Brussels, 12/05/2003 (Agence Europe) - Commissioner Pascal Lamy has expressed satisfaction with the productive talks he held this weekend in Bucharest with ministers of the candidate countries, with sources close to the Commissioner saying they are already being gradually incorporated into the debate and negotiations over trade and we can see that they are already adapting to their new situation. Ministers of the EU and candidate countries discussed the Geneva negotiations over the Doha Development Round, on which they see eye to eye, including over progress expected in Cancun - geographic indications, trans-sectoral approach to free trade in industrial goods, special and differentiated treatment for developing countries, the importance of tightening up the rules, particularly for competition, investment, facilitating trade and transparency in public tender, the environment and settling disputes. The same goes for the need to breath new life into the process before the key Cancun summit (the importance of a balanced approach to agriculture in order to achieve the agreed objectives of speeding up access to the market, cut aid and taken non-trade concerns into account, the latter being stressed by the CEECs that have already largely opened up to the free market in agriculture as part of the process of joining the WTO). The candidate countries are satisfied with the consultations with the EU over these negotiations, particularly over the European offer concerning the services part of the Doha Round which they see as a test case to be pursued until they can take full part in the Community's decision-making process.
Along with their EU counterparts, the candidate countries' ministers expressed their support for Russia in its attempts to join the World Trade Organisation.