Multilateral / WTO

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) is the guardian of the multilateral trade rules. Having emerged in 1995 from the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) that initially only covered trade in goods, the WTO has since developed rules that cover every aspect of international trade, for instance services and intellectual property rights. It also administers international agreements and hosts an unprecedented dispute settlement procedure.

Currently under the Doha Development Agenda, the WTO and its 161 members are working towards the revision of trade rules and an improved market access, although with slow progress. BusinessEurope remains a strong advocate of the WTO. However, in a constantly changing economic landscape, characterised by global value chains and the impact of the financial crisis on international trade, it is crucial that the WTO becomes a modern organisation that is effectively responding to these challenges. The successful 9th WTO Ministerial Conference in Bali in December 2013, in particular the adoption of the Trade Facilitation Agreement, gave impetus to the Doha Round negotiations and raised expectations about the possibility of concluding a market access agreement.

BusinessEurope supports a WTO work programme that:

Focuses on the conclusion of the Doha Round negotiations, achieving ambitious elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers;
Looks beyond the Doha Round negotiations towards the conclusion of plurilateral agreements, for instance on services or information and technology, as well as into other trade-related areas such as competition, investment or export restrictions.

Publications

Press releases		Date
	WTO Ministerial finds interim solution on e-commerce	01/03/2024
	WTO Ministerial - the agreement keeps alive the multilateral trading system	17/06/2022
	WTO reform requires commitment from all its members	24/11/2021
	Airbus-Boeing tariff suspension important step towards a solution	05/03/2021
	New WTO Director-General should bring fresh energy, optimism and trust	14/02/2021
	What trade can do for climate: More than carbon border adjustments	23/06/2020
	Collapse of WTO Appellate Body: BusinessEurope Council of Presidents calls for urgent action	06/12/2019
	Gattaz: "We must avoid the collapse of the WTO Appellate Body"	07/10/2019
	Airbus/Boeing dispute: tariffs are the wrong answer	02/10/2019
	Reforming the WTO: this is a now or never moment	02/10/2018
	US duties – Bad news for the World Economy	31/05/2018
	EU and US need to work together on key international issues like trade and sanctions	13/02/2018
	11th WTO Ministerial Conference: business calls for a strong WTO, against protectionism, for the benefit of all	04/12/2017

Position papers		Date
	Global industry statement on the WTO Moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions	02/02/2024
	International business priorities for the 13th WTO Ministerial	01/02/2024
	Business priorities for the 12th WTO Ministerial - Joint statement from BusinessEurope and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce	07/06/2022
	Business urges WTO members to continue negotiations and commitment to achieve results	02/12/2021
	European business priorities for a successful 12th WTO Ministerial Conference	24/11/2021
	Multi-industry statement on cross-border data flows and data localisation in WTO negotiations on e-commerce	26/01/2021
	What trade can do for climate - a BusinessEurope position paper	22/06/2020
	The trilateral discussions between the EU, Japan and the USA need to deliver concrete proposals that restore the global playing field with regard to market-distortive practices - Joint statement by BUSINESSEUROPE, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce & Keidanren	14/01/2020
	Joint business statement in support of the WTO reform	02/04/2019
	Business groups: Urgent action needed to reform the WTO	23/10/2018
	Reinvigorating the WTO - Safeguarding a strong and effective multilateral trading system	02/10/2018
	A strong WTO: against protectionism, for the benefit of all	01/12/2017

Public letters		Date
	TRIPs waiver extension - Letter from Markus J. Beyrer to Valdis Dombrovskis	29/09/2022
	TRIPs waiver - Letter from Markus J. Beyrer to Valdis Dombrovskis	06/04/2022
	Response to the Covid-19 pandemic and TRIPs waiver - Joint industry letter to Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, WTO Director-General	11/06/2021
	Trade policy review - BusinessEurope contribution to the public consultation	13/11/2020
	Airbus-Boeing case - Letter from Markus J. Beyrer to Roberto Azevêdo	13/07/2020
	Global Business Community Urges Rapid Action on Ambitious WTO e-Commerce Framework	25/01/2019