14/08/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission is to examine how to improving the workings of the WTO in the framework of its brief for the future round of trade negotiations, Pascal Lamy, Commissioner responsible for Trade, told Jose Bove who had come to present the ideas of the European Farmers Co-ordination on the subject (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.1). As for the EFC's demand that third parties should be able to put their points of views before the Dispute Settlements Body, Mr. Lamy sent out a warning: this must not, he said, be to the detriment of developing countries (which are less well prepared to defend themselves: Ed.). Regarding the dispute with the United States over hormone-treated meat, Lamy recalled in particular that, so as to secure a suspension of the American sanctions (that affect other products than Roquefort…), the EU had envisaged an increase in the American quota of beef without hormones, but such a solution would demand on the part of Washington the setting up of a control and certification system, very heavy to organise.