Brussels, 12/02/2003 (Agence Europe) - The EU is hoping that the WTO summit in Tokyo on 14/16 February will enable balance to be struck between all the issues on the agenda, indicated Commission sources on Wednesday. The challenge facing the informal meeting of 25 of the 144 WTO members is to give "political impetus" to talks on the most controversial subject, namely free trade in agriculture, access to medicines and transparency in public tendering. Commissioners Pascal Lamy and Franz Fischler will be representing the EU. The US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick has already given indications of the tone by hoping the meeting would "put pressure" on the EU and Japan to get them to improve their agricultural offers. The WTO Director General, Supachai Panitchpakdi, did not hide his pessimism, commenting that the political will to make substantial progress had still not been demonstrated in most areas.
After the opening dinner on Friday, the ministers will look at access to agriculture, industrial and services markets on Saturday. The tone may be heated, a few weeks ahead of 31 March, the deadline for submitting offers and figures for agriculture, and initial offers for services. The parties will give their initial reactions to the draft agreement unveiled this week by the WTO ombudsman for agriculture, Stuart Harbison (see below). The Commission unveiled a proposal on services earlier this month (see Europe of 6 February, p.8). Ministers in Tokyo will also be clarifying disagreements between those defending full opening of the market in industry without any preferential treatment for developing countries, supporters of negotiations based on aid to developing countries and the intermediary position of the EU, which is calling for a reduction in peak duties on imports from developing countries, noted the Commission, adding that effort still needed to be made in textiles and footwear, which account these days for 30% of developing countries' exports.
On Saturday afternoon the ministers will look at the "Singapore issues" (facilitating trade, competition rules, investment protection and access, transparency in public contracts and the environment). The Commission says it is time to consider now the negotiations are organised. Late Saturday afternoon development will be discussed, including the spiny topic of access to medicine. Speaking at the EP (see yesterday's Europe, p.13), Pascal Lamy said there had to be a breakthrough in this area. The Commission comments that the 2002 deadline has been missed and the EU believes it is time to sum up, hoping that political agreement will be reached in Tokyo.
Anti-dumping rules and compensation measures will be discussed on Sunday morning, along with regional trade agreements. European negotiators hopes progress will be made on protection of geographical labels, not only for spirits.