There has been a very important development in the current round of
international trade negotiations, reviewed in "ICOM News" 2002/1 10 months
ago.

In a draft paper for submission to the March 2003 Geneva meeting of the
World Trade organisation (WTO), on 5th February 2003 the European
Commission has responded to the various requests for the liberalisation of
the provision of services within the EU under the WTO's General Agreement
on Trade in Services (GATS). Service liberalisation negotiations with the
EU had been requested by 27 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil,
Canada, China, Korea, Egypt, Hong-Kong, India, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia,
Mali, Mauritius, Mexico, New Zealand, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru,
Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Uruguay, USA).

These proposals, submitted to the EU under the "Doha Round" of GATS world
trade negotiations, had included requests for the opeing up to foreign
commerical competition of a number of major publicly-provided or regulated
public services, including education, health services, and cultural and
media services and production.

The EU makes it clear in its response that it is not prepared to open
negotiations on many of these requests, and instead insists "that services
of collective interest in the EU, such as education and health, are
preserved. In this way we ensure that the WTO is used to defend and promote
the European model."

However, The EU will offer to negotiate GATS liberalisation in financial,
computing, telecommunication and postal services, transport, distribution
and retailing, travel agencies, professional services including
accountancy, architecture and engineering services (which would include
museum and exhibition design), and on liberalising the temporary movement
of natural persons in relation to trade and service provision.

It therefore seems clear that there will be no question of compulsory
liberalisation (or privatisation) within the education and culture sectors
within the present GATS "round" (i.e. through 2005). However, in relation
to the issue of free trade in goods, it is believed that certain powerful
groups of international dealers in art and antiquities have not given up
their aim of eventually overthrowing nall ational heritage protection and
export control etc. laws as constraints on trade.



Patrick Boylan

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Change ICOM-L subscription options, unsubscribe, and search the
archives at:  http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/icom-l.html