[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 50 (Monday, December 20, 1999)]
[Pages 2633-2634]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
United States-European Union Summit Statement on the World Trade 
Organization

December 17, 1999

    The United States and the European Union consider the multilateral 
trading system one of the world's principal bulwarks of peace, 
sustainable development, and economic growth; and a primary engine for 
rising living standards and broad-based prosperity in the future. As we 
approach the new century, we must ensure that the trading system retains 
its dynamism and ability to respond to changing needs of an increasingly 
diverse membership.
      
    Accordingly, both sides note their disappointment at the failure to 
reach agreement on a new Round of trade negotiations at Seattle, but 
they agree it is now important to find a way forward. In this context, 
the EU and the US both pledge continued readiness to work with Director 
General Mike Moore and our partners to launch an inclusive new Round as 
soon as possible. A new Round has to be definitively different from its 
predecessors. It should encompass the built in agenda of agriculture and 
services, further and effective market access liberalization, support 
our efforts to harness globalization by strengthening and extending WTO 
rules, and address the concerns of both developing countries and civil 
society.
      
    With the Director General and all other members of the WTO, we need 
to take full account of the lessons of Seattle. In particular, work 
should be directed towards a set of measures that will: provide better 
opportunities for wider participation by all members (including 
developing countries) in the decisionmaking processes of the WTO; offer 
greater transparency (both within the organization and vis a vis the 
outside world); and improve public access, including through broader 
access to WTO documents and enhanced consultation procedures with civil 
society. This work should also consider

[[Page 2634]]

measures to improve the efficiency of the WTO, and to boost overall 
public support for the organization. We should also seek agreement by 
all members on the separate review of WTO dispute settlement procedures, 
including measures to enhance transparency.
    The US and EU are committed to maximizing the benefits developing 
countries gain from being in the WTO. We agreed to take forward a 
preferential market access initiative for least developed WTO members, 
initially with our Quad partners. We will work with other WTO Members to 
establish as soon as possible a new, revitalized program for capacity 
building and technical assistance undertaken by the WTO, beginning with 
the Integrated Framework established in 1996, and in cooperation with 
other international institutions. We also agreed to consider what we 
would do to address the concerns of a number of developing countries 
with implementation of existing multilateral trade agreements.
    On issues of interest to our civil societies, we agreed that changes 
to global economy have brought new challenges to the trading system. 
Nowhere is that evident than the debate that is now joined regarding the 
relationship between trade and labor. The US and EU are committed to 
working with our partners to engage the WTO and ILO in a constructive 
dialogue, including consideration of the relationship between core labor 
standards, further liberalization, trade policy and social development, 
in order to foster understanding and consensus. And on trade and 
environment, we will work together to ensure that trade rules support 
and do not undermine the ability of governments to establish and achieve 
high levels of environmental protection.
    The cooperative relationship between the US and the EU has been 
crucial to the development of the multilateral trading system over the 
past 50 years. We recognize our shared responsibilities to continue this 
work, but also the need to involve all our WTO partners more directly. 
This will pave the way for continued prosperity, sustainable 
development, and long-term growth for the 21st century.

Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of 
this joint statement.