Krems, 30/05/2006 (Agence Europe) - The Agriculture Commissioner, Mariann Fischer Boel, tried both to mollify the fears of those Member States which are concerned that the CAP may be under attack and to show that the EU is singing from the same hymn sheet in international commercial negotiations at the WTO, at a press release she gave on 29 May in Krems, Austria, on the sidelines of the informal meeting of the European Ministers of Agriculture (see yesterday's EUROPE). She pledged that the EU would make "no new unilateral offer" on the agricultural plank of negotiations on the Doha Round, but acknowledged that the offer of 28 October 2005 may be adjusted in the final phases of negotiations, towards the end of the month of June or early in July, but only in order to promote a balanced compromise on all subjects (agriculture, industrial goods and services) and on the condition that the other members of the WTO make concessions. "We still have a certain amount of leeway (to change the agricultural offer) within our negotiation mandate", said Ms Fischer Boel, in reference to the framework agreement of the WTO concluded in late July 2004 and the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). She went on to stress that the agreement on the Doha Round would have to be well-balanced for agriculture and between agriculture and the other planks of the negotiations (services and industrial goods). The Commission notes that the EU would like Brazil to open up its market further on industrial goods and the United States to make a few concessions in the field of agriculture.
Ms Fischer Boel stressed that solely from an agricultural point of view, the EU was already a loser in these negotiations at the WTO, because it will have to reduce customs duties and open up its market to highly competitive products, particularly from Brazil. However, the Commissioner is convinced that an overall, well-balanced agreement would also be of benefit to European farmers, who will be able to access new export markets, because the other members of the WTO will also have to reduce their customs duties. She explained that many third countries which are developing quickly are looking for "our high-quality products".