Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Ta ble 20.1
Environmental sectors
Status in GATS Negotiations
Sector in GATS Schedule
Provisional
US
Commitments
Plurilateral
CPC
Schedule
in 1995
Requests
Environmental services
Wastewater management
9401
Commit
29
Environment
Solid/hazardous waste mgmt
9402, 9403
Commit
29
Environment
Ambient air and climate abatement
9404
Commit
27
Environment
Remediation of soil and water
9406
Commit
30
Environment
Noise and vibration abatement
9405
Commit
26
Environment
Biodiversity and landscape
9406
Commit
27
Environment
Other environmental services
9409
Commit
21
Environment
Environmental impact
-
selected sectors
Bus servs - incidental to fishing
8820
Commit
33
Bus servs - incidental to ag/forestry 8811, 8814
Commit
8
Bus servs - incidental to mining
883, 5115
Commit
20
Energy
Bus servs - incidental to energy dist
na
Commit
8
Energy
Construction/related engineering
8672
Commit
14
Distribution - agents/elec brokers
62113
Offer
2l
Distribution
Distribution - retail
632
Commit
33
Distrb, Energy
Distribution - wholesale
622
Commit
34
Dlstrb, Energy
Tourism -guide services
7472
Commit
54
Tourism - travel agency
/
tours
7471
Commit
89
Transport - marine transport
721
No commit
39
Maritime
Transport - pipeline transport
7131
Offer
3
Transport - bulk storage of fuels
7422
Offer
37
foremost an instrument for the bene
t of business' (EC, 2000a). Soon after came
EC requests for countries to open their environmental markets to multinational cor-
porations.
The WTO describes the response to such requests as 'disappointing'. Yet the service-
exporting nations remain ambitious. They seek expanded commitments in as many as 20
environmental sectors. This chapter explores two kinds of sectors. The
fi
fi
rst is what the
GATS classi
cation calls 'Environmental Services', with subsectors that include pollution
abatement, wastewater and solid waste. The second includes other sectors with an envi-
ronmental impact such as energy distribution. Table 20.1 provides an overview of both
sets and notes whether the USA has a commitment or a pending o
fi
er.
6
Consider pipeline transport as an example. The subsector is Land Transport Services.
By referring to section 7131 of the Commercial Product Classi
ff
cation (CPC), negotiators
make clear that a commitment covers pipeline transportation of petroleum and natural
gas. This US 'o
fi
er' is pending at a time when only three other countries have made com-
mitments, and pipeline transport is not part of the plurilateral request on energy services.
In other words, a US commitment would lock in or 'bind' current levels of regulation even
though other countries are not reciprocating with commitments in this sector.
ff
