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2011/SOM3/001rev1
Agenda Item: 1
Draft Agenda
Purpose: Consideration
Submitted by: SOM Chair
/ Third Senior Officials’ MeetingSan Francisco, United States
25-26 September 2011
ASIA-PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION 2011
3rd SENIOR OFFICIALS’ MEETING
Day 1: 25 September 2011
1. OVERVIEW
(10:00 am to 10:30 am)
· APEC 2011 SOM Chair opens the meeting.
· SOM Chair to outline arrangements and seek adoption of the agenda.
· ABAC Chair to report progress on ABAC deliberations.
2. PRIORITIES FOR APEC 2011
(10:30 am to 12:30 pm)
a) Strengthening Regional Economic Integration and Expanding Trade
In May, APEC Trade Ministers agreed to address in 2011 through specific and substantive outcomes three “next generation” trade and investment issues: 1) facilitating global supply chains; 2) enhancing SMEs participation in global production chains; and 3) promoting effective, non-discriminatory, and market-driven innovation policy.
Ministers instructed Senior Officials to continue to implement the APEC Supply-Chain Connectivity Framework Action Plan by taking specific actions in 2011 to identify ways to simplify customs procedures and reduce costs, including the development of a plan to ensure wider implementation of commercially useful de minimis values and other concrete actions. In addition, APEC Trade and SME Ministers identified nine top barriers to trade facing small business owners and exporters in the region, and called on officials to identify and undertake specific and concrete actions to address each of these barriers.
Ministers called on Senior Officials to continue to advance work on the ANSSR initiative and commended early mover economies for serving as examples to help other APEC economies individually set forth robust plans for structural reform to be presented to Leaders by November 2011.
Senior Officials also agreed to include updates on FTAs/RTAs in the region on the SOM 3 agenda.
Discussion Points
· The Chair of the Committee on Trade and Investment to report on results of CTI 3.
· SOMs to provide updates on the most recent developments on FTAs/RTAs in the region.
· SOM to discuss proposals on specific and substantive outcomes on each of the three next generation trade and investment issues.
· SOM to discuss actions to implement the APEC Supply-Chain Connectivity Framework Action Plan.
· SOM to discuss actions to address top barriers facing SME exporters.
· The Chair of the Economic Committee to report on the results of EC2.
· SOM to discuss additional key areas of work to strengthen and deepen regional economic integration, including ANSSR and EoDB.
Desired Outcomes
· SOM to agree on specific and substantive outcomes on each of the three next generation trade and investment issues.
· SOM to agree to a plan to ensure wider implementation of commercially useful de minimis values and other actions to improve supply chain performance.
· SOM to agree on specific steps to address top barriers to SME exporters.
LUNCH (12:30 pm to 2:00 pm)
3. PRIORITIES FOR APEC 2011 (CONTINUED)
(2:00 pm to 5:00 pm)
b. Promoting Green Growth
APEC Trade Ministers committed to exploring ways to promote greater liberalization of trade in environmental goods and services, and instructed Senior Officials to develop a work plan by November 2011. Ministers also instructed Senior Officials to take further steps to promote dissemination of environmental technologies by November.
Additionally, Trade Ministers instructed Senior Officials to carry out the following tasks in 2011: establish an experts group to promote trade in legally harvested forest products and combat illegal logging and associated trade; take further steps to facilitate trade in remanufactured products and build capacity; identify ways to streamline procedures and regulations related to the temporary importation of small numbers of non-saleable advanced and alternative fuelled demonstration motor vehicles; and establish a robust work program to rationalize and phase-out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, including by leveraging capacity-building and the development of a voluntary reporting mechanism, consistent with approaches in the G20.
At SOM 2, Senior Officials agreed to investigate the feasibility of a more aggressive energy intensity reduction target and to examine opportunities to support capacity building in low emissions development strategies this year.
Discussion Points
· SOM to discuss the Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and United States proposed Leaders’ Statement on Trade and Investment on Environmental Goods and Services.
· SOM to discuss China’s proposal on Environmental Goods and Services Technology Dissemination Action Plan
· SOM to consider revision of the APEC energy intensity reduction target in light of Leaders’ instructions, noting deliberations underway in the Energy Working Group.
· SOM to consider possible outcome for 2011 regarding fossil fuel subsidy reform, including capacity building and the proposed voluntary reporting mechanism under consideration in the Energy Working Group.
· SOM to consider the proposal from the Auto Dialogue to streamline import procedures for advanced demonstration vehicles.
· SOM to consider ways to facilitate trade in remanufactured products and build capacity.
· SOM to consider readout of workshop on Low Emissions Development Strategies and possible 2011 outcomes associated with this initiative.
Desired Outcome
· SOMs to agree on a Leaders’ Statement on Trade and Investment on Environmental Goods and Services.
· SOM to agree on Environmental Goods and Services Technology Dissemination Action Plan
· SOM to agree on common elements of streamlined import procedures for advanced demonstration vehicles.
· SOM to agree on specific ways to facilitate trade in remanufactured products by increasing transparency, exploring a pathfinder initiative on economies’ treatment of remanufactured goods, and build capacity in this area.
· SOM to agree to support new energy intensity reduction target, and to conduct the necessary internal consultations required to make a final decision at CSOM.
· SOM to agree to the establishment of a voluntary reporting mechanism on fossil fuel subsidies and to encourage ongoing capacity building in this area.
· SOM to agree to support low emissions development as an important component of economic growth and to encourage ongoing capacity building in this area.
Day 2: 26 September 2011
4. PRIORITIES FOR APEC 2011 (CONTINUED)
(9:00 am to 12:00 pm)
c. Advancing Regulatory Convergence and Cooperation
APEC Trade Ministers instructed Senior Officials to identify by the Leaders’ Meeting concrete actions that economies will take to strengthen implementation of good regulatory practices in the areas of internal coordination of rulemaking activity, regulatory impact assessment, and public consultation mechanisms. Ministers also instructed officials to develop a draft APEC Regulatory Cooperation Plan for endorsement by Leaders in November 2011. In addition, APEC Trade Ministers instructed officials to develop concrete recommendations to ensure that standards and conformance systems and new regulatory schemes do not create unnecessary barriers to trade related to emerging technologies. Finally, Trade Ministers instructed officials to take concrete steps to promote and adopt regulatory approaches to innovative agricultural technologies that are transparent, science-based, consistent with international obligations and take into account, where appropriate, existing international standards.
Discussion Points
· SOM to discuss the Australia, New Zealand, and United States proposal for concrete actions APEC economies will take to strengthen the implementation of good regulatory practices.
· SOM to discuss a draft APEC Regulatory Cooperation Plan.
· SOM to discuss recommendations on standards-related issues on smart grid interoperability, green buildings, and solar technologies.
· SOM to discuss ways to promote and adopt transparent and science-based regulatory approaches to innovative agricultural technologies that are consistent with international obligations.
· SOM Chair to report on outcomes of the APEC Conference on Air Cargo, Trade and Economic Growth.
· SOM to consider the Discussion Paper on Facilitating Travel in the APEC Region.
Desired Outcome
· SOM to agree on next steps on concrete actions APEC economies will take to strengthen the implementation of good regulatory practices.
· SOM to agree on the APEC Regulatory Cooperation Plan.
· SOMs to agree on standards-related recommendations on smart grid interoperability, green buildings, and solar technologies.
· SOM to agree on specific actions APEC economies will take to promote and adopt transparent and science-based regulatory approaches to innovative agricultural technologies.
· Shared understanding on utility of air cargo liberalization as part of trade facilitation.
· SOM to agree to develop a formal proposal for an APEC travel facilitation initiative.
5. SENIOR OFFICIALS’ WORKING LUNCH: PREPARING FOR HONOLULU
(12:30 pm to 2:00 pm)
Senior Officials to discuss arrangements for the APEC Ministerial Meeting and the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting (AELM), including the possible outline of an AELM declaration.
6. ECONOMIC AND TECHNICAL COOPERATION
(2:00 pm to 3:00 pm)
Ministers reaffirmed the Leaders’ commitment to continue demand-driven economic and technical cooperation (ECOTECH) activities to bridge the development gap, assist developing economies in achieving the Bogor Goals by 2020, increase economies’ ability to address next generation trade and investment issues, and produce economic growth, employment, and prosperity for all.
Discussion Points
· Chair of SOM Steering Committee on ECOTECH (SCE) to provide update on progress of SCE’s work.
· SOMs to discuss food security cooperation.
· Policy Partnership on Women and the Economy (PPWE) Chair to report on the outcomes of the PPWE/HLPD meetings at the APEC Women and Economy Summit.
· SOM to discuss the terms of reference for the establishment of an experts group on combating illegal logging and associated trade, proposed by the United States, Indonesia, and Chile.
Desired Outcome
· SOM to endorse the report by the SCE Chair, including with regards to APEC reform measures, and to discuss further direction of SCE activities in 2011.
· SOM to endorse the Policy Partnership on Food Security Terms of Reference and consider a report to Ministers on implementing the Niigata Food Security Action Plan.
· SOM to welcome the outcomes of the APEC Women and Economy Summit.
· SOM to agree on terms of reference for the expert group on forest products trade.
7. OTHER BUSINESS
(3:00 pm to 4:30 pm)
Discussion Points
· Update on the development of an APEC Consolidated Counter-terrorism and Secure Trade Strategy.
· SOM to endorse report by the Chair of the Budget and Management Committee (BMC).
· SOM Chair and China to provide readouts from recent Ministerial Meetings and High-Level Dialogues.
· APEC Study Centers Consortium (ASCC) to present outcomes of the ASCC San Francisco Conference.
· Acknowledgment of “for information” items.
· Classification of documents.