Brussels, 12/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - It will be up to the Hungarian Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers, which began its term of office on 1 January, to promote the new EU trade strategy, proposed by Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht at the start of November 2010, in the first half of this year. In its search for reciprocity, the EU is continuing to favour bilateral agreements while, at the same time, hoping the Doha Round will be concluded before the end of the year.
In trade defence, the Hungarian Presidency will have to promote the implementation of the new strategy set out by De Gucht on 9 November, which follows on from the Global Europe strategy launched in 2006 by his predecessor Peter Mandelson and forms part of the wider framework of the EUROPE 2020 strategy for growth and jobs. The new trade strategy, supported by the Council in December of last year (see EUROPE 10284) is built on a number of flagship objectives: the conclusion of the Doha Round and the on-going negotiations on bilateral free-trade agreements, stronger relations with strategic partners (United States, Japan, Russia, China, Brazil and others), continuing the strategy of seeking access to markets for European companies, and the debate on EU investment policy.
Budapest is looking, from January, to intensify Doha Round talks at the WTO. The Hungarian authorities also plan to try to finalise negotiations on Russia's accession to the WTO, and expect significant progress in free-trade negotiations with India, Singapore, Ukraine and Canada. The Hungarian Presidency wants particular emphasis laid on initiatives undertaken with strategic partners to align regulations and get rid of non-tariff barriers. Budapest has said it wants to work closely with the European Parliament which, with the Lisbon Treaty, has become a co-legislator in trade matters. (E.H./transl.rt)