Brussels, 06/10/2004 (Agence Europe) - In a letter from German PDS member Helmuth Markow to President Borrell, the European United Left/Nordic Greens Left Group affirms that it disagrees with the nomination of Peter Mandelson as Trade Commissioner within the Barroso Commission. Mr Mandelson's hearing shows "this candidate simply plans to continue the present policy developed by Mr Pascal Lamy", Mr Markow said (for the hearing, see EUROPE of 5 October, p.6). In his view, although Mr Mandelson "clearly admitted" that the "Uruguay Round was entirely dominated by the interests of the two richest blocks and has benefited them almost exclusively, and although he said that the new round will be different, he has not shown a single imaginative idea on how to begin to realise this change of orientation of the trade negotiations to reduce the gap between developing and industrialised countries, and the gap between rich and poor within the countries themselves". Furthermore, the Social Democrat party member reproaches Mr Mandelson with not appearing aware of the impact that liberalisation of services would have. While claiming that "he had no intention of destroying public services, he showed no interest in reorienting the trade negotiations to permit them to survive or to develop as needed", Mr Markow writes in his letter to Mr Borrell. While he regrets that the Commissioner-designate's ideas on the democratisation of the international trade system and global government seem to be limited to some reforms of management procedures within the WTO, with no understanding of the need for "in-depth reform of the WTO model".