The European Union has offered a €180,000 donation to the WTO trade facilitation trust fund. Overall, the EU’s contribution to the various WTO development trust funds has reached SFr 8.3mn (US$751mn).
This donation will finance technical assistance programmes to assist least developed and low income countries to participate more effectively in the WTO trade facilitation negotiations in the Doha Round.
Trade facilitation looks at how procedures and controls governing the movement of goods across national borders can be improved to reduce costs and burdens. It also allows trade flows to be as efficient as possible.
WTO director general Pascal Lamy has declared that he welcomes the EU's contribution “which demonstrates its commitment to help developing countries integrate in the global economy and take better advantage of the multilateral trading system”.
EU's chargé d'affaires, John Clarke, comments: “All evidence shows that a WTO trade facilitation agreement will deliver huge benefits, particularly to developing countries. It is therefore crucial that developing countries continue to fully participate in the trade facilitation negotiations. This new contribution is only part of the EU's strong commitment to assist developing countries in improving their trading capacity and in making trade a development tool.”
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