EU submits three papers to advance WTO reform discussions

The EU’s papers stressed the need to maintain momentum in the discussions in Geneva and that these grow into a meaningful, lasting and Member-driven reform process. The new papers focus on the following areas, with development issues considered a cross-cutting theme across all three:

On balancing rights and obligations, the EU is calling for discussions that reflect today’s global economic realities. This means that WTO Members should engage on the substance of the core issues facing the organisation and identify possible pathways for taking this work forward, including whether existing exceptions provide sufficient scope to integrate economic security considerations.
On restoring a level playing field, the EU is proposing updates to WTO rules to better address distortive state interventions through greater transparency, stronger disciplines and more effective remedies. This would also help Members address resilience-related challenges. These issues affect all Members and require a collective global response.
On improving governance and decision-making, the EU has proposed institutional reforms to address structural weaknesses in the WTO’s functioning and put forward ideas for tools and instruments to facilitate decision-making and overcome blockages.

Next steps

The EU is determined to work constructively with all WTO Members to advance reform and ensure the organisation remains strong and capable of supporting an open, rules-based multilateral trading system. With the status quo no longer an option, all major players must assume their responsibility for delivering deep and comprehensive reform.