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Media release

Australian Minister for Trade, Mark Vaile

Thursday, 15 November 2001 / MVT154/2001

WTO Ministers Reaffirm "Right to Regulate" in GATS

The Doha Ministerial Declaration re-affirmed the right of WTO Members to regulate, and introduce new regulations on, the supply of services, Trade Minister Mark Vaile said today.

"The declaration's statement on services essentially restates the principles already enshrined in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS)," Mr Vaile said.

"In making this commitment, governments have essentially re-affirmed the balance in the GATS agreement between the benefits of progressive liberalisation of international services trade, and the sovereign right of members to regulate their domestic service sectors. 

"The right of governments to make policy decisions on essential public services should not be constrained by the WTO dispute settlement mechanism," Mr Vaile said.

Mr Vaile emphasised that under the GATS it is up to governments to decide whether and to what extent they will open up specific service sectors to foreign competition, and the extent to which foreign suppliers should be afforded the same treatment (eg access to subsidies) as domestic suppliers. 

"Australia cannot be forced under the GATS to open up service sectors to foreign competition or to provide foreign suppliers with the same treatment as domestic suppliers," Mr Vaile said.

"In participating in these GATS negotiations Australia will pursue opportunities to expand our exports markets for services such as tourism, transport, finance and communications, while ensuring that our basic national interests are not compromised."

Contact: Nicole Guihot (Department) 02 6261 1555

Local Date: Friday, 05-Dec-2008 14:18:54 EST