arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)
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GATS: only a few countries have submitted their liberalisation offers by Attac workgroup on International Treaties Wednesday May 21, 2003 at 05:14 PM |
| Omc.marseille@attac.org |
The handful of countries able to meet the deadline for these offers (end March 20O3) were essentially developed countries (notably Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the US).
The EU was unable to meet the deadline, but could submit its offers in the next weeks, and Switzerland could do the same by April 15th. The WTO secretariat declared its hope that offers would continue to come in up to the next
Conference at Cancun. The developing countries are remarkably absent. Some consider this to be a reaction to the many other unmet deadlines: Trips and public health, implementation of agreements, special and
differentiated treatment for developing countries, and agriculture.
Up to now, apparently only thirty-odd of the most advanced developing countries have presented their demands, and none have submitted offers. Some countries which have not yet sent in their offers refer to the US, which has not submitted offers in certain monopolies, such as the postal services or sub-sectors like water supply. Of subsidies
granted under modes 1 and 2 (cross-border supply and consumption abroad), not all have been subject to national processing, and the same is true of most subsidies under mode 3 (trade presence abroad).
Some American NGOs reacted negatively with regard to these offers. The IATP has pointed out that they would affect states' legislation without the endorsement of local authorities, and emphasized the lack of consultation during the period devoted to preparing the offers.