永續發展與環保國際合作「貿易與環境相關議題研究分析」委辦計畫

Abstract

一、計畫背景： 為因應貿易與環境議題日益糾葛，甚至可能相互衝突的問題，世界貿易組織(WTO)不僅在其建立WTO的馬拉喀什協定的前言中揭示永續發展與環境保護的重要；並為相關之決議，包括決定「為臻永續之發展，確認貿易與環境措施間的關聯性」並且「對是否需要修改多邊貿易體系相關條文提出適當之建議， 惟所提之建議必須與多邊貿易體系所揭櫫之公開、公正及不歧視原則相符合」，世貿組織中之貿易與環境委員會(Committee on Trade and Environment,簡稱CTE)便是依據這兩項原則的精神而成立。CTE初期將其工作及討論內容計分為十大議題；在2001年的多哈宣言中，更將貿易與環境議題的討論焦點集中於第31至第33段；主要內容為WTO貿易規則與多邊環境協定(MEAs)所設特定貿易義務的關係；環境商品與服務；環境措施對市場進入之影響與環境標示等等。我國因政治地位因素，而被排除於MEAs之規則訂定，透過參與WTO/CTE的運作，應可爭取對相關環境議題的影響空間，以維護我國權益。

二、計劃主要內容： 1.收集、評估及分析各國在此議題的趨向並形成我國的立場： 多哈宣言通過後，CTE已召開數次會議，各國對多哈宣言第31.1段中的名詞定義，包括現存之WTO規則、特定之貿易義務、MEAs之範圍已各有廣、狹義之解釋，而我國已表達初步之立場；目前CTE則希望各會員能對具體的WTO與MEAs關係，分享實證經驗。我國可由非MEAs締約國但為WTO會員身份的角度，在此議題上持續深化前次提出之基本論述包括：MEAs應對所有WTO會員開放；特定之貿易義務應涵蓋MEAs之大會(COP)所為貿易限制及制裁之決議；以及對非MEAs締約國權益之保障。 2.協同政府有關單位出席CTE例會： 藉會議之進行，觀摩學習會議進行之方式、文件提出之時機與內容及各國的詢答與應對；並參與雙邊的協商，以爭取有力國家之支持。 3.檢討我國相關環保法令是否與貿易規則相符。 4.檢視自由貿易協定(FTA)與貿易與環境議題之關係。 5.根據最新資訊，維護環保署關於貿易與環境全球資訊網頁。

A. Background of the project: Faced with the increasingly possible conflicts between free trade and the environmental protection, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has started to examine the issue seriously. In the preamble to the Marrakesh Agreement, the WTO discloses the significance of protecting the environment and underlines the goal of sustainable development. In addition, in 1995, it decided to set up an official forum, namely the Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE), in which such an issue may be addressed in an appropriate way. Originally, the CTE had set up ten agendas to be dealt with. In wake of the adoption of the Doha Declaration in 2001, the CTE places its major concern on the following matters, including the relations between trade rules and trade obligations set out in Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs); environmental products and services; the influence of environmental measures on market access; and eco-labeling etc. In absence of a full membership in most MEAs, Taiwan has generally been excluded from the participation of such regimes. It is believed that the WTO？HHHHHHHHH？HHHHHHHHHs institution may provide us a feasible channel where we could exert some influence over the issue relating to the environment.

B. The main contents of the project: 1. Collecting, assessing and analyzing the position of individual member and the formation of the standing of our country: Following the preliminary position presented in the previous CTE meetings, it is proposed that some basic arguments need to be further elaborated, including: The membership of MEAs should be open to all WTO member; Specific trade obligations should be understood to cover decisions made by the competent organs of MEAs; The interstes of a non-MEAs party of WTO member should be under full protection. 2. Participation of CTE meetings together with officials of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 3. Examination on the consistency of relevant laws and regulations governed by the EPA with WTO？HHHHHHHHH？HHHHHHHHHs trade rules 4. Studying the relations between the issue of trade and environment and Free Trade Agreement (FTA) 5. Maintenances of the EPA？HHHHHHHHH？HHHHHHHHHs global website regarding trade and environment in accordance with update information