Hong Kong, 19/12/2005 (Agence Europe) - After the closing ceremony of the 6th WTO ministerial conference, EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said: 'In a week of disappointments, it (the agreement) is no small prize. It is not enough to make this meeting a true success but it is enough to save it from failure'. Mandelson hailed the adoption of a series of measures for developing countries and praised his Zambian counterpart, Dipak Patel, for his commitment to the most vulnerable countries during the week's debates. The Commissioner said that not covering all developing countries' products in the NAMA access to market agreement was disappointing. US Trade Representative Bob Portman stressed the need to make a breakthrough on cutting customs tariffs failing which the farm talks and the Doha Round would not succeed. The Brazilian foreign minister, Celso Amorim, said: 'This was a modest but not insignificant deal which could be a driving force to make real cuts in agricultural subsidies,' moderately satisfied with the agreement on a date to scrap farm subsidies. Amorim said it was a fair compromise. He wanted 2010 for the end of farm subsidies and was disappointed with the final deal, but a deadline has now been set and a deadline for scrapping all forms of export subsidies that gives the trade talks credibility. Argentine trade minister Alfredo Chiaradia said: 'I think the EU owes one to the developing countries. We showed a real will to negotiate and we didn't feel it was the same from the other side,' referring to the EU's refusal to budge on access for farm products. Indian trade minister Kamal Nath said he was sure the Doha Trade Round would be concluded because momentum was growing. This new decade's new economic structure has to be recognised by the developed world, he added. Throughout the talks, Nath had called on rich countries to scrap farm subsidies which were the main issue perpetuating iniquities. ACP country spokesperson, Mauritius' trade minister Madun Dullo, said the ACP states had been expecting a lot more on farming, cotton and the Development Package. There had been some progress on NAMAs and services but the aid package is inconsistent with the trade package, he added, explaining ACP concern at the links made in the final trade deal between scrapping customs tariffs in farming and industry, which have to be achieved to an equally high level.
Jose Manuel Barroso: 'If our partners think that the success of Doha will be based on concessions
from the EU as regards agriculture, they are wrong'
Speaking at a press conference in Brussels on Monday, the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, said the Hong Kong agreement meant the Doha Trade Round was still on track and that in itself was a positive outcome. He said the WTO member countries would have to made substantial concessions next year on services and industrial products: 'The EU cannot deliver this Round by itself.' Jose Manuel Barroso added: 'If our partners think that the success of Doha will be based on concessions from the EU as regards agriculture, they are wrong. If they want a success of Doha, they must accept to make real concessions on industrial goods and services. I hope this is now clear.' In Hong Kong, he said, there had been excellent cooperation between Member States and the Commission and EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson and EU Farm Commissioner Mariann Fischer-Boel had done a 'great job', sticking to the EU's strong line despite pressure on farm issues (where Barroso said the EU had shown great flexibility). The pledge to phase out farm export subsidies by 2013 was an important contribution to the success of Doha by the EU, he argued, but said there were strict conditions attached. Barroso said the EU would only scrap farm export subsidies by 2013 if others scrapped their export subsidies and all other equivalent export subsidy measures. He concluded that the Hong Kong trade deal was 'relatively good' on development.
Commissioner Mariann Fischer-Boel's views
In a press release, EU Farm Commissioner Mariann Fischer-Boel welcomed the 2013 date for scrapping export subsidies, saying it was clearly connected with the period when the current CAP reform would be fully operational. The rest of the Hong Kong agreement on scrapping export subsidies was not a Christmas present for the EU, she said, but what counted was to define in the future precisely what 'substantial' means. She said the EU would not agree to that going as far as creating disorder on EU markets or calling for new reforms.