Historical archive

Illustrative List of NTCs and Possible Implementation Instruments

Historical archive

Published under: Stoltenberg's 1st Government

Publisher: Ministry of Agriculture

Proposal by Switzerland to the NTC Conference in Mauritius

Illustrative List of NTCs and Possible Implementation Instruments

Proposal by Switzerland to the NTC Conference in Mauritius

This document in Word-format

General Remark: Non-Trade Concerns are agricultural policy objectives relating to a number of WTO Agreements and/or to legal instruments, such as international agreements, outside the WTO. The following list is an attempt to attribute possible instruments of implementation (listed as falling under the purview of either the Agreement on Agriculture or under other Agreements) to one or more of these objectives. Obviously, some of these instruments are more relevant for certain objectives than for others, and different countries may use – presently or in the future – different instruments. It also goes without saying that, while each individual objective is best reached by a specific, targeted implementing instrument, it is only through an appropriate combination of several instruments that a truly multifunctional agriculture can be obtained. Indeed, the strong interrelationship between some NTC’s often calls for a package of measures.

It should be underlined that the order of presentation of both the NTCs and their implementation instruments does not convey any indication of precedence, nor does it suggest any degree of priority and actual use by different WTO Members.

Also, it should be made clear that, certainly during the agricultural reform process, tariffs as well as domestic support presently falling into the amber box category are needed, as both of them contribute to sustain several of the NTC objectives outlined hereafter.

This list is submitted as an input for the discussions during the Mauritius NTC Conference in May 2001. It will be amended according to the needs and wishes of participants.

Geneva – 5 May 01

NTC Objectives

Implementation Instruments under the Agreement on Agriculture

Implementation Instruments under other Agreements

Food security




































  • Market access: Tariffs for specific cases
  • Export measures:
    • Disciplines on export restrictions
    • Export subsidies for Net Food Importing Developing Countries (NFIDCs)
  • Domestic support (Green / Blue Boxes):
    • Various support measures for the maintenance of marginal land and of knowhow in order to preserve a certain level of domestic production
  • Others
    • International and/or national stockpiling
    • Food aid in favour of NFIDCs
  • Technical assistance to enhance domestic food production and/or to organise national stockpiling schemes
  • Food aid (grants or credits)


























Rural Development, including Poverty Alleviation and Support to Small/Vulnerable Agricultural Communities












  • Market access: Tariffs for specific cases
  • Export measures:
  • Market access for cash crops
  • Preferential access guarantee and/or export subsidies for mono-cultural export products (1-2 commodities)
  • Domestic support:
  • Various support measures (Green / Blue Boxes), including investment subsidies
  • Food aid in specific cases (national or international)


  • Measures to create non-agricultural economic activities
  • Food crop production support
  • Enabling clause
  • Geographical indications
  • Food aid disciplines
  • Technical assistance








Environment, including Prevention of natural disasters and Landscape management



  • Market access: Tariffs for specific cases
  • Domestic support Various support measures including direct payments contingent upon ecological performance and/or disaster relief (Green Box / Blue Box)
  • Internalisation of costs
  • Unfair competition (different prices for inputs such as electricity, other energy, water)
  • Labelling
  • Technical assistance
  • Geographical indications

Biological Diversity






  • Market access: Tariffs for specific cases
  • Domestic support Various support measures including direct payments contingent upon ecological performance (Green Box)
  • Protection of
  • Biological Diversity
  • Traditional knowledge
  • Farmers’ rights

Food safety







  • Domestic support e.g. for testing








  • Labelling (of Production and Processing Methods PPM)
  • International Standards, Precautionary Principle
  • Technical assistance

Organic Production


  • Domestic support (Green Box)

  • Labelling (PPM)
  • Certification

Animal Welfare


  • Domestic support (Green Box; Blue Box)

  • Labelling (PPM)