The launch of a new WTO round - the Doha Development Agenda – comprises both further market opening and additional rule making, underpinned by commitments to strengthen substantial assistance to build capacity in developing countries. The main objective of the New Round is to assist developing countries integration into the world trade system in a way that will help them combat poverty.
The negotiations are scheduled to last three years - until January 2005.

The WTO is composed of governments and political entities (such as the EU) and is a member-driven organisation with decisions mainly taken on a consensus basis. Membership implies a balance of rights and obligations. The largest and most comprehensive entity is the European Union with its 15 member states. Indeed, while the member states co-ordinate their positions in Brussels and Geneva, the European Commission alone speaks for the EU at almost all WTO meetings.

Moreover, Community trade policy is decided according to Article 133 EC Treaty. The Commission negotiates on behalf of the member states, in consultation with a special committee. The Article 133 Committee, named after the relevant article of the EC Treaty, is technically a Working Group of the Council. The Committee meets on a weekly basis, usually on a Friday. It discusses the full range of trade policy issues affecting the Community, from the strategic issues surrounding the launch of rounds of trade negotiations at the WTO to specific difficulties with the export of individual products, and considers the trade aspects of wider Community policies in order to ensure consistency of policy.

Structure

In April 2003, 146 member countries had joined the WTO, with around 28 negotiating to sign up. The WTO’s top level decision-making body is the Ministerial Conference, which meets at least once every two years. Below this, the General Council meets several times a year in the Geneva headquarters. At the next level, the Goods Council, Services Council and Intellectual Property Council report to the General Council. Numerous specialised committees, working group and working parties deal with the individual agreements and other areas such as the environment, development, membership applications and trade agreements. Finally, the secretariat main duties are to supply technical support for various councils and committees and the ministerial conferences, to analyse world trade and explain WTO affairs to the public and media.