WTO設定達成關稅和補貼協議最後期限
2006年5月31日 星期三
WTO設定達成關稅和補貼協議最後期限
世界貿易組織(WTO)總幹事帕斯卡?拉米(Pascal Lamy)昨日將達成農業補貼和工農業產品關稅削減協議的最後期限定在6月底。他警告，全球貿易談判的時間已所剩不多。
Pascal Lamy, director- general of the World Trade Organisation, set an end- of-June deadline yesterday for a deal to cut farm sub-sidies and tariffs on agricultural and industrial goods, warning that global trade talks were running out of time.
在6月最後一周，預計將有多達40位貿易部長參加在日內瓦的談判，為就全球貿易談判的核心問題達成協議作最後努力。多哈(Doha)回合談判是在2001年啟動的。
Up to 40 trade ministers are expected to join the negotiations in Geneva in the last week of June, in a final attempt to wrap up an accord seen as the core of the Doha global trade round launched in 2001.
世貿組織成員國始終未能就削減關稅和補貼的細則達成臨時協議，阻礙了此輪談判的進展。這輪談判涉及服務以及簡化海關手續等其它所有領域。
The repeated failure of WTO members to agree an interim pact setting detailed guidelines for reducing tariffs and subsidies has held up progress in all other areas of the round, ranging from services to simpler customs procedures.
不過，世貿組織成員國已達成共識，多哈談判必須在今年底之前結束，這樣美國國會才能在美國貿易談判權2007年年中失效前，認可多哈回合談判的最終一攬子協議。
However, there is general agreement that the talks must conclude this year so that the US Congress can ratify the final Doha package before US negotiating authority expires in mid-2007.
拉米告訴各成員國駐世貿組織的特使稱，必須在6月份就關稅和補貼方針達成一致，以便留出時間在7月份就其它關鍵問題展開談判，如發展中國家的服務自由化和特殊待遇等。
Mr Lamy told envoys to the WTO that the tariff and subsidy guidelines had to be agreed in June to leave time in July for other key negotiations, such as on services liberalisation and special treatment for developing countries.
今年年底前，需要敲定完整的多哈回合貿易協議，包括為世貿組織所有149個成員國起草具體的關稅和服務時間表。
The rest of the year is needed to finalise the complete Doha treaty, including drawing up detailed tariff and services schedules for all 149 WTO members.
貿易官員昨日表示，為達成所謂的「形式主義」協定而擬定的時間表「雖緊張，但可行」。世貿組織已要求各工農業產品談判團體的主席，在6月19日前後遞交計劃草案。
Trade officials said yesterday that the timetable for the so-called 「modalities」 pact was 「tight but do-able」. The chairmen of the negotiating groups on agriculture and industrial goods have been asked to produce draft texts on or around June 19.
儘管世貿組織成員國過去數周在日內瓦展開了緊鑼密鼓的談判，但由於先前制定的在4月底達成共識的目標未能實現，談判進展一直如冰山般緩慢。
Despite intensive negotiations in Geneva over the past few weeks, progress has been glacial since an earlier end-April target for reaching an accord was missed.
譯者/陳家易 劉彥