EU’s Mission to Strengthen Fair Trade and Tech Rules

EU Position for the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (26‑29 March 2026)

Background

• The EU is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) since 1 January 1995.
• The WTO’s highest decision‑making body is the Ministerial Conference, which meets at least every two years.
• The 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) will be held in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Issues likely to be discussed at MC14

1. Dispute settlement reform – the EU wants a fully functioning system that works for all members by 2024.
2. Fisheries subsidies – the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies entered force on 15 September 2025; it will end if no comprehensive rules are adopted within four years.
3. Food security – the EU supports measures to help least‑developed and net food‑importing developing countries, especially after the war in Ukraine.
4. Domestic support in agriculture – the EU backs negotiations under the Doha Development Agenda.
5. Public stockholding for food security – the EU wants a permanent solution as set out in earlier WTO decisions.
6. Export restrictions in agriculture – the EU supports clearer rules and transparency.
7. Export competition in agriculture – the EU backs further discipline and transparency.
8. Market access in agriculture – the EU supports progressive reductions in protection.
9. Special safeguard mechanism (SSM) in agriculture – the EU backs ongoing negotiations.
10. Cotton – the EU supports the WTO’s cotton negotiations.
11. Special and differential treatment (SDT) – the EU backs additional SDT for least‑developed countries and other developing members.
12. Least‑developed countries graduation – the EU supports temporary extensions of SDT for countries leaving the LDC group.
13. Agreement on Electronic Commerce – the EU wants the agreement incorporated into Annex 4 of the WTO Agreement.
14. Agreement on Investment Facilitation for Development – the EU wants this agreement incorporated into Annex 4.
15. Requests for WTO waivers – the EU supports new waiver requests, such as the one that expired on 30 September 2025.
16. Committee on emerging technologies – the EU supports creating a committee to study new technologies (AI, blockchain, IoT, quantum).

Legal basis

• The decision is based on Article 207 TFEU (common commercial policy) and Article 218(9) TFEU (setting EU positions in international bodies).

Council Decision (summary)

• The EU will adopt a position that joins the consensus on all the issues above.
• For the Agreement on Investment Facilitation for Development, the EU will also decide on any later General Council meetings before the next Ministerial Conference.
• The decision is addressed to the European Commission.

Key dates

• WTO Agreement entered force: 1 January 1995.
• Fisheries Subsidies Agreement entered force: 15 September 2025.
• MC14: 26‑29 March 2026.

This summary captures the main points of the EU’s proposed position for the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference, keeping all important numbers and data.