Considerations on COM(2024)4 - EU position in the World Trade Organization’s 13th Ministerial Conference on adding the Agreement on Investment Facilitation for Development into the Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization

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dossier COM(2024)4 - EU position in the World Trade Organization’s 13th Ministerial Conference on adding the Agreement on Investment Facilitation ...
document COM(2024)4 EN
date January 29, 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 1994 6 and entered into force on 1 January 1995.

(2)Pursuant to Article X:9 of the WTO Agreement, the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (‘WTO’) may adopt a decision by consensus to add an agreement to Annex 4 of the WTO Agreement.

(3)The WTO Ministerial Conference, during its 13th meeting on 26-29 February 2024, may adopt a decision on adding the Agreement on Investment Facilitation for Development to Annex 4 to the WTO Agreement.

(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 towards an Agreement on Investment Facilitation for Development were formally launched in September 2020. The Commission conducted the negotiations on behalf of the EU. The negotiations were concluded on 6 July 2023. Because not all WTO Members participated in the negotiations, the intention of the WTO Members participating in the negotiations is to submit a request to add the Agreement on Investment Facilitation Agreement as a plurilateral agreement to Annex 4 of the WTO Agreement. The Union should participate in that request as a preparatory step to a possible decision of the Ministerial Conference.