GATS negotiations started two years ago. The European Union (EU) led the
proposal for a new classification of environmental services to include
water provision. There is no full agreement, yet, on the new classification
among WTO members. However, in its requests, the EU still follows the
proposed classification of environmental services. (It is no coincidence
that European multinationals dominate private water provision around the
world.)
According to a European Commission website, GATS is not just something that
exists between governments. It is first and foremost an instrument for the
benefit of business, (wishing to export services or to invest and operate
abroad) - http://gats-info.eu.int/gats-info/g2000.pl?NEWS=bbb
In a civil society meeting on GATS (Brussels, July 2, 2002), clarification
was sought on the EU proposal for inclusion of "water provision" as an
environmental service. In the new requests, the EU proposes also to provide
technical assistance to put in place regulatory regimes, to blunt the
criticism that in the absence of regulatory mechanisms, the private sector
will not act in the interest of the public good. They forget that Enron
happened despite regulatory mechanisms. Also, technical assistance targeted
towards putting pro-competitive regulatory regimes in place, cannot address
the concerns of the civil society.
proposal for a new classification of environmental services to include
water provision. There is no full agreement, yet, on the new classification
among WTO members. However, in its requests, the EU still follows the
proposed classification of environmental services. (It is no coincidence
that European multinationals dominate private water provision around the
world.)
According to a European Commission website, GATS is not just something that
exists between governments. It is first and foremost an instrument for the
benefit of business, (wishing to export services or to invest and operate
abroad) - http://gats-info.eu.int/gats-info/g2000.pl?NEWS=bbb
In a civil society meeting on GATS (Brussels, July 2, 2002), clarification
was sought on the EU proposal for inclusion of "water provision" as an
environmental service. In the new requests, the EU proposes also to provide
technical assistance to put in place regulatory regimes, to blunt the
criticism that in the absence of regulatory mechanisms, the private sector
will not act in the interest of the public good. They forget that Enron
happened despite regulatory mechanisms. Also, technical assistance targeted
towards putting pro-competitive regulatory regimes in place, cannot address
the concerns of the civil society.