Brussels, 21/12/2011 (Agence Europe) - EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht says the EU is not responsible for the Doha Trade Round impasse and urges emerging economies to play their part and the G20 to meet its pledges to combat protectionism.
In the media Karel De Gucht has accused the United States of being behind the current deadlock in the world trade talks at the WTO, but he pointed out that big emerging economies also had their part to play. In an interview with French newspaper Le Temps, the commissioner said that the hindrances to the trade round were widespread and for a while now, the only big player at the WTO to be taking any action is the European Union, which had put forward clear, detailed proposals because multilateralism is the way forward to avoid protectionism. Interviewed on the fringes of the WTO conference in Geneva last week, the commissioner was asked whether the initial Doha statement had been over-ambitious. He said he didn't think so, but the difference now was that various countries had changed line - emerging economies have now emerged and become the biggest competitors and now had to shoulder their responsibilities the way the EU was doing. De Gucht said that concluding the trade round could solve the economic crisis, stimulating growth, encouraging economic recovery and encouraging moves to tackle protectionism. Protectionism is currently worse than in 2008/9 due to a proliferation of measures from export and import duty, export restrictions and violation of intellectual property rights. The commissioner warned that the world could enter a dangerous downward spiral, and expected the G20 heads of state to do what they've promised and take action against protectionism. (EH/transl.fl)