Brussels, 07/12/2004 (Agence Europe) - On Monday in Paris, the meeting between Commissioner for trade and the US representative for trade Robert Zoellick confirmed that the EU and USA preferred to resolve their dispute on public aid to Airbus and Boeing by bilateral negotiations rather than at a WTO panel. The two sides, however, did not hide the fact that their positions remained firm and that litigation at the WTO remained an option. Commissioner Mandelson declared at the end of the three and a half hour meeting with Mr Zoellick that, "I am more interested in seeing how we can resolve our difference through a process of negotiations. It is not possible to do that, then obviously the option of launching a case before the WTO exists. That option has not been excluded". Mr Zoellick declared that, "Litigation is an option that we remain very prepared for, an may very well take that course. But we'll try to see what alternatives are present". The US Representative for trade underlined that the affair was "very, very difficult an complex" and that it would now be necessary to examine the details and underlying problems. The two men, who were meeting for the first time, agreed to pursue discussions over the next few weeks to see if an amicable solution could be found or whether litigation at the WTO was unavoidable. Last week, US officials at the Department of Trade indicated that Washington no longer intended to go to a WTO panel, which suggested that the US position was becoming more flexible (EUROPE 4 December). This impression was not borne out in Paris, according to Mandelson who said that he had not got this feeling of greater flexibility. On Tuesday, Mr Mandelson's spokesperson confirmed to the press that Mandelson and Zoellick had given themselves a few additional weeks to discuss matters and is if there was a serious basis for bilateral negotiations or whether it would be necessary to pursue a litigation process at the WTO. Before beginning possible bilateral negotiations, the spokesperson said that "serious discussions" would be needed over the next few weeks.
The meeting between Mandelson and Zoellic focused on multilateral negotiations at the WTO and the Doha round. Mr Mandelson explained that they had focused on the Doha development agenda and hoped that their determination would see the round move forward in 2005 with a view to the ministerial meeting in Hong Kong in December 2005. The Commissioner said that the EU and USA agreed that "some sharper focus is required" to revitalising the round of negotiations and to ensure that there was progress in 2005. Mandelson said that they had also agreed to "some political propulsion and some momentum" soon for starting up discussions.