In a serious push to conclude the Doha Round of world trade negotiations, which started in 2001, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) was urging different negotiating sectors to revise draft modalities by April 21, and to report on the progress thereof.

The WTO reported that work on the emerging text for a geographical indications (GI) register for wines and spirits was progressing somewhat better than the agriculture talks – a sector which has been a notorious sticking point between member States in the Doha Round.

Modalities served the purpose of outlining the way to proceed in WTO negotiations, and set broad outlines, such as formulas or approaches for tariff and subsidy reductions, for final commitments.

Negotiators have been set the task of revising draft modalities texts by April, agreeing on texts in all Doha Round subjects by June or July, and concluding the round by the end of the year.

Agriculture negotiations chairperson David Walker said that although delegations sent a few signals of movement in some areas, after two weeks of meetings and consultations, he has heard little that was new.

Walker said the group went through the “three pillars” of domestic support, market access, and export competition, or export subsidies and related issues.

Members were also said to be working among themselves on some subjects, including tariff simplification (replacing complex forms of customs duties, with simpler forms, particularly percentages of the price), the special safeguard mechanism (allowing developing countries to raise tariffs temporarily to deal with price falls or import surges), and tariff quota creation (which implies countries would be allowed to label products as ‘sensitive’, with a smaller than normal tariff cut, even if the products do not currently have tariff quotas).

GI PROGRESS
The draft text for GI, which fell under Intellectual Property negotiations, was being constructed piece by piece and now has sections on ‘legal effects or consequences of registration’ and ‘fees and costs’ added to revised sections on ‘registration’ and ‘notification’.

The draft text, which was now about seven pages long, would still contain opposing opinions, but a single text — rather than rival documents — was an essential tool to allow negotiators to narrow down their differences more practically.

The final two areas will be on special treatment for least-developed and developing countries and “participation”.

The GI register for wines and spirits was viewed as a significant development because greater protection for geographical indications – or protected names given to special products associated with a particular place, or tradition of production and quality, such as Champagne, Tequila or Parma ham – was a key outcome for certain member States participating in the Doha development round of negotiations.

Zambia’s ambassador and chairperson of the 13-year GI negotiations Darlington Mwape said that some “small amendments” were made on the earlier section on ‘registration’, however, many square brackets remained, and the chairperson said he would open up the text for the full membership to work on the draft “once sufficient substance is on the table”.