Luxembourg, 25/10/2001 (Agence Europe) - At their meeting in Luxembourg on Tuesday, EU Agriculture Ministers discussed the EU's agricultural position for the WTO Ministerial Conference in Doha, confirming the mandate granted to the European Commission in 1999 to enter WTO negotiations. The Ministers felt that the draft declaration was a good starting point, but further improvements still need to be made.
There was a degree of convergence in the Ministers' views on the main subjects of the future negotiations. When it comes to export refunds, several Member States argue that the problems in the cereal sector have been resolved (due to the price cut decided when the CAP was reformed in 1999). Various third countries, like the Cairns Group, Argentina and New Zealand, are still venting their ire on export refunds for beef and dairy products. The Commission and some Member States (including France) argue that it is unacceptable that the draft declaration prepared for the ministerial conference should prejudge the outcome of the negotiations by mentioning the rapid phasing out of export refunds. On non-trade issues (food safety, animal welfare, environmental protection and the precautionary principles), the Ministers hoped that the internal measures that had been taken by the EU would be recognised internationally and be excluded from the negotiations. The EU do not want the concept of rural development to be the exclusive preserve of developing countries, with the French Agriculture Minister, Jean Glavany, saying that the draft Doha document is too "vague" in this connection. Commissioner Fischler said that the document was not balanced enough.