EU chairs next round of plurilateral talks on services

On 19 September 2014, the European Commission announced that the next round of plurilateral negotiations for the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) would start on Sunday 21 September in Geneva. TiSA is a trade agreement currently being negotiated by 23 members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), including the EU. Together, these countries account for 70% of world trade in services.  TiSA is based on the WTO’s General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), which involves all WTO members.  The key provisions of the GATS – scope, definitions, market access, national treatment and exemptions – are also found in TiSA. The announcement said:

As the chair of the five days gathering, the EU is keen to bring a new dynamics to the services discussion. In this round, the analysis of the offers on market access that are on the table will be linked to the discussions on regulatory texts in specific services sectors. At the end of the round, the participants will try to draw conclusions on the relation between schedules and disciplines in a broader, horizontal discussion.

This round will also focus on four key regulatory disciplines which have been chosen for longer and detailed discussion: financial services, telecommunication, domestic regulation & transparency and mode 4. The group will also briefly exchange views on all modes of transport, professional services, competitive delivery services and distribution.

What is more, during the week-long negotiations, three new proposals will be presented. The EU will make a proposal on government procurement in services with the aim of setting an end to discrimination in this area. The EU envisages the elimination of all differences in treatment between domestically owned and foreign owned (but domestically established) companies in the process of providing services to a public authority. Other participants will make proposals on environmental services and health related services.