Doha and the Environment

In the WTO, ENR has been responsible for two sets of high-profile negotiations as part of the Doha Development Round. The first involves negotiations to develop new WTO disciplines on fisheries subsidies, which have had a devastating impact on global fisheries stocks. The United States, represented by USTR ENR, has exerted a strong leadership role in pushing for a prohibition on the most harmful subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and overfishing. The second set of negotiations involve efforts to reduce or eliminate trade barriers to international trade in environmental goods and services and clarify the relationship between WTO rules and certain obligations in multilateral environmental agreements, such as those dealing with endangered species and ozone-depleting substances. In particular, USTR ENR has worked closely with allies to push for a new WTO Environmental Goods and Services Agreement, or “EGSA.” ENR also has responsibilities for advancing work on environmental goods and services through APEC.