Considerations on COM(2023)776 - EU position in the World Trade Organization’s 13th Ministerial Conference on the accession of Timor-Leste to the WTO

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dossier COM(2023)776 - EU position in the World Trade Organization’s 13th Ministerial Conference on the accession of Timor-Leste to the WTO.
document COM(2023)776
date January 23, 2024
 
(1) The Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (‘the WTO Agreement’) was concluded by the Union by Council Decision 94/800/EC of 22 December 19945 and entered into force on 1 January 1995.

(2) Pursuant to Articles IV:1 and IX:1 of the WTO Agreement, the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (‘WTO’) may adopt decisions by consensus.

(3) The WTO Ministerial Conference, during its 13th meeting on 26-29 February 2024, may adopt a decision on the accession of Timor-Leste to the WTO.

(4) It is appropriate to establish the position to be taken on the Union's behalf in the WTO Ministerial Conference, as the decisions are binding on the Union.

(5) Negotiations for the WTO accession of Timor-Leste started in 2016. The Working Party on the accession of Timor-Leste was established on 7 December 2016. The sixth Working Party meeting took place on 11 October 2023. The multilateral negotiations on additional trade related areas are still ongoing. In March 2023, the Commission, on behalf of the EU, finalised bilateral negotiations on a comprehensive series of market opening commitments on the part of Timor-Leste. Accession to the WTO is expected to make a positive and lasting contribution to the process of economic reform and sustainable development in Timor-Leste. The EU should support the accession of Timor Leste.