Having been launched in Doha/Quatar in November 2001, the DDA provides the framework for the current round of WTO negotiations on international trade liberalisation and trade facilitation. Strong differences between India and the USA regarding the Special Safeguard Mechanism for developing countries in the agricultural sector during the Ministerial conference on 29 July 2008 have recently delayed a rapid conclusion of the DDA negotiations.
The European Services Forum strongly encourages all stakeholders to actively commit themselves to a rapid finalization of the negotiation talks.
This part of the website provides detailed information on the negotiating proposals, the EU requests, the initial offers, the revised offers and the collective requests on the liberalisation of the services markets of the WTO Member States. It shall allow quick access to the relevant WTO documents to everyone who is interested and/or holds any stake in the DDA. All the WTO members’ DDA offers and requests employ the four modes of trade in services defined by the the 1994 GATS Treaty constituting the basis for the DDA service negotiations.
It is important to consider that many of the offers tabled by 90 countries between 2003 and 2005 include only marginal changes to the respective countries’ Uruguay Round offers.
For further information on the DDA and most recent developments see the WTO’s website.