Brussels, 31/08/2001 (Agence Europe) - In a press release published on Thursday, the Greens/EFA Group condemned the secrecy surrounding the informal negotiations starting on Friday in Mexico between eighteen members of the WTO with a view to preparing the fourth ministerial meeting of the Organisation that will be held in Qatar in November (see EUROPE of 30 August, p.4).
Caroline Lucas, from Britain, mainly deplores the fact that the Mexican authorities had refused to disclose the venue of the event. The MEP feels this is an ill-disguised attempt by the developed countries to convince trade ministers of developing countries to accept the need for the launch of a new round of trade negotiations in Qatar. Demands for a new round, coming mainly from the EU and WTO Director General Mike Moore, have been heavily resisted by Egypt, Malaysia and Pakistan especially. "We share and support their view that there is more than enough unfinished and unsatisfactory business from the last Uruguay Round to keep the WTO busy for the next few years", said Ms Lucas.
Belgian Paul Lannoye notes that "attendance is dominated by the old Quad (EU, US, Canada and Japan) and by the Cairns Group of leading grain exporters who want much freer access to the world's food and commodity markets (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Malaysia, South Africa, Uruguay and the USA)".