On Gaining Momentum in the paragraph 31. 3

My delegation support New Zealand and Japan’s proposal to have our raw list ready around July, and to have an extra informal CTESS meeting for constructing the list. However, if Members failed to reach consensus on that, we are thinking about the alternatives as follows:

To build on the current momentum, we would suggest inviting all interested delegations to participate in an informal technical meeting in May 2005, to discuss the categories of environmental goods to be included in an eventual WTO list. 
The main objective of the meeting would be to reach preliminary agreement among participants on the categories. At the same time, participants could also deliver their suggested product lists under each category to further facilitate the discussions. This informal meeting could then feed into the July meeting of the CTESS.   If the CTESS could endorse the agreement on the categories in July, then Members could begin, post-July, to place products on the list under the headings that have been agreed.  If there is a need for additional technical meetings post-July, these could of course be considered.
Members will be receiving from us shortly a communication on the details of the May meeting, in terms of time and venue at the WTO.  The presence of the WTO Secretariat would be very helpful at this meeting. During the May meeting, we will also endeavour to address the interests and concerns of developing Members. In doing so, we will try to reach out to all concerned parties and address their concerns in the process. This would be entirely without prejudice to positions that might be taken in WTO negotiations on the applicable modalities at a later stage.
We hope our humble suggestion will be given due consideration by Members.
Before ending, I would try to make myself as poetic as possible like our New Zealand colleague. To quote the great William Shakespeare:
"There is a tide in the affairs of men,

Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune…"

Let’s ride this tide together.