El medio ambiente en la minería

EL MEDIO AMBIENTE EN LA MINERIA 46. the poUuter pays principIe, endorsed by the OBen countries, but not formally recognized by GATI's contracting parties,.is.a way of intemalizing pollution costs, either through taxation or mandatoryrregulation, to make it more likely that the prices ofgoods and serviees will refleet correetly the cost oC environ– mental resourees. Second, trade is an engine that generates wealth, and wealth generales the financiaI and teehnical resourees to proteet the environment and the attitudes that give priority to environmental proteetion. Just ask yourselves: where are the "green" parties strongest around the wodd'l 1 shall now turn to what may be a second misconception: that GArr'S rules seriously inhibít environmental protection. . There is nothing in the GATf that prevents a contracting party from imposing, for example, stríct standards on its producers to reduce air andwater pollution. And tbere is riothing in the GATI tha't prevents laxes or restrictions on'the sale of products likely lo create pollution .....such as fertilizers and pesticides- or special measures for recyclable waste .....such as botttes andold automobiJes– provided lhat tbe measures do nol discriminate in favour ofdomestic products over foreign products. Should discrimination be unavoidable, exceptions may be invoked. One provision of tbe GATI, Artiele xx, specifically provides for éxceptions to basic GATr rules to allow countries to take measures to proteet human, animal and plant life or bealth, or to conserve exhaustible natural resourees. Measures to conserve natural resourees, however, must also restríet domestic production or consumption. Further, Article XX says lhat measures must not arbitrarily discriminate or constitute disguised restrictions on trade. In addition, the standards agreement negotiated in the last, "Tokio Round 1l of negotiations, obliges parties to the agreement (ooly 38contracting parties are signatories but they account for more than 80 per cent ofworld trade) to use international standards whenever possible but aIso explicitly allows tbem to deviate from sucb standards if those standards "are inappropriate... For.~. Such reasons as... Protection for human .health or safety, animal oc p]ant life or health, or the environment..." The departure from intemational standards, however, must not create any unnecessary obstacJes to trade. In sum, the GATI is a flexible intemational agreement, one tbat does not stand for free tcade al any cost, particularly when tradeand environmental protec– tion interact. The GATI does require, however, that arbitrary discrimination against imports be avoided and that the legitimate trade interests of other countries be safeguarded.