71.   The United States blamed lax Japanese enforcement of its antimonopoly law and weak competition policy for blocking foreign access to the paper market, Kyodo said.

72.   Trade Commissioner Sir Leon Brittan sees the general principles of competition policy as being inherently linked to other WTO briefs, such as intellectual property and public procurement.

73.   They were expected to ask the OECD to further explore the linkages between trade and environment, trade and investment and the impact on trade of national competition policies.

74.   Japan has called for the WTO to also investigate how competition policies, such as anti-dumping measures, can be used to limit free trade.

75.   Manuel had said that NEDLAC is entitled to consider labour legislation but not competitions policy.

76.   Other issues proposed by Washington for the agenda are labour standards, protection of foreign direct investment and competition policy.

77.   Some WTO members want to discuss competition policies, such as rules on monopolies and mergers, and how they affect trade.

78.   That would include the impact on trade of policies to protect the environment, the effects of national competition policies on trade, and linkages between trade and investment.

79.   The dispute over competition policy involves whether to include anti-dumping measures, the other official said.

80.   The other issues to be raised by Washington at the WTO meeting are labor standards, protection of foreign direct investment, and competition policy.