Press Release: Full scale of WTO challenge to health and environment revealed

Friends of the Earth International published on 24 May 2005 a revised analysis of what it describes as the World Trade Organisation's newest threat to national laws protecting the environment, social well-being and health. An increased number of governments are now understood to be using the WTO's non-agricultural market access (NAMA) negotiations to make a total of 212 challenges to the laws of other countries. Examples are provided which include China's challenge to the European Union's CE Marking scheme (which ensures imports comply with the essential requirements of EU health, safety and environmental protection laws).