asistirlos en la preparación de consultas y negociaciones sobre la agricultura.

El párrafo 10 del documento C 89/23, al igual que otros documentos que anteriormente hemos estudiado en Consejo, se refiere a algunos grupos de países a los cuales la FAO les viene ofreciendo esa asistencia. Quisiéramos preguntar a la Secretaría si, además de esos grupos de países, hay otros Estados Miembros de otras regiones que hayan hecho solicitudes semejantes y si la FAO ha estado en condiciones de atender esas solicitudes. Pensamos que es importante que la FAO ofrezca esa asistencia con una cobertura universal.

Opinamos que uno de los puntos principales que deben figurar en el informe de esta Comisión, que reflejará el punto de vista de la Conferencia, debe ser el que aparece en el párrafo 5 del documento C 89/23, en el sentido de refrendar el objetivo a largo plazo, que debe ser el de establecer un sistema de o agropecuario equitativo y orientado al mercado. Pensamos que sobre este punto no habrá diferencias y que podremos dar una nota afirmativa, señor Presidente.

Hemos oído con atención las declaraciones de algunos colegas de países que, con Colombia, están asociados en el Grupo de Cairns - Argentina, Australia y Brasil, entre otros - y, naturalmente, somos solidarios con el contenido del documento que ha presentado el Grupo de Cairns, lo cual facilita nuestra intervención para no repetir lo que han dicho otros colegas.

Pensamos que los objetivos fundamentales que persigue el documento del Grupo de Cairns coincide con la esencia misma de la existencia del Grupo, que está dirigida a reformar la actual injusta estructura del comercio agrícola internacional.

En relación con el documento C 89/25, estamos en favor del reforzamiento de las relaciones entre FAO y GATT, que deben ser cada vez más estrechas y fructíferas. Pensamos, como lo dijo el colega de Argentina, que, a través del Codex Alimentarius y de la Convención Internacional de Protección Fitosanitaria, la FAO puede aportar elementos útiles para ir terminando, aunque sea progresivamente, con los obstáculos que las medidas sanitarias representaban solapadamente para seguir interfiriendo en un libre comercio internacional de productos agrícolas.

En los párrafos 20 y 21 del documento C 89/25 se hace referencia a la posible necesidad de un Comité Consultivo en vez de una organización completa y a la posibilidad de establecer la Secretaría de la CIPF y de adelantar un estudio de la FAO. Ya el colega de Argentina expresó en una nota la cautela sobre el alcance de estas recomendaciones, y también el colega de Australia dijo algo semejante. Si los países desarrollados, que tienen los recursos -y el párrafo 21 dice justamente que para establecer la Secretaría hay que consignar los correspondientes recursos -, si esos países desarrollados -uno de los más importantes ha manifestado ya su apoyo - están en favor de estas propuestas, nosotros nos surtamos también a que de manera progresiva, en la medida en que avancen estas actividades, se puedan realizar las propuestas que contiene el párrafo 21; pero, naturalmente, repetimos, siempre que los recursos se sometan a la disposición de la Organización y que no pretendan que sean esos recursos extraídos de los otros programas de la FAO.

Estamos en favor de que, como lo propone el Director General, se refuerce la División de Nutrición y también la División de Protección Fitosanitaria y pedimos, señor Presidente, que a través del Consejo y de sus órganos auxiliares, los Representantes de los Gobiernos nos mantegamos debidamente informados de la evolución en las importantes relaciones FAO/GATT.

Fiori jan KOVAC (Yugoslavia): Mr Chairman, allow me to present on behalf of the Yugoslav delegation some features of the present trade negotiations in the GATT Uruguay Round in the area of agriculture. The proceedings of the Uruguay Round of the GATT negotiations so far have shown that emphasis is on issues of primary interest to the developed countries, while the solutions to those affecting the developing ones have strings attached. This leads to the uneven progress of the negotiations in individual areas and particularly to lagging behind in the following ones: textiles, agricultural produce, commodities, tropical products and safeguards.

Attempts are being made to erode the special and more favourable treatment of the developing countries as delined by the present agreement, and further reinforced and specified by the Ministerial Declaration of the Uruguay Round.

Pressure is being exerted to diminish the rights of developing countries to certain trade facilities. At the same time, every effort is being made to avoid any commitments to reduce protectionism and gradually to liberalize agricultural production and foreign trade in the countries which are the source of the greatest distortions on the international agricultural market.

In the area of trade negotiation, differences are most pronounced on the key issues of the negotiations: liberalization of agricultural production and foreign trade, reduction of trade barriers, tighter GATT discipline, introduction of numerical model (equivalents) to measure overall support to agriculture, special and more favourable treatment for developing countries, veterinary, sanitary and phytosanitary regulations, and other non-tariff barriers.

New elements and instruments are being introduced into negotiation practices (numerical models, standards, norms) imposing the need to import high technology products which developing countries manufacture in insufficient quantities or not at all.

On balance, developing countries are not sufficiently active in these negotiations. There is only a negligible number of written proposals for improving the situation on the international agricultural market, and promoting foreign trade in terms of imports as well as exports, and especially for better access of agricultural products from these countries to the international market.

In our view amendments to GATT should provide for and equal the initial position of all member countries on the basis of their investment in the development of agriculture, agro-industry and agricultural structure, as well as their attained level of agricultural development and productivity in these areas.

The freezing of investments in and support to agriculture at the present level across the board for all countries would lead to further distortions on the market. At the same time it would further aggravate the position of agriculture in the agriculturally-underdeveloped countries and restrict investments in promotion of this branch of the economy. It would also jeopardize these countries' fundamental right to pursue their own agricultural policies and steer their agricultural development in line with domestic interests. Economic recession, indebtedness and declining purchasing power in many developing countries make it increasingly difficult, even impossible, for them to build up production or to import food to meet their own needs.

The present widely differing initial positions of negotiating countries in agriculture in terms of development level, and especially productivity in agriculture, Which in the most developed agricultures according to FAO data can be as much as 250 times higher than in the least developed ones, call for a closer and comprehensive definition of the special and more favourable treatment for developing countries.

We believe that amendments to the agreement should strenghten their earlier commitment to leave it to the developing countries to make their own choice of policies of development, financing and trade in agriculture. At the same time, a speedier development in developing countries requires the assistance of international financial institutions. In our opinion, such a commitment would be in the interest of all countries participating in the international agricultural market.

Hence, we support demands for a more active inclusion of FAO in future GATT negotiations, particularly in the process of defining the elements for the special and more favourable treatment of developing countries, tightening market discipline and promoting foreign trade by technical norms, regulations and other items subject to negotiations.

FAO's developed information networks, instruments and knowledge could significantly contribute to the success of the negotiations on agriculture. To this end, we would expect a greater and more comprehensive involvement of FAO in the final phase of these negotiations which are scheduled to be concluded at the end of 1990.

CHAIRMAN: I should just like to reiterate my suggestion that the interventions on this item focus on the notes of IPPC and Codex Alimentarius in relation to the programme of works and objectives concerning sanitary and phytosanitary regulations, and that we leave the broader trade issues relating to the Uruguay Round to a later stage.

Sra. Graf ila SOTO CARRERO (Cuba): Usted conoce, Señor Presidente, que mi pais no pertenece al Grupo Cairns, pero por supuesto está de acuerdo con todas las medidas que sean favorables a mejorar las actuales condiciones injustas del comercio agricola internacional.

Al entender de la delegación de Cuba, la FAO es la única Organización que se preocupa de la problemática agricola en su conjunto y por ello en el marco de las negociaciones de la Ronda de Uruguay ha prestado apoyo técnico, tanto a la Secretaria del GATT como a algunos países, en lo concerniente a la agricultura y productos tropicales.

El trabajo desarrollado por la FAO en materia de reglamentaciones sanitarias y f itosanitarias vinculados al Codex Alimentarius y a la Convención Internacional de Protección Fitosanitaria, ha sido en extremo útil. Evidentemente estas negociaciones reorientarán el trabajo de la FAO hacia los problemas concretos del comercio de productos agropecuarios y las formas de politicas agrícolas necesarias para poder implementar los resultados que emanen de las negociaciones en el GATT, siendo ésta, a nuestro entender, la principal repercusión que posiblemente tengan estas negociaciones en el ámbito de la FAO.

La delegación de Cuba se pronuncia porque la FAO mantenga su posición de asistencia técnica a las negociaciones en la Ronda de Uruguay, así como que se utilicen las reglamentaciones sanitarias y f itosanitarias existentes corno base para las instrucciones que tienen lugar sobre este aspecto en el GATT; pero consideramos que su papel no debe circunscribir-se solamente a lo ya hecho y que deben reforzarse también otros órganos necesarios, corno son las Comisiones Regionales de Protección Vegetal, que ya existen auspiciadas por la FAO. Nos referimos en especial al reforzamiento de la Comisión de Protección Fitosanitaria para América Latina y el Caribe, entre otras.

Estamos de acuerdo en que sin debilitar a otras áreas se refuercen con recursos la participación de la FAO en su asesoría al GATT.

Rolf AKESSCN (Sweden): Mr Chairman, in our view the importance of ongoing GATT negotiations in agriculture can hardly be overestimated. By now, the potential benefits are well known, and we have seen an increasing number of estimates concerning the positive effects of liberalizing agriculture and trade, both on developed and developing countries. In addition, it is generally recognized that, for the first time, agriculture is one of the areas where a substantial result is a necessary precondition for a successful outcome of the entire round of GATT negotiations. While we are satisfied with the discussions so far in the Negotiating Group on Agriculture, there is still a large amount of technical and analytical work to be done, not to mention the real negotiations which will begin later next year.

Therefore, in view of the deadline, it is necessary to keep up the momentum. FAO has been, and should continue to be, facilitating and contributing to the negotiations indirectly by analytical work such as the recent paper on direct income support and numerous papers on the effects of protectionism, and directly by providing technical assistance to developing countries, an important task in view of the sometimes tricky and resourcendemanding issues at hand.

Another important area for FAO contributions is sanitary and phytosanitary regulations. While not the only international organization in this field, FAO and its three sisters, CODEX, IPPC and IOE, have a central role to play. Since this is a cotplex area, with different national conditions that are hard to reconcile, progress so far has been fairly slow. For that reason, precise relations between, and the functions of, the various institutions involved, might be more fruitfully discussed at a later stage.

Right now, the work of the Technical Working Group for Sanitary and Phytosanitary Issues under the Negotiating Group on Agriculture is the main focus of our interest and FAO should, of course, be able to contribute to this work with its highly regarded expertise.

Enrique MONTERO C. (Chile): Señor Presidente, hemos escuchado el planteamiento del Director General de la FAO en el dia de ayer con respecto al apoyo de la Organización para que las negociaciones que se llevan a cabo en el ámbito de la Ronda Uruguay del GATT tengan el éxito que se espera para 1990.

Como es conocido, Chile participa activamente en el Grupo Cairns y persigue impulsar las negociaciones del GATT en relación a lograr un comercio agrícola internacional más libre en base a políticas agropecuarias no proteccionistas. No obstante, tal como lo han dicho algunas delegaciones, queda mucho por realizar en el tema. En este sentido, la delegación de mi país apoya las actividades que se propone la FAO. Nuestra delegación respalda las acciones referentes al refortalecimiento necesario en la reglamentación del GATT para que los procedimientos relativos a normas sanitarias y fitosanitarias se rijan por las normas internacionales en el narco de la Convención Internacional de la Protección Fitosanitaria, de la Oficina Internacional de Epizootias, la Comisión del Codex Alimentarius y de la Organización Mundial de la Salud.

La FAO tiene los recursos humanos y científicos para lograr el respaldo necesario en los avances, en la armonización de las reglamentaciones y medidas sanitarias y fitosanitarias.

En este sentido será importante el apoyo de la Organización para que las reglamentaciones nacionales en esta materia se mantengan en el marco multilateral que se persigue.

R.C.A. JAIN (India): Mr Chairman, the Indian delegation would like to congratulate you on your election as Chairman of Comrnission I. I also congratulate the Vice-Chairmen of commission I on their unanimous election.

First of all, I should like to compliment FAO's Secretariat on the concise and well-focused document on this item. I should also like to express my appreciation to you, Mr Chairman, and also to Mr Bonte-Friedheim, for giving a sharp focus to the issues before this Commission under this item. I am sure that this will make our discussions so much more fruitful.

The Indian delegation commends the support extended by FAO to the multilateral trade negotiations, especially.to the GATT Secretariat and to the negotiating groups.

We also appreciate the technical assistance extended by FAO to the developing countries in preparing for the Uruguay Round of Negotiations. As these negotiations have far-reaching consequences for world trade, as well as for the general and economic well-being of the people of the developing countries, technical assistance from FAO will go a long way in assisting the developing countries to evaluate the implications for the various measures and reforms being negotiated in these Rounds.

There is also need for FAO to undertake studies and research programmes in order to evolve an appropriate package of measures to overcome and obviate the adverse effects of market orientation of newer developments in international trade.

Recent developments involving FAO in the field of harmonization of national regulations in relation to plant health and protection are welcome in developing countries. FAO's contribution in this field will accelerate the achievenent of the objective of containing the adverse effects of sanitary and phytosanitary restrictions and barriers.

FAO's great involvement with GATT and other relevant international organizations, and its functions in relation to Codex Alimentarius Commission and the International Plant Protection Convention, augur well for the future of freer agricultural trade in the years to come. We support the financial provisions made in the Programme of Work and Budget for the coming biennium for these new emerging areas of FAO's activities which are very high on the agenda of concerns of the developing world.

Noboru SATTO (Japan): My country fully recognizes the importance of maintaining and further strengthening the international trade system backed up by GATT. We really appreciate the fact that FAO has been assisting the Uruguay Round negotiations of GATT, by providing technical assistance. Especially in the phytosanitary sector, FAO is the depository of the International Plant Protection Convention. Hence, my delegation thinks that the technical assistance by FAO is indispensable for GATT efforts in realizing greater harmonization in the plant protection sector.

CHAIRMAN: As I see no more speakers, I give the floor to Mr, Bonte-Friedheim who will answer for the Secretariat, and then Mr. Dutia will complete the answers.

C.H. BONTE-FRIEDHEIM (Assistant Director-General, Agriculture Department): On

behalf of the Secretariat, I should like to thank all the speakers, since they all supported a very important future role for FAO.

There were a few specific questions which I should like to answer. It was suggested, or questioned, by Australia that FAO involvement cannot be postponed at least for one or two years until the next biennium. I should like to explain to honourable delegates what the Secretariat which is proposed in FAO will have to do within the next one or two years. You will find in the Report of the Recommendations of the Technical Consultations, which is Appendix B of document C 89/25, a programme of activities which quite clearly states four specific activities: one, develop a harmonized pest risk assessment process; two, develop harmonized plant quarantine principles with which phytosanitary laws and regulations should be consistent; three, develop harmonized plant quarantine procedures; and four, try to implement as much as possible of Article VII of the IPPC.

If we will not have a Secretariat in FAO, then it is very likely that the regional plant protection organizations will discuss among themselves, and will find another forum outside FAO Where they will have to discuss these aspeetcs.

In addition to what I have said, it is also our feeling that the Secretariat must undertake maximum efforts to get all countries that are not members, signatories of the IPPC, to become so. Furthermore, we will have to see that we strengthen the regional, the existing regional organizations. They exist except for the Near East where there is none. But for example, we would like in the Far East more countries to join in order to have Regional Plant Protection Organizations which cover most, possibly all, of the countries in the region.

If we would wait, as I said, with these activities until 1991 or even 1992, the regional organizations would do the work, and as I said, outside FAO.

The second question was asked with regard to the necessary funds. The proposal in the statement of the Director-General to the Conference yesterday and the proposal in the Review of FAO speaks of $ 900 000; $ 600 for the work on IPPC, and $ 300 for the work on the Codex Alimentarius. The funds to be used for one professional officer; for annual meetings of the regional organizations; for consultants and for preparations of the necessary documentations for these meetings and as a result of those meetings.

In paragraph 21 of the document in front of you - and that was another question from Australia. In the last sentence it says a study which is proposed for the establishment of an official body for the IPPC. What does it mean, the approval? The approval is approval in principle, since no funds at the moment are foreseen and we do not know exactly how much it will cost.

There also seems to be from many of the comments made this afternoon that there is a general agreement that maybe the foreseen or proposed official body for the IPPC can be postponed, and that is something which FAO at this stage would certainly agree to.

My final word regards the source of the $ 900 000. It is quite clearly said that it is subject to the availability of resources. In our view the resources could come from two sources. One which is highly desirable, for all member countries to pay their contributions for the year; total contributions for the 1990/91 biennium at the beginning of the year-end in full, and then it should be possible, out of these contributions, to undertake this work. If this is not happening, then of course FAO hopes that those countries who are very interested in this particular rule will provide extra-budgetary resources in the order of $ 900 000 to do this work.

Thank you very much. Mr Chairman, if you like, I will ask Mr Dutia to continue.

B.P. DUTIA (Assistant Director-General, Economic and Social Policy Department): I would also like to supplement the remarks made by Mr Bonte-Friedheim by providing some information in relation to the work that we envisage to undertake in the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

The distinguished delegate of Australia rightly pointed out that some of the work will have to await the completion of the Uruguay Round and that is foreseen at the end of 1990. We recognize this. But I would like to mention that even before the Uruguay Round is completed, in order to be ready to respond to the requests that will arise following the agreement in the GATT on the sanitary and phytosanitary regulations and the harmonization, prior to that, it is necessary for us to undertake some preparatory activities, and in effect, what we envisage is preparatory activities in two fields. One is that it is necessary to accelerate the work within the Codex Alimentarius Working Committees' Expert Groups, and particularly I would like to refer here to the FAO/WHD Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives, so that we could be ready with the evaluations of the safety and stability of food additives for those committees for which they are yet to be established. So this is one area of work which needs to be undertaken prior to the completion of the negotiations.

The second area is in the field of providing technical assistance to the developing countries in establishing standards which would enable them to take advantage of the widened and improved access to the markets, so that they will be in a position to establish the standards that will be required from them in order to participate in the international trade.

All these activities would have to be undertaken as soon as we can. We cannot wait until after the negotations are complete, otherwise we may be late in providing the response that is expected of us later on.

I hope this will satisfy the distinguished delegate of Australia.

There was another question raised by the distinguished delegate of Colombia. He wanted to know more about the assistance of FAO's technical support, which is referred to in paragraphs 10 and 11 of the document C 89/23. I do not want to repeat the information that is already contained in that.

However, I would like to update that information by saying that the FAO Secretariat has since been approached and we have responded to that particular request by several net food-importing developing countries for information and analytic inputs in relation to the agreement in the mid-term review that ways should be doubled up to take into account the possible negative effect of the reform process on such countries, and as a basis for their proposals on this subject in the GATT negotiating group on agriculture.

I hope this information will provide an adequate answer to the distinguished delegate of Colombia.

CHAIRMAN: I thank the two distinguised members of the Secretariat and, before I give the floor to the representative of GATT, who asked for the floor, I will give the floor to the representative of Australia who asked for it.

David COUTTS (Australia): I was quite happy to wait until after GATT spoke. But I think, in any case, now I have got the floor, I thank the Secretariat for the explanations. It does make it now a little easier for me to put the picture together.

I do not want to be critical. I think the documentation on the whole for this has been very good. It is just that as developments have happened very late, it has been a little confusing to put the whole picture together. I note then that the proposals that the Director-General has put forward, the $900 000, in fact is the resource proposal that links these two strengthening exercises.

I just say, Mr Chairman, I am not quite sure how this connects itself up with the budget process. But from Australia's point of view, we have not, while we are supportive of the proposals that are put here, we have not given consideration yet to how that will relate to the overall budgetary discussion that we have to have in Commission II, and I just wanted to underline that as far as we are concerned, the fact that we are in agreement with the thrust of these recommendations, does not necessarily mean we are in agreement with the $ 900 000, and that has yet got to be discussed.

J.M. LUCQ (Observateur du GMT): Monsieur le Président, il n'est pas de ma compétence d'intervenir dans cette affaire de crédits, encore que nous serions très heureux de les partager avec la FAO, si elle le voulait.

Les négociations sur les mesures sanitaires et phytosanitaires se déroulent depuis trois ans au sein d'un Groupe spécial que j'ai la responsabilité de diriger. Cela ne représente qu'un petit pourcentage de nos activités de négociation. Néanmoins, ce petit pourcentage est, je crois, fort important. Au fur et à mesure que les négociations multilatérales contribuent à éliminer les droits de douane et les obstacles tarifaires de toutes sortes au commerce international, il apparaît de plus en plus clairement que la partie de protection que les Etats accordent à leur agriculture se réfugie dans des réglementations techniques. Et là, nous saranes sur un terrain relativement miné car c'est dans le domaine de la protection de la santé humaine et animale que les prérogatives de souveraineté des Etats sont les plus apparentes. C'est pourquoi je crois que cette négociation des mesures sanitaires et phytosanitaires est particulièrement importante parce que nous ne voulons pas que, dans les annés 2000 et quelques, l'essentiel de la protection s'opère au moyen de réglementations administratives.

Notre collaboration avec la FAO dans cette négociation extrêmement complexe est tout à fait satisfaisante. Dans cette négociation, nous avons demandé l'appui de la FAO sur deux points: premiènsment, en ce qui concerne le principe d'harmonisation, les différents organes de la FAO, tels que le Codex Alimentarius et l'organisme de la protection des végétaux, ont déjà développé depuis de nombreuses années une certaine forme d'harmonisation et les pays participant à la négociation du GATT pourraient pouvoir prendre appui sur ce début d'harmonisation de manière à pouvoir peut-être un jour le modifier. Le deuxième point sur lequel nous aurons besoin de la FAO, c'est en ce qui concerne les contentieux commerciaux. Ces contentieux commerciaux se multiplient, ces derniers temps, et il est bien clair que les juges chargés de les trancher manquent quelque peu de critères et de paramètres pour pouvoir rendre des jugements incontestables. C'est pour cela que les techniciens et les savants qui, de temps en temps, se réunissent autour des différents organes subsidiaires de la FAO pourraient être d'une grande utilité en ce qui concerne l'établissement de jugements scientifiquement incontestables.

LE PRESIDENT: Je remercie l'observateur du GATT. Je voudrais en profiter pour lui poser une question: l'ai-je bien compris, au début de son intervention? A-t-il parlé de la possibilité que le GATT participe au financement de projets discutés ici sur le renforcement du Codex Alimentarius et du CIPV?

Avant de donner la parole au délégué de la Colombie, j'aimerais avoir une réponse de la part de l'observateur du GATT.

J.M. LUCQ (Observer from GMT): It was intended to be a joke, Mr Chairman. We are prepared to share the money, not to contribute.

LE PRESIDENT: Je constate que mon interprétation n'était pas correcte.

Gonzalo BULA HOYOS (Colombia) : La primera vez que en una declaración sobre este tema oímos referencias al bienio 1992-93, nos abstuvimos de referirnos a esa declaración, porque pensamos que tal vez la traducción nos había llegado equivocada y, además, porque esa declaración provino de un país que generalmente tiene una posición avanzada en las actividades de la cooperación internacional y es nuestro consocio en el Grupo de Cairns. Pero después de que oímos las competentes explicaciones de los señores Bonte Friedheim y Dutia y se ha insistido nuevamente en que vamos a aprobar todas estas propuestas, pero que los 900 000 dólares los veremos después, para nosotros esto es completamente inaceptable, señor Presidente. Si intervenimos ahora es porque no queremos que haya dificultades en el Comité de Redacción. No podemos vincular esta cifra al nivel del Programa de Labores y Presupuesto, que se va a discutir en la Ccmisión II. Por el contrario, nosotros pensamos que si esta Comisión, sincera y seriamente, no en forma literaria ni retórica, considera constructivas estas propuestas del Director General, debemos aprobarlas y, desde luego, recomendar que se asignen por lo menos los 900 000 dólares necesarios.

Con base en esta primera recomendación de la Comisión I, la Comisión II tendrá en cuenta todos aquellos elementos que habrán de incidir sobre el nivel del Programa de Labores y Presupuesto. Lo demás, señor Presidente, sería construir castillos en el aire.

Ghassem TEHRANI YAVARI NEJAD (Iran, Islamic Republic of): I should like to express my congratulations to you, Mr Chairman, for presiding at this very important Commission. I participated in the regional meeting which was held in Nicosia, Cyprus, about two and a half months ago regarding plant protection measures, among other issues, at national and international levels. I stressed, on behalf of my own country, the need for the t of a regional plant protection organization in the Near East similar to other regional organizations within FAO which are vitally important for the member countries in the region. For the time being, there are only regional organizations in Asia, .Africa, North, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Europe. The Near East is the only region which has no similar organization. Such an organization should have been established before. The establishment of such an organization would be in line with the guidelines of GATT for the harmonization of national regulations with regard to sanitary and phytosanitary measures. I am pleased that this issue will fall within future implementation and cooperation with the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, based on the Uruguay Round.

CHAIRMAN: In his explanation to the Commission, Mr Bonte-Friedheim referred to the need for establishing a regional organization on plant protection for the Near East.

We have arrived at the end of our debate. I think it has been very useful and fruitful. I believe there was general agreement and consensus on the need for strengthening activities of FAO in its collaboration with GATT, expecially in assisting developing countries, but mainly in the sanitary and phytosanitary roles by the amelioration of activities of Codex Alimentarius and IPPC. Concern was expressed by a number of delegations on how those activities should be financed, and this is a question which we shall ourselves have to deal with later on. Before we end today's meeting, I would call the attention of the Committee to the fact that we meet tomorrow at 9.30 to deal with Item 6.1, the State of Food and Agriculture, document C 89/2, C 89/2-Sup.1, C 89/2-Sup.2 and C 89/INF/14. I declare the meeting adjourned until 9.30 tormorrow.

The meeting rose at 17; 45
hours La séance est levée à 17 h 45
Se levanta la sesión a las 17.45 horas