In the framework of the EC funded Programme "Raising the awareness of trade issues in civil society", Ecologic is organising a one-day seminar in Budapest, Hungary. The aim of the seminar is to provide participants from civil society with a better understanding of the relationship between multilateral environmental agreements and WTO rules, to raise awareness on how better to participate in and influence European trade policy and to contribute to a closer co-operation and networking among civil society groups in Hungary. The Seminar languages will be English and Hungarian.

Raising civil society awareness and expertise in trade issues is essential to make trade and sustainable development mutually supportive. A sufficient knowledge base within civil society is an essential component not only for effective and efficient public participation, but also for successful policy implementation. Given the broad and complex agenda of the WTO negotiations and its expected impacts on a wide range of other policy areas it seems crucial for civil society to deepen its knowledge in specific areas.                             

Ecologic is organising a one-day seminar in Budapest, Hungary on multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) and WTO rules for about 30 participants from the Hungarian civil society. The topics to be covered include the general relation between MEAs and WTO and trade measures in specific MEAs, such as the Biosafety Protocol in the Convention on Biodiversity, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) or the Kyoto Protocol and the Framework Convention on Climate Change. In addition, the seminar will address a number of other policy areas, such as consumer protection and labelling issues as well as technology transfer, which are affected by the negotiations on the relationship between trade related measures pursuant to MEAs and WTO rules. A second item on the agenda of the seminar is how to effectively participate in European Trade policy making. In this context, the seminar will cover such subjects as the forms of negotiation, the institutions involved as well as the possibilities for participation and transparency.                        

The aim of the seminar is to provide participants from civil society with a better understanding of the trade offs involved on the one hand, while indicating the implications with respect to MEAs on the other hand. Moreover, it illustrates to civil society the importance of taking into account other interests within the relationship between MEAs and WTO, such as technology transfer, labelling, the precautionary principle, and sustainable development. Yet another objective is to raise awareness in new Member States on how to more effectively participate in and influence trade negotiations at European level and to contribute to a closer co-operation and networking among civil society groups in the Accession Countries. The seminar languages are English and Hungarian.

Further information, such as Background Paper, Summary, Policy Brief and Participants List, can be found at the event's website.