Brussels, 25/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - The 143 member countries of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) will have to show the necessary flexibility between now and Easter if they want to have the revised draft compromises in the three key areas - agriculture, industrial goods and services - by that date, and be in a position to conclude the Doha Round before the end of 2011.
Following a further round of talks from 9 to 18 March devoted to the three pillars of negotiations on agriculture - domestic support, market access, export subsidy - and to other thornier issues - tariff simplification, tariff quotas for goods deemed to be sensitive, special safeguard mechanism for developing countries, and cotton - WTO member states have barely made any progress in reviewing the 2008 draft compromise on the agricultural chapter of the Doha Round. At the end of last week, the chairman of Doha Round negotiations on agriculture, David Walker, lamented that there had been no push to review the 2008 text. New Zealand Ambassador Walker said, however, that he understood that negotiators were continuing to work among themselves to make progress. The next series of discussions on agriculture is scheduled for the week of 4 April. Revised texts on agriculture, industrial goods and services will, in principle, be brought forward by 22 April to try to find an overall compromise in July and conclude the Round by the end of the year. On 18 March, Swiss Ambassador Luzius Wasescha called on members to show flexibility, sagacity and creativity on the chapter relating to market access for industrial goods so that texts can be finalised and a decisive step taken in the negotiations. (E.H./transl.rt)