On multilateral negotiations in view of the WTO’s 14th Ministerial Conference in Yaoundé, 26 to 29 March 2026
B-10-2026-0155
on behalf of the Committee on International Trade · Rapporteur: Bernd Lange, Jörgen Warborn
- Voted on · Adopted 0–0–0 · See the decision →
- Full procedure 2025/2875
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This resolution sets out Parliament's position ahead of the WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference in Yaoundé, calling for WTO modernisation, a restored dispute settlement system, and progress on fisheries subsidies, agriculture, e-commerce, and investment facilitation.¶¶¶ It urges WTO members to adopt a comprehensive reform package, including changes to decision-making and the integration of plurilateral agreements, and stresses the need for fair competition and updated subsidy rules.¶¶ The resolution also addresses specific countries, calling on the US to engage constructively, China to align with its economic weight, and India to allow progress on key issues, while supporting developing countries through improved special and differential treatment.¶¶¶
Key points
- Calls on all WTO members to commit to a successful MC14 and to move towards annual ministerial conferences to strengthen the WTO's responsiveness.¶
- Urges adoption of a comprehensive package reviewing WTO functions and supports the facilitator-led process on modernisation, including governance, fairness, and 'issues of our time'.¶
- Insists that consensus should not be equated with unanimity and calls for exploring 'responsible consensus' and a management or executive body.¶
- Calls for an easier path for plurilateral agreements to be integrated into the WTO, preventing a single member from blocking progress.¶
- Regrets the US decision to impose additional tariffs and calls on the US to engage constructively and deliver outcomes at MC14.¶
- Calls on India to align with EU positions on e-commerce, fish subsidies, and plurilateral negotiations, and to allow progress on these issues.¶
- Calls on China to reflect its renunciation of special and differential treatment in current agreements and to address overcapacity and market distortions.¶¶
- Calls for restoring a fully functioning, independent, binding and two-tier dispute settlement system and welcomes the MPIA as a temporary measure.¶¶
- Insists on reforming subsidy rules based on transparency, strengthened disciplines, and effective remedies, and supports informal deliberations.¶
- Welcomes the entry into force of the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement and stresses the need for disciplines on subsidies contributing to overcapacity and overfishing.¶
- Calls for strengthening the development dimension with more granular, evidence-based special and differential treatment, including graduation mechanisms.¶
- Calls for renewing the e-commerce moratorium, incorporating the Agreement on Electronic Commerce, and establishing a WTO Working Group on Artificial Intelligence.¶¶¶
Who is affected
- WTO members, who are urged to adopt reforms and reach agreements at MC14.¶¶
- The United States, called on to engage constructively and avoid protectionist measures.¶
- China, called on to align its WTO commitments with its economic weight and address trade distortions.¶¶
- India, called on to allow progress on e-commerce, fish subsidies, and plurilateral negotiations.¶
- Developing countries, who would benefit from improved special and differential treatment and the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement.¶¶
Figures and deadlines
- 72 % of global trade conducted under most-favoured nation rules.¶
- USD 22 billion per year in harmful fisheries subsidies.¶
- 258 million people in acute food insecurity in 2022, up from 193 million in 2021.¶
- 58 WTO members covering close to 60 % of world trade have joined the MPIA.¶
- 128 members (out of 166) support the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement, including 91 developing economies.¶