This workshop focused on key issues related to Regional Trade Agreements (RTA) and the environment. It had three main objectives: (i) to take stock of current experience and insights on RTAs and the environment from different stakeholders, and to establish a stakeholder dialogue on this topic; (ii) to investigate how RTAs can serve as a vehicle to advance a resource efficient and circular economy transition; and (iii) to explore the potential of RTAs in addressing the nexus of illegal trade and environmental crime

1. Trade policies for a green and circular
economy: Insights from WTO’s
Environmental Database
Aik Hoe Lim
Trade and Environment Division
WTO Secretariat

2. Outline
1
1.What role can trade policy play in the transition
towards a circular economy?
2.Interface between trade and circular economy-related
policies
3.Relevant notifications from WTO’s Environmental
Database

3. Role of trade policy
2
• Allowing global supply chains to work in reverse
• Circular economy approaches require that supply chains work in reverse to
collect and process products at end-of-life so that materials can be kept in use
• Scale up circular economy solutions, promote access to high quality
technological solutions
• Global value chains allow circular businesses to locate activities in the best
possible locations (in terms of costs, skills, quality, etc.) and to reap economies
of scale
• Address trade-related concerns
• Illegal waste trade, technological lock-in

4. The interface between trade and circular
economy policies
3
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Reuse/repair
Remanufacturing
Recycling
Biological cycles
Technology/research
Waste to energy
Technical regulations Support Bans, licences Procurement Other
Number of notified measures related
to selected circular economy
activities, 2009-17
Source: Homepage | WTO - EDB

5. The interface between trade and circular
economy policies
4
Africa
Asia
CIS
Europe
Middle
East
North America
South & Central
America,
Caribbean
Members across regions
have notified measures
related to circular
economy activities
Notified measures related to selected circular economy
activities, by region (2009-17)
Source: WTO Environmental Database, edb.wto.org

6. Identifying the challenge
5
1. Relevant trade measures
• How do trade measures affect the competitiveness of circular economy activities?
• What approaches could help reduce the trade costs of circular economy activities while
ensuring that those activities result in environmentally sound outcomes?
2. Standards and regulatory cooperation
• Are current standards fit for purpose and what types of standards and regulatory cooperation
would be needed to improve the efficiency and environmental safety of global markets for the
circular economy?
3. Technological solutions
• What technologies, as embodied in goods, are needed to support the circular economy, and
what trade barriers affect their deployment across borders?
4. Services
• What restrictions affect trade in services that are needed for a circular economy?
5. Trade-related capacity building
• What are the priority areas to make the transition to a circular economy inclusive?

7. Finding solutions:
Relevant aspects of WTO work
6
Transparency and policy dialogue
Peer review
Negotiations
Capacity building for more efficient and safer
circular trade