Market Access

Market access is a key issue for developing countries. Developing countries have been concerned that domestic environmental policies in developed countries may adversely affect market access of products from developing countries. Producers in developing countries may lack the technical and financial ability to comply with the environmental regulations of industrialised nations.

A key concern is the extent to which environmental standards and regulations, as well as sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures in developed country markets have the potential to create barriers to trade, particularly for products exported by developing countries.

Environmental and health standards and regulations, as well as related consumer and business preferences may take several forms, such as: technical standards and regulations, product-content requirements; sanitary and phytosanitary measures; mandatory labelling; and, packaging requirements.

In the process of globalisation, such requirements may add to the difficulties many producers and exporters are already having in maintaining existing export markets or penetrating new ones. Experience shows that large producers, particularly in the relatively more advanced developing countries, generally are able to cope with such requirements. However, small and medium sized enterprises and producers in the least developed countries may face problems.

In general, problems reported by exporters refer to issues such as:

• Lack of timely and accurate information
• Lack of scientific data for specific thresholds or limit values
• Inconsistent application of procedures
• Uncertainty due to rapidly changing environmental and sanitary requirements in overseas markets
• Varying standards and regulations in different markets
• The costs and difficulties of testing and verification procedures.

As Market Access is a key issue for Developing Countries, a number of UNCTAD's Ongoing and In-the-Pipeline Projects on Trade, Environment and Development are taking this issue into account, such as :

	Reconciliation of Environmental and Trade Policies
	Strengthening Research and Policy-Making Capacity on Trade and Environment in Developing Countries
	Technical Co-operation on Trade and Environment for the Arab Countries
	Trade and sustainable development in the member countries of the South Asian Agreement on Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
	Trade and Environment in Central America
	Trade, Environment and Development in Vietnam
	Trade and Environment in Lusophone Countries

The issue has also been considered in a number of national and regional seminars and policy dialogues.