Global Services Network Alert
August 1, 2004

WTO Members Approve Framework Agreements Allowing Doha Round to Move Forward

Late in the evening on July 31, 2004, World Trade Organization (WTO) members approved a package of framework agreements which will allow the Doha Round of global trade talks to move forward. The statement adopted by WTO members reflects a series of compromises hammered out over two weeks of intensive negotiations in Geneva, particularly on agriculture.

In the final General Council statement, the services paragraph was modified to include a May 2005 date for revised offers. This followed an important change made in the 2nd draft of the text, which put services negotiations on an equal footing with agriculture and non-agricultural market access. The initial text, released on July 16, did not.

The WTO statement is available at: http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dda_e/draft_text_gc_dg_31july04_e.htm.