New House of Ocean blog: Does the new EU-NZ trade deal strengthen fisheries governance in the Indo-Pacific? https://houseofocean.org/2023/07/12/does-the-new-eu-nz-trade-deal-strengthen-fisheries-governance-in-the-indo-pacific/… #fisheries #ocean #governance #internationaltrade #IUUfishing #fisheriessubsidies

10 days before the anniversary of the #WTO #FisheriesSubsidies Agreement, still only 7 members have ratified, with 103 more needed to reach two thirds of the membership.

This is much slower than the previous agreement (Trade Facilitation), where 51 members had ratified a year after the 2014 decision.

Is this a sign that WTO members are not as committed as they claim?

https://tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2023/06/07/wto-slow-ratify-fisheries-agreement/

The EU says it has completed ratifying the #WTO #FisheriesSubsidies Agreement

https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2023/05/25/wto-council-approves-an-agreement-on-fisheries-subsidies-to-boost-environmental-sustainability/

The agreement is activated—but only for the ratifying countries—when two thirds ratify.

And here we have a mathematical conundrum … continued …

Germany provides first of a series of donations to the Fisheries Fund and offers expertise

The fund is important for the #WTO #FisheriesSubsidies Agreement to help developing countries implement it. Money is starting to arrive from Japan, Canada and now Germany

A small problem. Only 5 countries have ratified the deal. 105 more needed for the agreement to kick in (and even then only in the ratifying countries).

Note: none of the donors have themselves ratified yet.

https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/pres23_e/pr925_e.htm

P.S. This page on major events in the #WTO #FisheriesSubsidies talks has now been updated

https://tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2021/04/21/update-wto-fisheries/

Confirmed. The US is the 4th #WTO member to ratify the #FisheriesSubsidies Agreement.

That's 4 in 10 months.

105 more to reach two thirds of the members and activate the deal in the ratifying countries.

At this rate it will take almost 22 years

https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news23_e/fish_11apr23_e.htm

At least the map now has some colour in it.

Even after two thirds of the membership has ratified and activated the agreement, it only takes effect in the ratifying countries, nowhere else.

https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/rulesneg_e/fish_e/fish_acceptances_e.htm

At last, a “big fish”

Tomorrow the US will become the 4th country to accept (ratify) the #WTO June 2022 #FisheriesSubsidies Agreement

Two thirds of 164 members must ratify.

https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2023/april/week-ahead-guidance-week-april-10-2023-april-14-2023

And even then it only applies to the ratifying countries.

So far only Seychelles, Singapore and Switzerland have ratified

Looking forward to some colour in this map

https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/rulesneg_e/fish_e/fish_acceptances_e.htm

Today’s high-level #WTO meeting:

1. #WTO head has extended her target date for the #FisheriesSubsidies agreement to take effect.

Originally 1 yr from the June 2022 when the deal was struck.

Now Feb 2024

https://tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2021/04/21/update-wto-fisheries/#28feb23

2. Discussions on reforming dispute settlement continue. Eg Japan, EU, Australia, China want to move to talks based on a text, with a new “facilitator”. Talks held by the US have now ended.

The aim is to settle this “by 2024”. For several that means by next Feb.

First. Members have finally agreed on new chairs for the #FisheriesSubsidies and #agriculture talis, after months of deadlock:

Amb. Einar Gunnarsson (Iceland)—fisheries subsidies
Amb. Alparslan Acarsoy (Türkiye)—agriculture

Both positions were vacant since last summer.

See #WTO news: https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news23_e/agrifish_27jan23_e.htm

The deadlock among members emerged into the open last November.

Here's Inside US Trade from Nov 1 (free to read): https://insidetrade.com/share/175348

UPDATE: Here's the official document on Switzerland ratifying (“accepting”) the #WTO #FisheriesSubsidies Agreement

https://docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/SS/directdoc.aspx?filename=q:/WT/LET/1601.pdf&Open=True

One down, 109 to go.

Six months after the #WTO #FisheriesSubsidies deal was agreed, the first country has now ratified (“accepted”) it—Switzerland. Not a big player, but at least it's a start.

To take effect, the agreement needs 110 ratifications (two thirds of 164). Even then, it only takes effect in the ratifying countries.

Let’s see how fast the top fishing countries ratify.

WTO website news story: https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news23_e/fish_20jan23_e.htm

Explanation and background: https://tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2021/04/21/update-wto-fisheries/#20jan23

GENEVA, Dec 20 - The head of the World Trade Organization chided countries for failing to make headway on negotiations covering fishing and agriculture because of infighting over who should lead them.

The #WTO broke a multi-year deal-making drought in June ... including a fisheries deal. But since then, little has happened because of a deadlock over who should chair the fisheries & agriculture talks.

#FisheriesSubsidies

Nor are #WTO members close to ratifying (“accepting”) the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement reached at the June Ministerial Conference.

The EU said ⬇️ it would ratify in 2023, well ahead of the next Ministerial Conference, late in the year: https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/world-trade-organization-wto/eu-statement-formal-trade-negotiating-committeeinformal_en?s=69

Two-thirds of the membership (110 of 164) must ratify for the deal to take effect.

After that, it only takes effect in countries that have ratified: https://tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2021/11/17/fisheries-subsidies-agreed-what-then/

#FisheriesSubsidies

Nor are #WTO members close to ratifying (“accepting”) the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement reached at the June Ministerial Conference.

The EU said ⬇️ it would ratify in 2023, well ahead of the next Ministerial Conference, late in the year: https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/world-trade-organization-wto/eu-statement-formal-trade-negotiating-committeeinformal_en?s=69

Two-thirds of the membership (110 of 164) must ratify for the deal to take effect.

After that, it only takes effect in countries that have ratified: https://tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2021/11/17/fisheries-subsidies-agreed-what-then/

#FisheriesSubsidies