Negotiating Group on Rules - WTO Negotiations Concerning the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures - Proposal by the European Communities
- European Communities
- 2006/04/24
- 已被閱讀 299次
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World Trade
Organization TN/RL/W/30
21 November 2002 (02-6476) Negotiating Group on Rules Original: English
WTO NEGOTIATIONS CONCERNING THE WTO AGREEMENT
ON SUBSIDIES AND COUNTERVAILING MEASURES
Proposal by the European Communities
Introduction
Innovations introduced by the Uruguay Round
The Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (ASCM) was one of the major achievements of the Uruguay Round. A definition of a subsidy, and the circumstances in which it would be actionable, were outlined for the first time. A “traffic light” classification of subsidies was also introduced.
A subsidy was essentially defined as a financial contribution from a government which confers a benefit. A subsidy was subject to disciplines only if specific, the specificity aspect referring to the fact that it was targeted at certain beneficiaries. The “traffic light” concept was based on the premise that some subsidies were trade distorting per se while othe