EU making 'strenuous efforts' for Doha round

The EU is not “dragging its feet” in the Doha world trade round,” European Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel has insisted.

Fischer Boel is stressing that the EU is, “up at the front, putting things of real value on the table”.

“This is the reality that has been partly disguised by some accounts of the negotiations,” she told a Washington audience.

The Danish commissioner added that the EU had made “strenuous efforts” by offering to phase out export refunds.

“This offer marks a genuine sacrifice. But it has conditions. Export support comes in many forms and we need to see movement on all of these – from all WTO members.”

The commissioner’s comments came on the same day the director general of the WTO Pascal Lamy, set out ambitious plans to complete the Doha World Trade Round.

Lamy called on participants to be two thirds of the way to a resolution in time for December’s make or break ministerial conference in Hong Kong.

The talks must approve a blueprint for a final trade package a year later but so far virtually none of the key issues have been resolved.

Lamy said the Doha round will only succeed if “the development dimension is at the centre of the negotiations”.

He urged the EU to find common ground on the key agriculture talks as a basis for moving the rest of the negotiations forward.

"We are like a football team joining a training camp in view of intensive training ahead of a crucial match and the crucial match starts December 13 in Hong Kong," he said.

The main point of contention remains the extensive agricultural subsidies enjoyed by the US and EU member states.

Developing countries are demanding that industrialized nations remove their agricultural subsidies, and while richer nations have in principle agreed to this, they are demanding in return open markets for their goods and services.

Previous attempts to reach a deal have failed and Lamy conceded that December's round of negotiations would not be conclusive, with talks continuing into 2006.

"We have known for some time that Hong Kong will not be the final conclusion to this round," Lamy said in September. 

A previous meeting of WTO ministers in November 2003 failed to reach agreement after members differed on agricultural policies.

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