Brussels, 27/11/2003 (Agence Europe) - As pointed out in EUROPE, the European Commission proposes to rebalance the Union's strategy in negotiations on the Doha Development Agenda in order to help reactivate these talks successfully on 15 December this year. The strategy paper, that the Union's Chief Negotiator, Pascal Lamy, presented after a final collegial debate, invites the Union to:
1. Confirm its fundamental objectives, mainly so that the WTO will remain at the heart of market opening and strengthened trade rules with the multilateral approach and trade cooperation remaining the most effective and most legitimate means of managing globalisation and inter-State trade. Alongside the other leading international organisations, and in collaboration with the same, the WTO will continue to play a key role in providing a framework for globalisation and in seeking sustainable development. The EU, for its part, is expected to foster enhanced coherence between the WTO and these organisations, in order to encourage more harmonious internal governance at the economic, social and environmental levels and in order to support rapid reactivation of the Doha programme.
2. Explore other approaches for negotiation of the Singapore issues (investment, competition, trade facilitation and public procurement transparency) by withdrawing them from the single commitment and negotiating them, if need be, as multilateral agreements on a voluntary base. A "variable geometry" approach would allow the WTO to develop rules on such issues while accepting the fact that all its members are not willing to move forward. Given the persistent reticence shown by its partners, the EU could also agree to a slight adjustment of approaches that it has followed so far to achieve its aims in matters relating to: - trade and the environment, focusing more on obtaining a political commitment on ensuring coherence between environmental and trade rules, on market opening for environmental goods and services in favour of developing countries and on the technical assistance to be provided in this field; - and geographical indications for which it confirms its main objectives but could discuss more flexible arrangements for the creation of a multilateral register.
3. Confirm its offers in these fields where negotiations have not yet started seriously, mainly on: - agriculture where the flexibility achieved by successive CAP reforms has not been heightened by others (lack of concrete proposals from developing countries on the list of products which present a particular interest for these countries and offers from other developed countries and emerging countries on duty-free access and quotas for products from the least advanced countries); - cotton, for which it will defend a specific initiative in the context of negotiations on agriculture (through early implementation), including an explicit commitment to grant developing countries market access without duties or quotas, substantial reduction in domestic subsidies which upset trade the most and the elimination of export subsidies; - and trade protection (antidumping and anti-subsidies) for which it confirms its ambitions.
4; Urging its partners to show they are flexible with regards industrial tariffs and services for which the limit must be high given the major contribution made by these sectors to world trade and the interest that they present for developing countries. Finally, a reform package which is modest but feasible must be submitted to the WTO to allow rapid improvement to be made to the preparation and the unfolding of ministerial conferences as well as participation by the smallest countries in the process.