WTO: reporting on informal negotiating meetings on fisheries subsidies (9)

The International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development) has recently reported about another informal meeting of the WTO's Negotiating Group on Rules where fisheries subsidies were discussed.

According to the article (published in Bridges Trade BioRes, Vol.11, nr. 3 of 21.02.2011) the meeting took place from 7 to 14 February 2011.

It seems that "important" subjects have been debated at the meeting, not least fuel subsidies! I was also struck by the approach that the new Chair is taking to move the negotiations forward. Always according to the ICTSD article the Chair has set up four "working groups", on high seas fisheries, on artisanal/small-scale fisheries, on income support and on fuel subsidies. The groups are made up by a number of countries.

The Chair has also two "new friends of the chair", one Delegate from New Zealand and one from the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat to work on "reciprocal and shared access to Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs)." I wonder whether this subject covers fisheries agreements.

Here is the link to the ICTSD article:

http://ictsd.org/i/news/biores/101297/