Brussels, 28/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - The solution to the problem of cotton at the WTO can no longer wait, according to the group of ACP states (Africa/Caribbean/Pacific), which has not ruled out bringing the question before the dispute settlement body. Meeting in Geneva on Thursday 27 January on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum of Davos, the representatives of the ACP states called for action from all participants at the informal ministerial on the Doha Round at the WTO.
They are calling for the immediate resumption of negotiations on cotton, on the basis of the terms of December 2008, priority to be given to “an early solution” and “the dossier to be dealt with at the same time as, not subsequently to, the outstanding questions in the agricultural negotiations of the Doha Round”.
The ACP states, which are linked to the EU by the Cotonou agreement, are extremely concerned by the fact that support measures to the Brazilian cotton producers, which were announced on 5 April 2010 as part of the interim USA-Brazil agreement, have only worsened inequality of treatment at the expense of other producers, notably ACP states. The group stresses that the US cotton policy is incompatible with their obligations at the WTO and calls on them immediately to take their responsibility to the international community and towards the cotton producers of the developing world. In view of the fact that the Doha Round is a development round and taking account of the vital importance of cotton for the ACP producer countries, the ACP group expects the negotiations to lead to the abolition of all price support measures for cotton, which create trade distortions. (A.N./transl.fl)