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Main changes introduced by the new Law on Public Procurement
Some of the main changes introduced by the new Law on Public Procurement, approved in January 2019 and published in Official Gazette No. 24/19, include the following:
(...) • new provisions for the promotion of socially and environmentally responsible procurement.

Consistent with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Australia is assisting developing countries to benefit from integration into the multilateral trading system through aid for trade.

Australia is also a world-class provider of professional services, financial services, energy and mining-related services, environmental services and financial technology (FinTech).

Australia is a strong supporter of developing enhanced fisheries subsidies disciplines in the WTO. Australia has sought clear, simple prohibitions in the core areas of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, overfished stocks, and overfishing and overcapacity. Australia has co-sponsored a proposal to cap (in monetary terms) fisheries support; drafted text on prohibiting subsidies for distant water fishing and subsidies to vessels not flying the subsidizing Member’s flag; and drafted text on notifications and transparency. Underlining the importance Australia attaches to transparency, and as an important indicator of Australia’s commitment to the process, Australia notified its fisheries specific subsidies by the 30 June deadline, as agreed by Ministers at the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC11).[29]

[29] Notifications in G/SCM/N/343/AUS.

Australia played an active role during the review period on the plurilateral Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA), including as Chair of those negotiations. The EGA’s aim was to eliminate WTO bound tariffs on an extensive list of environmental goods. Australia views the EGA as important in promoting the trade, uptake and production of goods and new technologies that help address environmental objectives, including climate change. The EGA has not been finalized and the last negotiations took place in November-December 2016.

Australia’s FTAs have secured significant new market access and rules in evolving areas of trade like e-commerce, intellectual property, trade and environment, SOEs, and investment liberalization over the review period.

Australia is a strong supporter of the WTO’s trade and environment agenda, including in the Committee on Trade and Environment. Australia has been actively involved in this work since the establishment of the WTO, and recognizes the environmental and sustainability objectives of the WTO in accordance with the Marrakesh Agreement (1994), Ministerial Decision on Trade and Environment (1994) and the Doha Round mandate.

Australia remains a strong supporter of the plurilateral Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA) negotiations (...)

Australia is also actively participating in the WTO Fisheries Subsidies negotiations (...) in recognition of the potential contribution that subsidy reform could make to improve the sustainability of marine capture fisheries across the globe.

Australia has also co-sponsored with Canada, Mexico and New Zealand a proposal in the Council for Trade in Services in Special Session to explore market access in environmental services.[36] This proposal recognizes the potential of trade liberalization to contain the costs of meeting environmental goals.

[36] JOB/SERV/293.