The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval to the stance adopted by India at the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) tenth ministerial conference at Nairobi last month.

New Delhi agreed to phase out its transportation and marketing subsidies for exporting agriculture products by 2023 as part of the Ministerial deal.

“The Ministerial Decision also contains disciplines to ensure that other export policies are not used as a disguised form of subsidies. These disciplines include terms to limit the benefits of financing support to agriculture exporters, rules on state enterprises engaging in agriculture trade, and disciplines to ensure that food aid does not negatively affect domestic production. Developing countries have been given a longer time to implement these rules,” an official release said.

‘Evergreening’ patents

Another Ministerial decision extends the relevant provision to prevent “evergreening” of patents in the pharmaceuticals sector, the release said. “This decision would help in maintaining affordable as well as accessible supply of generic medicines,” it said. An agreement on the issue was reached by WTO members before the Ministerial.

India supported outcomes on issues of interest to Least Developed Countries (LDCs) including enhanced preferential rules of origin for LDCs and preferential treatment for LDC services providers.

India already provides substantial preferences in these areas to LDCs.

An agreement was also reached on extending Special Safeguard Mechanism to developing countries to help them protect farm items against surge in imports or sharp fall in price, but the crucial decision on the triggers for using the mechanism, is yet to be taken.

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