Strasbourg, 25/01/2002 (Agence Europe) - In an address before the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Director General of the World trade Organisation, Mike Moore, called on the parliamentarians to "engage in the critical issues" in the Doha Development Agenda, ensuring that this engagement be "perceived by the public". Otherwise, he said, "I fear others who do not have the same legitimacy will try to seize the agenda". According to Mr. Moore, the parliamentarians may not only contribute in clarifying "what is at stake", but they also have "a monitoring role to play during and after negotiations", as well as a "crucial role" faced with "public apprehension that must be quelled". A little later, before the press, Mr. Moore called on the Union and the United States "to strive to resolve" their differences on the American export tax system. "I hope that the two parties have understood the enormity of this affair and the impact it could have on the whole trading system", he said.