A critical issue in the trade and environment debate is the relationship between trade rules and multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), such as the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, the Biodiversity Convention, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, and the Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants signed in May, 2001.  There must be an affirmation that trade-related environmental measures (TREMs) authorized or required under multilateral environmental agreements or internationally recognized environmental principles are consistent with WTO rules. 

Criteria would not be a basis for evaluating whether an MEA measure is legitimate but rather would indicate to the WTO what counts as an MEA such that measures are legitimate by virtue of their adoption under its auspices.  Disputes over the implementation of MEAs should be resolved by MEAs, not by the WTO.  Matthew Stilwell further elaborates these issues in a report published by WWF International in November 1999 [Trade Measures and Multilateral Environmental Agreements: Resolving Uncertainty and Removing the WTO Chill Factor, Discussion Paper]. 

At the same time, MEA negotiators considering the use of trade-related measures can benefit from a grounding in the principles of international trade policy, and UNEP and the WTO should work cooperatively to help provide this.


This page last modified on 25 April 2006