Posted on 11/15/2005 6:34:58 PM PST by TigerLikesRooster
Apec 'to warn EU on trade talks'
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Reports say Apec leaders, meeting in South Korea, will issue the warning in a joint statement later this week. Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer has already said the success of the World Trade Organisation talks now rests with Europe. Europe is under pressure to increase cuts on farm subsidies and tariffs. French pressure Both the US and leading developing nations such as Brazil have accused the European Union (EU) of not going far enough in reducing agricultural protectionism.
Yet the hands of EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson appear to be tied, with a number of European nations - most notably France - warning him that they might veto any eventual World Trade Organisation (WTO) deal if he makes too many concessions. An outline WTO deal was timetabled to be in place for final agreement at a WTO ministerial meeting in Hong Kong in December, but Mr Mandelson has already said this will be all but impossible to achieve. The so-called Doha round of WTO talks now look set to drag on into 2006. "There's an overwhelming view here [at the Apec meeting] that unless there is a breakthrough on agricultural trade, we are not going to get an agreement which will conclude the WTO talks," Mr Downer told the Bloomberg news agency. "Unless the EU is prepared to put a new offer on the table in terms of access to European agricultural markets, there won't be any agreement." Mr Mandelson said on Tuesday that he rejected the apparent "finger-pointing" by some Apec members. |
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