Est. 2min 14-03-2006 (updated: 04-06-2012 ) Euractiv is part of the Trust Project >>> Languages: Français | DeutschPrint Email Facebook X LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Talks held in London on 11 and 12 March have failed to make any significant progress on the road to a global deal for trade. Agriculture It was agreed at Hong Kong that all agricultural export subsidies should be abolished by 2013. The aim is to establish the details of how this should be done by the end of April 2006. The EU has tabled specific proposals but its position remains that it must see further movement from other countries to balance its offer. The US, in its turn, has offered reductions in farm subsidies but wants more from the EU to balance these. A breakthrough on agriculture is needed to open the way for agreement on the other issues. Industrial goods The EU is seeking more market access for its industrial goods (non-agricultural market access – NAMA), in both the rich western and the advanced developing nations, to balance its agriculture offer. Services The EU and developed nations are seeking access to markets in the developing and advanced developing nations in sectors such as transport, IT, telecommunications and financial services. They argue that the resulting investment would benefit the infrastructure and economy of these countries. Many NGOs, however are concerned that the underlying result would be the taking over of essential services by multinational corporations to the detriment of the poorest peoples of the world. Read more with Euractiv Is globalisation stealing EU jobs? The flooding onto the EU market of cheap shoes and textiles from China in recent months has brought home to Europeans that their traditional industries may be under threat in a globalised world. Subscribe now to our newsletter EU Elections Decoded Email Address * Politics Newsletters PositionsIn a press release, the Commission stated, "The EU’s offer of October 2005 remains the only full offer on the negotiating table and no equivalent moves have so far been proposed in trade in industrial goods or services to balance the cuts proposed by the EU in agriculture. For the EU, these balancing moves are essential if the Round is to be successfully concluded." The "fast-track" mandate of President Bush, giving him extensive negotiating powers expires in mid-2007. To renew it, Bush would have to go back to Congress. US trade representative Rob Portman was fairly optimistic of reaching a deal before that deadline. "We can understand the good, the bad and the ugly of what a potential deal might look like. It may not look pretty, but I believe we will get there," he said. In the view of Oxfam, the rich countries are asking too much and offering too little. Adrie Papma, Head of Oxfam International’s Make Trade Fair Campaign, said, "This round was launched to tackle the imbalances in world trade, especially through substantial reforms in agriculture. But what has been offered by the US and the EU on agriculture doesn’t go far enough and is accompanied by unacceptable demands on poor countries in other areas." According to Adriano Campolina Soares of the charity ActionAid, "Far from fighting poverty as initially promised, rich countries are pushing for a trade deal that could leave poor countries tens of billions of dollars worse off." BackgroundAt the meeting, trade ministers from the "group of six" nations, the EU, US, Brazil, Japan, India and Australia, reportedly took some "incremental steps" towards a deal but still lack the impetus for final agreement. Reports say that the meeting focused on detailed analysis of the figures involved in the various proposed cuts. The WTO summit, held in December 2005 in Hong Kong, failed to achieve the consensus necessary to complete the Doha trade round. Outstanding issues are agricultural products, industrial goods and services. Further ReadingEU official documents Commission press release:London meeting brings key WTO negotiators together to prepare for April deadline(10 March 2006) International Organisations WTO:Doha development agenda NGOs and Think-Tanks Oxfam:Hopes dwindling for trade deal that helps the poor(9 March 2006) ActionAid:London trade talks leave poor $63bn worse off(12 March 2006) ActionAid:WTO: Counting the costs of a bad deal in London Friends of the Earth:Appalling Hong Kong trade deal threatens people and environment(18 Dec 2005) Global Trade Watch:WTO Update Press articles International Herald TribuneTrade talks fail to reach a consensus(13 March 2006) The IndependentTalks fail to break deadlock over trade deal(13 March 2006) FT:Deal on Doha trade round inches forward(12 March 2006) Reuters:Peter Mandelson promet de rester dans le cadre de la PAC(10 March 2006) NZZ Online:Kaum Fortschritte in den WTO-Gesprächen(12 March 2006) Finanznachrichten:WTO-Gespräche zur Doha-Handelsrunde ohne Durchbruch(12 March 2006)
