Proposal For Initiating An Environmental Goods And Services Work Programme Framework

Submitted by Singapore

AIM

1.                 This paper seeks CTI’s endorsement on a work programme framework for environmental goods and services (EGS) in APEC.

INTRODUCTION

2.                 Under the Committee for Trade and Investment (CTI), many projects have been endorsed and implemented to advance APEC’s interest in EGS. These include the 2007 and 2008 EGS Workshops and the 2008 trade in Environmental Services project.  Other than CTI, there is also significant progress in the Energy Working Group (EWG) to promote energy efficient goods and energy standards.

3.                 The latest call for work in EGS comes from the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) Ministerial Statement in Arequipa, Peru, where the ministers instructed “officials to elaborate a work program to advance APEC work on environmental goods and services.”