Following the WTO Ministerial Declaration (Doha) decision to launch negotiations on “the reduction or, as appropriate, elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers to environmental goods and services” [Paragraph 31(iii)], the OECD has been working on this topic to achieve the following goals:
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To understand the extent of international trade in the sector, the tariff and non-tariff barriers affecting it and the nature of the market,
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To examine whether concrete “win-win” benefits accrued to developing countries from liberalisation of their environmental services markets,
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To explore some of the practical issues likely to arise in the negotiations on environmental goods, as well as options for addressing them,
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To explore issues associated with particular categories of goods,
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To document the synergies created by the liberalisation of trade in environmental services and trade in environmental goods.
The results of these studies are compiled in two reports:
- Trade that benefits the environment and development: opening markets for environmental goods and services (2005)
- Environmental Goods and Services:The Benefits of Further Global Trade Liberalisation (2001)
More documentation on - Environmental goods and services