Skip to main content

Climate Change: Import Duties

Volume 497: debated on Wednesday 14 October 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress has been made on the Doha Declaration paragraph 31 commitment to reduce or eliminate tariffs and non-tariff barriers on environmental goods and services. (289776)

I have been asked to reply.

The Doha Round remains the UK Government’s top trade priority and we will continue to work closely with our EU and international partners to secure a deal as early as possible.

Trade liberalisation of environmentally friendly goods and services is an important part of the negotiations. The World Trade Organisation’s Committee on Trade and Environment, which is mandated to take forward these negotiations, recently met where all parties, including the EU, reaffirmed their commitment to the negotiations. The UK Government are committed to seeking an early resolution that will support the comprehensive global deal on climate change that we are seeking in Copenhagen this December.