EU welcomes new US trade talk flexibility
The European Union on Thursday welcomed as a positive move what it saw as a new US willingness to negotiate in world trade talks, raising hopes of progress in the Doha round of negotiations.
By Agencies |
BRUSSELS: The European Union on Thursday welcomed as a "positive move" what it saw as a new US willingness to negotiate in world trade talks, raising hopes of progress in the Doha round of negotiations.
"It's a positive move which we welcome," said the spokesman for EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson, who represents the 27-country bloc in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks.
The spokesman, Peter Power, said it demonstrated a "US commitment to negotiate on the basis of the Geneva text and we urge all parters to do likewise."
"Unless the US is committed then there is no future," he said. In Geneva Wednesday, WTO chief agriculture negotiator, New Zealand ambassador Crawford Falconer, said the United States had accepted a proposal by the WTO for cutting state subsidies in the agricultural sector.
The Doha negotiating round, aimed at tearing down trade barriers, was launched in 2001 and was meant to have been concluded by 2004 with a new global deal to increase trade to the benefit of poor countries.
But an accord has been back by squabbles between rich and poor countries and disagreements between the United States and the European Union, with farm trade a key sticking point.
Poor and emerging market countries have accused rich nations of distorting the global market for farm products with their state subsidies.
"It's a positive move which we welcome," said the spokesman for EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson, who represents the 27-country bloc in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks.
The spokesman, Peter Power, said it demonstrated a "US commitment to negotiate on the basis of the Geneva text and we urge all parters to do likewise."
"Unless the US is committed then there is no future," he said. In Geneva Wednesday, WTO chief agriculture negotiator, New Zealand ambassador Crawford Falconer, said the United States had accepted a proposal by the WTO for cutting state subsidies in the agricultural sector.
The Doha negotiating round, aimed at tearing down trade barriers, was launched in 2001 and was meant to have been concluded by 2004 with a new global deal to increase trade to the benefit of poor countries.
But an accord has been back by squabbles between rich and poor countries and disagreements between the United States and the European Union, with farm trade a key sticking point.
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Poor and emerging market countries have accused rich nations of distorting the global market for farm products with their state subsidies.
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