Annex II
Objective by Issue Area
Negotiating Group on Agriculture
 

• The objectives of the negotiating group on Market Access shall apply to trade in agricultural products. Rules of origin, customs procedures and Technical Barriers to Trade issues will be addressed in the Market Access negotiating group.

• To ensure that sanitary and phytosanitary measures are not applied in a manner which would constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination between countries or a disguised restriction to international trade, in order to prevent protectionist trade practices and facilitate trade in the hemisphere. Consistent with the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement), said measures will only be applied to achieve the appropriate level of protection for human, animal or plant life or health, will be based on scientific principles, and will not be maintained without sufficient scientific evidence. Negotiations in this area involve identifying and developing measures needed to facilitate trade, following and examining in depth the provisions set down in the WTO/SPS Agreement.

• To eliminate agricultural export subsidies affecting trade in the Hemisphere.

• To identify other trade-distorting practices for agricultural products, including those that have an effect equivalent to agriculture export subsidies, and bring them under greater discipline.

• Agricultural products covered are the goods referred to in Annex I of the WTO Agriculture Agreement.

• Incorporate progress made in the multilateral negotiations on agriculture to be held according to Article 20 of the Agreement on Agriculture, as well as the results of the review of the SPS Agreement.