Capacity Building Workshop on theNotification of Quantitative Restrictions

Sajal Mathur, Trade and Environment Division, WTO24 April 2018

WTO Trade and Environment Datasets

Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) Matrix Compilation of trade-related measures in MEAs Updated on biennial basis

WTO Environmental Database (EDB) Environment-related notifications and information from TPRs Updated annually (in excel since 2009) New web-based platform under development

MEA Matrix About 20 MEAs with trade-related provisions covered This includes the:

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement (UNFSA) Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA) International Tropical Timber Agreement (ITTA) International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits

Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity Nagoya – Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress to the Cartagena

Protocol on Biosafety Montreal Protocol and the Vienna Convention on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Kyoto Protocol and

the Paris Agreement Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their

Disposal Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous

Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants Minamata Convention on Mercury

MEA Matrix

For each MEA there are 6 sub-sections with a: Brief description of the MEA Trade-related measures

Provisions of the MEA Decisions

Supportive Measures Non-compliance mechanism Dispute settlement mechanism Provisions relating to non-parties

Also an Annex with table of WTO and MEA membership

MEA Matrix – Some Examples

CITES CITES amongst the earliest MEAs with trade-related measures

to better regulate legal, sustainable, traceable trade in wildlife Trade in over 35,000 species* regulated by CITES 3 Appendices establishing different levels of regulation

* Live, dead, parts, and derivatives

Appendix I (3%)International commercial trade is prohibited

Appendix II (96%), III (1%)International commercial trade is allowed but controlled

MEA Matrix – CITES (trade-related provisions) CITES text contains a preamble, 25 articles, 3 species lists

(Appendices I, II, III) and a permit model (Appendix IV). Article III: Regulation of Trade of Species in Appendix I

Appendix I includes species that are threatened with extinction, for which commercial trade is generally prohibited.

Non-commercial trade subject to non-detrimental & legal acquisition finding ; and with an import permit (serves as a form of PIC) and an export permit.

Article IV: Regulation of Trade of Species in Appendix II Appendix II includes species not necessarily now threatened with extinction, but

may become so, unless trade is subject to strict regulation. Trade with export permit or re-export certificate. Trade must be legal and not

detrimental to the survival of the species. Article V: Regulation of Trade of Species in Appendix III

Appendix III inclusion on request of a party that already prevents/restricts exploitation of a species and needs the cooperation of others in control of trade

Trade in Appendix III species must be legal; there is no non-detriment finding Article XIV (stricter domestic measures)

Other provisions (e.g. Article VI – Permits and Certificates, Article VII – Exemptions) … + Decisions/Reccos

CITES provides for trade measures at different levels: Measures in the text of the Convention; Measures decided by the Conference of the Parties (CoP); Measures decided by Standing Committee (SC) on behalf of CoP; Measures recommended by the Animals Committee/Plants Committee; Measures recommended by the CITES Secretariat to the CoP and SC;

Stricter domestic trade measures adopted by the Parties.

MEA Matrix – CITES (trade-related provisions)

125 environment-related trade measures were notified to the WTO between 2012 and 2015 that mentioned CITES as their basis…..

ENVIRONMENTAL DATABASEwww.wto.org/edb

93%

50%

68%73% 75%

13

5

15

8

12

Share of environment-related QR notifications Number of environment-related QR notifications

EDB - Environment-related QR Notifications (2012 – 2016*)

* Provisional data for 2016.Each QR notification may contain multiple environment-related measures (e.g. in 2015 there were 47 environment-related measures in 8 QR notifications)

2%

2%

4%

4%

6%

9%

9%

17%

21%

21%

53%

68%

17%

49%

51%

2%

6%

38%

62%

1

1

2

2

3

4

4

8

10

10

25

32

8

23

24

1

3

18

29

Biodiversity and ecosystem

Sustainable forestry management

Other environmental risks mitigation

Climate change mitigation and adaptation

Sustainable fisheries management

Natural resources conservation

Plant protection

Waste management and recycling

Ozone layer protection

Animal protection

Chemical, toxic and hazardous substances management

MEAs implementation and compliance

Import licences

Export licences

Ban/Prohibition

Forestry

Fisheries

Other

ChemicalsTy

pe o

f O

bjec

tive

Type

of

Mea

sure

Type

of Sec

tor

EDB - Types of Environment-related Measures in QR Notifications (2015)

EDB - MEAs implementation and compliance measures in the QR notifications (2012-2015)

THANK YOU FORYOUR ATTENTION!

sajal.mathur@wto.org

This  presentation has been prepared under the Secretariat's own responsibility and is without 

prejudice to the positions of Members or to their rights and obligations under the WTO.