. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/MIN(03)/ST/31
11 September 2003
(03-4784)
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Fifth SessionCancún, 10 - 14 September 2003Original:  English
AUSTRIA
Statement by H.E. Dr. Martin Bartenstein
Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Labour
Let me begin by expressing the gratitude of the Government of Austria to the Government
and people of Mexico for hosting the Fifth Minister ial Meeting of the World Trade Organization.  The
preparation and organization of the Conference have been excellent.  You have created the
atmosphere needed for us to achieve our common objective - to give impetus to our negotiations for a
new Round of multilateral trade liberalization which will meet the needs of all our countries,developing and developed, and by that to contribute effectively to strengthening the global economy.
I would also like to thank the Chairman of the General Council Ambassador Carlos Perez del
Castillo, Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi and all Members of the WTO Secretariat for their
hard work in preparation for this Ministerial.
Austria fully endorses the objectives and goals of the EU as put forward by the
EU Commission.  And we strongly s upport the f undamental purpose of all our endeavors which is the
development aspect of this Round.
The developing world and especially the least-developed countries need our particular
support, in order to meet the challenges of globalization and to fully integrate them into themultilateral trading system.  With this objective, Austria has again pledged to the Doha Development
Agenda Global Trust Fund in the hope that this contribution will help the WTO Secretariat to meet the
increasing demands for technical cooperation.
On TRIPS and Health, so long overdue, we are particularly pleased that an agreement has been
finally achieved.
Austria welcomes the accession of new Members during the last two years.  The growth of
the WTO family is of great importance to the multilateral trading system.  Therefore, Austria calls on
all of us to spare no effort to achieve early accessions of the candidates to the World TradeOrganization, especially LDCs.
Removing market access barriers for non-agricultural products will lead to significant
economic benefits for all WTO partners.  Our Doha mandate is ambitious:  to reduce or eliminate
tariff peaks, high tariffs and tariff escalation.  We are on the point of agreeing on a framework for ournegotiations.  As we look forward, we should not lose sight of this ambition when we come to fill in the
detailed modalities and final figures.
Agriculture is an important part of the economies and social structures of all WTO Members.
Further liberalization, expansion and reform of trade in agricultural products will make an importantcontribution to sustained economic growth, in both developing and developed countries.  In order to
achieve these goals, it is essential to muster strong public support.  Other concerns must also be met,WT/MIN(03)/ST/31
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in particular the multifunctional role of agriculture, which includes the protection of the environment
and the sustained vitality of rural communities, food safety and other consumer concerns.  The
Doha Development Agenda must therefore represent a balance between trade concerns - market
access, export competition, domestic support - and non-trade concerns.  It must also provide special
and differential treatment to developing countries.
WTO Agreements on all four of the Singapore issues:  Trade Facilitation, Government
Procurement, Competition and Investment, will bring benefits to all WTO Members, developing and
developed alike.  We will fully take into account the concerns of developing countries, so to give the
necessary comfort during the negotiations.  Our task here is to launch these negotiations after Cancún
as agreed in Doha.
Austria attaches the utmost importance to issues which are related to the environment.  We
have to accelerate and intensify our work in this area.  Our objective is a sustainable trade policy.
To achieve this, we need to balance competitiveness with social and environmental concerns at
national and global level.  Environmental protection does not present threats and limitations to trade,
but offers additional business opportunities.  Eco-labeling can promote sustainable production andconsumption, and MEA observership at the WTO can promote coherence between international
institutions.
If GATS negotiations are not at stake here in Cancún, the aim to achieve progressively higher
levels of liberalization is in the interest of all, while maintaining the right of Members to regulatepublic services in accordance with national policy objectives.
At this half-way point in our negotiations, Austria would like to reiterate its commitment to
an ambitious Doha Development Agenda in which we achieve a proper balance between our trade,
environmental, social and development-oriented objectives.  What is at stake is more than just takingstock of progress, giving guidance to the negotiations and taking necessary decisions.  The world
needs a firm commitment to global cooperation.
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