Environmental Aspects of a Potential Philippines-European Union Free Trade Agreement
This paper focuses on the environmental aspects of a potential Philippines-European Union Free Trade Agreement (PH-EU FTA). Potential environmental issues in the negotiation of such an FTA (if at all undertaken) are identified to better prepare the Philippine negotiating panel and equip them with information and analysis to make well-informed positions on such issues. It looks at the interaction between the multilateral trade regime--the World Trade Organization (WTO) principally--and multilateral environmental agreements, reviews the Philippine approach to environment-related trade measures, and looks at Philippine practice and implementation of environmental agreements from a trade perspective. EU policies on trade, environment, and development are also discussed to anticipate what could be EU positions during the FTA negotiations with the Philippines. The paper ends with the following conclusions and recommendations: (1) The EU will most likely push for more harmonization of the FTA provisions with WTO rules. On the sustainable development front, the EU would push for including sustainable development principles into all levels and in cross-cutting policy areas; (2) The Philippines can expect the EU to come up with a strong position on sustainable development, expecting the Philippines to make concrete commitments to principles of sustainable development; (3) Philippine sustainable development goals are not inconsistent with the EU. However, the Philippines in the FTA negotiations would be best served to emphasize poverty reduction and financial and technical support from its EU partners.
Environmental Goods and Services Negotiations at the WTO: Lessons from Multilateral Environmental Agreements and Ecolabels for Breaking the Impasse
This analysis looks for paths to progress in the WTO’s stalled negotiations on environmental goods and services – a set of talks that is frequently cited as trade policy’s natural contribution to climate change objectives. It surveys the experience of a number of multilateral environmental agreements – The Rotterdam Convention (Prior Informed Consent or PIC), the Stockholm Convention (Persistent Organic Pollutants or POPs) and Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora – and ecolabels (looking at coffee, fisheries and the Energy Star label). The results of the survey and a new taxonomy for environmental goods are used to create six recommendations for moving forward.
Mucoadhesive Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery to the Anterior Eye
While the use of topical drops for the delivery of drugs to the anterior of the eye is well accepted, it is far from efficient with as little as 5% of the drug instilled on the eye actually reaching the target tissue. The ability to prolong the residence time on the eye is desirable. Based on the acceptability of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate based polymers in contact lens applications, the current work focuses on the development of a poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA)) nanoparticle system. The particles were modified to allow for degradation and to permit mucoadhesion. Size and morphological analysis of the final polymer products showed that nano-sized, spherical particles were produced. FTIR spectra demonstrated that the nanoparticles comprised poly(HEMA) and that 3-(acrylamido)phenylboronic acid (3AAPBA), as a mucoadhesive, was successfully incorporated. Degradation of nanoparticles containing N,N′-bis(acryloyl)cystamine (BAC) after incubation with DL-dithiothreitol (DTT) was confirmed by a decrease in turbidity and through transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Nanoparticle mucoadhesion was shown through an in-vitro zeta potential analysis.