Brussels, 13/07/2005 (Agence Europe) - With a proposal to reduce customs duties for enhanced market access presented by the emergent countries of the G20, real impetus was given to the WTO's agricultural talks during the mini-ministerial meeting of the WTO in Dalian (China) from 11 to 13 July (EUROPE 8988). “We came determined to make negotiations move forward and that is what we have done”, Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer-Boel said after the work on the first day. In a more circumspect manner, WTO Director General Supachai Panitchpakdi felt the progress made was not sufficient and called for a leap forward to ensure a successful Doha Round. Progress has been made in some areas but, as to whether such progress will be sufficient for guaranteeing the success of work programmes by the ministerial meeting in Hong Kong, that is another matter, he said.
Meeting on Tuesday, the 32 trade ministers present adopted a G20 proposal for a solution to reduce differentiated customs duties between developed and developing countries. The proposal foresees a layered breakdown of duties, the highest being brought down the most. The G20 suggest that this breakdown be carried out in four stages (with uniform reduction of duties within each level) for the developing countries and in five stages for the developed countries, in order to speed up reductions for the latter. It also recommends the setting in place of a 150% ceiling for duties of developing countries and 100% for the developed countries.
Welcoming the G20 initiative, Ms Fischer Boel pointed out that the EU was willing to use the linear approach (of the G20) as a working base as long as it is accompanied by a certain margin of manoeuvre around the pivotal decrease fixed for each layer. The EU is willing to budge from its initial position on market access and seek a median between this position and the new G20 proposal but this will require agreement on a degree of flexibility in the formula as well as some movement on the part of the other developed nations regarding internal subsidies and aid to exports, she added.