We would like to thank you, Director General, for your detailed report, and the Chairs of the negotiating groups as well for their updates.

Let me start with WTO reform, the top priority for the European Union, given the existential crisis the multilateral trading system finds itself in right now. I would like to thank the Facilitator for WTO Reform, Ambassador Ølberg, for his report on the first round of consultations and his Communication on the proposed three tracks of reform. We support these three tracks, that is: first, improved governance as a pre-condition for a more effective negotiating function; second, updated rules on industrial policies, notably non-market policies and practices, a critical topic for the effectiveness and legitimacy of the WTO; and third, negotiating instruments such as plurilateral agreements to allow the WTO to address in a more agile way topics that Members consider important. 

Going forward, we agree with the Facilitator on the need for a behavioural change if we are to credibly tackle the existential threat and reposition this organisation in a way that makes it fit for the current challenges. The European Union will engage constructively in this process and looks forward to the second round of consultations this week.   

Moving on to the negotiating topics. A decision on the incorporation of the WTO Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement - supported by 126 members - is urgent. The need for more and better FDI flows to developing and least developed countries is undisputed. We must do our part and enhance efforts to find consensus on integrating the Agreement into the WTO framework. 

Incorporating also the E-commerce Agreement into the WTO legal framework is our further priority. This landmark agreement promises substantial economic benefits for both developing and developed countries, and especially the SMEs. It demonstrates that the WTO is capable of successfully concluding negotiations on one of the most pertinent aspects of modern international trade. We now need to work together to ensure the E-commerce Agreement is integrated into the WTO framework.

On agriculture, the European Union encourages the membership to take a pragmatic approach in light of the challenging current circumstances, focusing on results that could gather the most support and yield the greatest benefits, particularly for the most vulnerable members. We should continue evidence-based discussions on how to move forward agricultural reform, taking full account of the current challenges facing the agricultural sector, such as food security and sustainability.

On fisheries subsidies, the European Union thanks and appreciates enormously the work of Ambassador Gunnarsson as Chair of NGR. The EU regrets that some divergencies remain on the Phase 2 negotiations. Collectively, we need to make the implementation of the Phase 1 Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies a success. We therefore call on Members, especially big fishing nations, who have not yet done so, to accept the agreement.

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