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日本の貿易担当官は先週、WTOのムーア事務局長に対し、分野別の自由化交渉に入る前に、制度的な改善策を検討するよう要請した。通産省通商政策局の今野秀洋局長は、WTO加盟国が制度的改善のために６分野（WTO内部協議過程の改善、紛争解決過程の改善、NGOへの透明性の向上、途上国の能力向上、最貧途上国の市場アクセスの強化、知的所有権に関するWTO協定の2000年1月実施期限に関する問題解決、投資に関する措置）を検討すべきだとしている。

Japanese trade officials last week proposed to Mr. Moore that the WTO focus on institutional improvement before moving forward with any talks on sectoral liberalisation. Director-General of Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industry Hidehiro Konno said that WTO Members should focus on six areas in need of improvement, specifically: improvement of the internal WTO consultation process; improvements in the dispute settlement process; increased transparency of the WTO to non-governmental groups; capacity-building for developing countries; increased market access for least-developed countries; resolving issues related to the 1 January 2000 implementation deadline for the WTO agreements on intellectual property rights; and investment measures.

Source: BRIDGES magazine

For journalists who will follow events from home with a link to FoEI's Seattle page and journalists attending Seattle with a list of press events, Daily press briefings will be available on this FoEI web page http://www.antenna.nl/foei/campaigns/indexwto.html.

The World Resources Institute and the Center for International Environmental Law released 'Tree Trade, Liberalization of International Commerce in Forest Products: Risks and Opportunities' by Nigel Sizer, David Downes, and David Kaimowitz.

If you would like to obtain a free electronic copy or the paper and / or printed copies you can write Ruth Nogueron at ruthn@wri.org

Court Orders U.S. Trade Representative To Include Environmentalists On WTO Advisory Committees

Forest Advocates Applaud Ruling on Eve of WTO Meeting in Seattle

SEATTLE, WA (Nov. 9, 1999) A federal district court judge has ordered the United States Trade Representative, Charlene Barshefsky, to name at least one representative from the environmentalcommunity to each of two panels that advise her on negotiating strategy and other matters involving international trade in wood products and paper products.

By limiting membership to industry officials, the court ruled, the Trade Representative was violating the Federal Advisory Council Act. The law requires that advisory panels represent a fair balance of viewpoints. The advisory committees at issue are two of more than two dozen that advise the U.S. government on international trade.

Judge Barbara Rothstein found that the paper and wood panels are anything but balanced:

The highly charged nature and the stakes at issue in the free trade-environment debate over timber sales are well documented. Matters affecting the wood and paper products sector are dramatically and inextricably intertwined with the environmental health and protection of this nation. The forest ISACs (Industry Sector Advisory Committees) offer advice on diverse and far-reaching issues that affect others, especially those who promote forest conservation. The composition of the forest product ISACs, thus, violates FACA's requirement to be fairly balanced in terms of viewpoints to be represented.

The ruling comes in response to a lawsuit filed by Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund on behalf of the Northwestern Ecosystem Alliance, the Pacific Environment and Resources Center, Defenders of Wildlife, Sierra Club, Buckeye Forest Council, and the International Forum on Globalization. The United States is actively encouraging World Trade Organization member nations meeting in Seattle in late November to relax or eliminate all tariffs and non-tariff barriers to trade in wood products. This proposal is staunchly opposed by environmental groups in the absence of environmental safeguards.

Environmentalists hailed the court's ruling. "Finally, a long-existing wrong is slowly being righted," said Earthjustice attorney Patti Goldman, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of the organizations. "It is both unfair and illegal to load up these panels with industry representatives and not allow a single representative of the environment to participate."

The judge's ruling vindicates our belief in democratic decision-making, said Paige Fischer, Director of the Forests and Trade Campaign at Pacific Environment and Resources Center. ?ow we renew our call on the U.S. Government to halt negotiations of the Global Free Logging Agreement at the WTO until forest conservationists have a seat at the table with big business.�

"This ruling exposes the hypocrisy of Clinton administration trade policy. The President says that he wants the WTO to become more democratic, yet here at home the government has shut the public out of the crucial trade advisory committees, said Dan Seligman, Director of Sierra Club's Responsible Trade campaign. If the US Trade Representative is going to make global environmental policy, then the public, not just private industry, must sit at the table."

The next meeting of the paper committee is scheduled for November 16, 1999; the wood committee is scheduled to meet December 8, 1999.

BRIDGES Weekly Trade News Digest Vol. 3, Number 29 のIN BRIEF(短信欄) より。

 A group of U.S. environmental groups last week filed suit against the U.S. Trade Representative and the U.S. Department of Commerce for allegedly leaving environmental groups out of the advisory process on timber trade, giving timber industry representatives exclusive access on advisory committees. "Environmental groups file lawsuit against administration over forest products trade policy," ENVIRONMENTAL MEDIA SERVICES, 21 July 1999.