Brussels, 07/09/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Cairns Group, an 18 country coalition representing one third of world agricultural exports, called on the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on Wednesday to put an end to agricultural discrimination within the WTO and to launch reform aimed at abolishing agricultural export subsidies. In a declaration adopted after its thirteenth ministerial meeting, in Punta del Este (in Uruguay), the Cairns Group felt that the next WTO conference in Doha (Qatar), from 9 to 13 November, should pledge to "put an end to the discrimination against agriculture and fully integrate it in the rules of the WTO". It also demanded a "clear commitment for fundamental agricultural trade reform through eliminating all forms of export subsidies, substantial improvement to market access and a reduction in internal aid, including the elimination of all forms of aid that distort trade and production". Considering that "the reform process must come to an end as soon as possible", the agriculture ministers or trade ministers of these countries hoped there would be a "substantial reduction" in protectionist measures within one year after signing the agreement.
During their work, the ministers expressed their concern about, on one hand, the financial support provided by the OECD countries to their producers, and which, they say, amounts to almost one billion dollars per day, and, on the other hand, the protection measures granted "not only through customs barriers but also unwarranted non-customs obstacles (sanitary and phytosanitary measures". The end of such practices would entail "a substantial growth of global GDP and allow developing countries to make significant gains", said the text of the Cairns Group, which affirms it can count on the support of the United States regarding liberalisation of agricultural trade with a view to the Doha Conference. This powerful pressure group is composed of nine countries of Latin America (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Paraguay and Uruguay), seven of the Asia-Pacific zone (Australia, Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines and Thailand), as well as Canada and South Africa.