The European Union recognises that agricultural negotiations have now entered a critical phase and these proposals represent a comprehensive, substantive and credible contribution. The EU proposals bridge the different proposals tabled by other WTO Members. These proposals must unlock immediate progress in other areas of the Doha negotiations, particularly, trade in industrial products and services, which are crucial to the European economy. he EU proposals are fully conditional on satisfactory movement in other areas of the negotiation. The cuts offered are within the European Commission’s mandate.The EU’s proposals will allow WTO Members to converge on the middle ground in agriculture negotiations. The cuts proposed go further than the EU’s original offer and significantly further than the cuts agreed in the Uruguay Round.More importantly, the average cut is higher and is more uniformly applied in the various levels of tariffs. In the Uruguay Round, the highest tariffs received the lowest cuts. The EU’s new proposal ensures that the higher the original tariff, the higher the reduction. The proposal is fully within the current negotiating mandate given to the Commission. However it is at the outer limit of that mandate.EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said: “The EU’s offer is substantial, offering new market access in agriculture and driving down trade-distorting farm subsidies. We want to move in a way that is tolerable for the EU’s reforming agricultural sector, and does not eliminate the preferential access Europe already offers to some of the world’s poorest countries. Europe’s major partners need to understand that this offer is conditional on immediate movement in negotiations on trade in industrial goods and services as well as in other areas of the agricultural negotiation. These areas are important to Europe, and to developing countries and provide the only route to a balanced Doha outcome. .For more information please visit:
Date:10/30/2005
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